EDITORIAL

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EDITORIALS, RANTS, AND
SPEWING OFF ...'CAUSE I CAN

Editorials, Rants, and Tangent Road trips.... :)

10-10-04
By: Steven Ritchie
hotrodshack.com

ARE THE NHRA / IHRA DOING THEIR PART FOR DRAG RACING AS A WHOLE?

The NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION...THE INTERNATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
.......Some folks love them, some hate them, nevertheless, they are there, and they are the
entities that make the rules for the sport we love. Along with the responsibility of being the rules makers, and the money
collectors, I think the two could do a much better job of being the merchandisers and marketers of the sport .

Go to any retail store, convenience store, wholesale club, outlet mall, etc.........what do you see? NASCAR AND CHOPPERS!
The market is FLOODED with NASCAR marketing...has been for years. The market is flooded with Chopper paraphernalia.....
Do you see any NHRA /IHRA stuff? MAYBE if you're lucky you might see
a drag car hot wheel, or something like that, but VERY, VERY Seldom will you see ANYTHING NHRA / IHRA related.
About the closest I've seen, is some NITRO FISH shirts that the sold at Wal-Mart a while back....we were actually EXCITED...
evidently so were others, as the sold really quick.

So....what's up NHRA / IHRA ???? You sure aren't bashful about selling merchandise at national events for a small fortune! I would think
sponsors, small as well as MAJOR CORPORATE sponsors would DEMAND a change in the marketing strategy of the NHRA /IHRA.
I mean Face it......EXPOSURE is the name of the game....and loosening up the marketing Stranglehold that the NHRA and IHRA
have on Drag Racing items could do NOTHING but increase exposure for the whole sport.

NHRA is on the "race on the track not on the street" (Haven't heard much from the IHRA on the subject)
Kick....well then, what a better way to make it "COOL" to race at
a drag strip and to get involved, than to have 30% of school aged kids wearing Drag Racing, and NHRA stuff ? Until you make racing
on a track instead of the street the COOL thing to do...... You're going to lose a BIG part of the crowd.
Look at WEST COAST CHOPPERS ITEMS, ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS
ITEMS, NASCAR ITEMS, ETC....there is NO ARGUING
WITH PROVEN SUCCESS.! If the NHRA is genuinely concerned about legal street racing, then they need to pump up
a marketing plan OUTSIDE THEIR OWN CORPORATE WALLS! If they want drag racing as a WHOLE to gain popularity, then
they should ACT like it. The NHRA seems content because their NATIONAL EVENTS sell out...and make them millions. Well to the
millions of fans, and the SPONSORS, that just plain isn't right.

There are MILLIONS of local fans and local racers that MAKE the NHRA /IHRA what They are....and they just about HAVE to go to a
national event to but a shirt, poster, decal, etc....or order from the NHRA /IHRA directly.

Come on NHRA / IHRA .....get the DRAG RACING COLORS out to the general public....let people KNOW that drag racing is
alive....let people KNOW that drag racing is EVERYWHERE. Get off the high prices, and get off the marketing lockdown!

Lets get DRAG RACING more exposed on TV, and lets get drag racing more exposed in RETAIL OUTLETS! If you want to support
the sport that you RULE, then come out of the crystal palaces, and get out with the regular folks.... on car windows
in the form of decals, on Kids and adults backs in the form of clothing, and on shelves in the form of die-cast, In kids hands in the form of
toys, etc...etc... etc.... and let them get it at a price folks can afford and from a place that's accessible to them!!!

More income from a more diverse demographic market means more money....which means you can do more and MORE
Marketing, which means the NHRA / IHRA and DRAG RACING can get bigger and better....which means better overall
health for drag racing....isn't that what you want? It's what WE WANT. We want to STOP SEEING DRAG STRIPS SHUT
DOWN JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE WITH OTHER PLANS CAN GET LEGISLATION PUSHED...we want to see
MORE TRACKS BUILT because DRAG RACING is getting bigger and stronger. We want to see kids as well as
adults ALL have places to SAFELY race their cars and motorcycles. We want drag racing to be MORE POPULAR, and stronger.
NHRA...When you crown yourselves the RULERS of Drag RACING, THEN THERE ARE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT COME
WITH THAT....WE WANT YOU TO LIVE UP TO THEM.

NHRA / IHRA....WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I live by Fort Sill Oklahoma, and I was an Army brat myself growing up, so it just naturally happens that some of my friends are military. One of my Gear head buddies was going to the field for a week or so, and didn't want to leave his big block Chevelle parked in the barracks parking lot, so he left it at my house. I told him that when he got back, just give me a call, and I'd come get him and bring him back to his car.
Well, about 10 days later, he calls at , of course, about 11:30pm and says he's home. So I say "dude....I got to get some gas in my hoopty, then I'll be there " he says "mines full, just bring it". Ok...there's no problem so far....the world is turning just fine.
I jump in the chevelle, go find him standing out on the curb, pull over and start to get out to let him drive....then he says "man...i haven't slept for like 3 days...you drive" So.....we load up, and take off.
On the way back to my house, we have to travel one of the busiest streets in Lawton...Sheridan Road...so we're tooling' down Sheridan...runnin about 50mph, and then it happens...............
You know how sometimes you kinda slide down in bucket seats, and you pull yourself back up using the steering wheel as leverage???? Well...that's what I did, and it usually works out just fine...........IF YOU HAVE A NUT HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL ON THE SHAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!! This bonehead didn't have a nut on the wheel adapter, SOOOOOOOOOO here i am....going 50 mph down the road, in the right hand lane, with a loose steering wheel in my hand....it was TOTAL Laurel and Hardy!!!!
I try to get the wheel back on....but NOOOOOOOOOO the splines won't mesh....so I had a plan...I'd grab the shaft and put enough pressure on it to stay in my lane, and off the curb till I could stop the car gradually (DRUM BRAKES ON FRONT). Well, for that to work, I had to get rid of the steering wheel.... the conversation:

"Parrish............take this"
"I don't want the @$%@ thing...put it back on the car"
"I CAN'T GET IT BACK ON THE CAR YOU IDIOT"
"WELL...........PUT IT BACK ON ANYWAY"
"LOOK EINSTEIN..........I JUST TOLD YOU"
"WOW.........DID YOU KNOW WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS THE CURB???"
"Yes...I see that...Take the wheel "
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PUT IT BACK ON...WE'RE GUNNA DIE"
"We're NOT gunna die...it's just gunna hurt REALLY BAD"
"i DON'T WANT IT TO HURT REALLY BAD.....PUT THE WHEEL BACK ON!!!!!!!!!"

I then throw the wheel down in the floorboard, grab the steering shaft with one hand around the other and try to turn the car away from the gradually approaching curb ( i knew if we tagged the curb at our current speed of probably 35 mph, that it would bounce us into traffic that was now coming around us in the other lane) That didn't work.......so now my brain goes into overdrive....I'm figuring....if at the PRECISE moment we touch the curb...i CLIMB ALL OVER the brakes, it'll GRAB the curb, and we'll go up over the curb and into those nice SOFT shrubs over there in that persons yard. Bingo....that's the plan.
So...while Parrish is over in the passenger side of the car screaming, babbling, and cursing me O PLENTY , while verbally planning his death like Richard Lewis on CRACK..... I'm waiting for the car to touch the curb.....NUDGE.............WHAM...I'M on the brakes like a mad man.....POWWWWWWW............Crash..........screech........ (Several unintelligible high volume tidbits from Parrish).......Clang....hissssss.........WOW..............WE'RE ALIVE!!!!!!!!!

It worked to perfection.........well at least a perfect as IN we WERE stopped....and we WERE alive...and neither of us were Hurting really bad, so I thought at least Parrish would be happy........but now we had reality to deal with.

I look up and low and behold....the lady of the house at that precise moment just happened to be standing in her doorway......she's looking at us and then looking back into the house waving for everyone inside to come look at the UFO crash in her yard!!!
I figured some more..........

I grabbed the wheel...stuck it back on.......started the car.......which didn't like the idea too much...(I think Gymnastics makes Chevelle's tired) Put it in reverse...and found out that we were hung up on the ladder bars, and the shrubbery.
Well after a surgical application of the throttle....we were free, and limping across the road to the Churches Chicken Parking lot........
Mr. Spock....Damage Report......
One TOTALLY destroyed right front tire...slightly TOUCHED wheel...Several extra pounds of foliage.....a paint scrape......and that was it.....actually a pretty good landing I'd say.

Well, we got to looking, and thinking....and then we started laughing. Well I guess we were pretty loud, 'cause one of our local Police drove by, looked at the car and said "You guys ok" We said "Uh-Hu" he said "I thought I heard screaming" we said "nope...we were laughing" he looked at the car again, and said "I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW" And drove away. So Bruce....if you ever wondered...Now you know the REST OF THE STORY

So....the moral to this story is......if there's a place for a nut....PUT ONE ON IT........and next time you use your steering wheel for leverage to pull up in your seat....I bet ya laugh a little

Be Safe!!!!
Steve Ritchie
hotrodshack.com

11-13-03

Support Your Local Tracks ...they Offer the ONLY alternative to
Illegal Street Racing.
By: Steven Ritchie /HRS

The recent rise in the Popularity of REAL "street " type racing at Drag Strips is
one of the best things to happen to this sport in YEARS. There are several
factors involved in the rise of this part of the sport and I'll talk about some of
them here.

One Big factor in the growth of LEGAL street racing is Money. To put it plainly,
it's just too danged expensive to get caught racing on public streets in today's world.
Face it..... people often think of finance LONG before they think Safety!! Even if
nothing BAD happens like accidents, etc....if you get caught it means MONEY!
I have to admit that a few years back, I looked at this as some kind of evil scheme
by Big Brother and the anti-fun overlords to cut into my business, and thought
it was Totally wrong...I mean who do they think they are making it so expensive to
get caught racing??? Geez.. we're not hurting nobody. WRONG !!!!

I can tell you that my views have changed.... COST ended up being a very
good step in controlling something that was actually BAD for drag racing as a whole. I know,
we didn't THINK it was bad, but in today's Politically Correct world, we just can't
afford illegal street racing incidents filling the news. And none of us want folks hurt.
The fact is though...that people DO get hurt...ALONG WITH innocent bystanders,
and other innocent drivers that aren't even involved in the racing. I look back at
some of the times we raced illegally.... YES...some were set up perfectly safe and that
can be done in a legal, controlled environment like some cruises, and car shows do
with the help of their local authorities and safety people... but the
majority were catastrophies just waiting to happen!!!

Another factor in controlling illegal street racing has been the "cool factor". We
as racers, have finally made it COOL to do our street racing at the track. When this happened
it was like winning a war. And us older guys can help keep it going by simply
paying attention to who is paying attention to US!! You may not realize it, but when you
drive that car around town, or young folks see you hauling it on a trailer,
or your neighbor kid watches you work on your hotrod , you gain
a certain following....so...be aware of that, and set a good example. Youth WILL follow age if
you play your cards right...and look at it this way...you have an obligation
to do the right thing!! :) So Do It. Talk to those kids once in a while.....throw in the fact that
you always race at the track...little things like that make BIG impressions. You don't have
to give a big old corny speech....just give them enough to let them know
what's right and what's wrong. They ARE listening ! USE peer pressure for GOOD.
You are a very important "peer" to those kids!!

A good by-product of this LEGAL RACING movement is the fact that all over the USA, car
enthusiasts are building relationships with Police Departments, and their Officers.
Instead of the two being adversaries, we've become friends, and allies.
Look at the "Beat The Heat" series among others. This relationship building helps us
by allowing Law Enforcement and Car Folks (Which are LOTS OF TIMES the same
people) get involved with each other, and this lessens the tension between the two.
This is especially effective for the young folks.. which face it , are the future of our sport........
I love cruising my cars around...and I really enjoy being able to do so and not
worry about being "hassled". THIS is what relationship building does for US. WE prove
to the law enforcement guys that we're actually decent folks, and they prove the
Same thing to US :) Now isn't that a concept????? That Along
with the fact that we get to meet some really cool Law Enforcement Folks....we ALL win.

Ok...now on to the tracks. I feel it's EVERY community's DUTY to support
any local drag racing facility they may have. Let's take Wichita Falls for instance. The City
of Wichita Falls, the Schools in the area, Law Enforcement officials,
County Government, businesses and all the area citizens should support that track.
There are VERY FEW other businesses that can impact public safety, like a drag strip can.
Think about that statement. Noble does it for the OKC Area....there's Amarillo,
Ardmore, etc,etc,etc ... EACH and every one of these communities should Cherish their
racing facilities, and support them WHOLE HEARTEDLY.

Not being "INVOLVED" in racing is no excuse either....Even if you don't like,
or attend drag races......anytime a business gives racers a place to
race other than the public streets, YOUR life becomes SAFER :) Hard to
argue with that one, isn't it? So...even if you don't like racing, you now have NO
excuse NOT TO support your local race facilities as a business.

I spoke of Schools earlier....it is my belief that EVERY HIGH SCHOOL should have a sponsored
racing program if they have a track near by. Come on folks... It doesn't take much.... Just DO IT.
I also feel that schools should also teach the "take it to the track"
mantra in drivers education. FOLKS...whether or not you like drag racing...THIS CAN
AND WILL SAVE LIVES! IF ONE PERSON LIVES as a result of those efforts, they have paid off !!!
I'm personally going to have some posters made up and delivered to my local schools... In the hope that it'll make a difference
in a kids life and the decisions they make.
you can do the same...and if anyone needs help setting anything up, let me know.

We ALL need to support these tracks...don't just go racing on bracket nights,
try going on test and tune days, and during special events. If you go to the tracks
on test and tune nights, you usually see some of the street racers in action, and
some of these cars and trucks are FAST!!! Walk through the pits....if you see someone
that's having trouble with something....offer advice, or help.

Another thing we can all do is to offer your knowledge to a young person ....offer to go to the track
WITH THEM and show them the ropes.... Do you
remember the first time you pulled up to the lights??? Scary wasn't it??? I have
talked to lots of first time racers, young and old, and most all of them say they are VERY VERY
Nervous and INTIMIDATED the first few times they pull into the staging lanes.
Offer your help and advice....it doesn't take a lot of work.

It's simple....whatever track you go to....whatever track is in your community...
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DRAG RACING FACILITY.... It helps keep your kids alive,
and it gives them something to do with their time, and money. A race facility is a heck of an
addition to any area...learn to use and support it. Even RACERS need to learn how to SUPPORT
their local tracks...Pay Attention folks.... the track you race on depends on you....SO DO KIDS.

Make it affordable, Make it accessible, Make it cool, and treat the kids that come to race
like HUMANS...help them out...make them feel welcome ....show them some RESPECT for
making the choice to race SAFE......... It'll do wonders...and you just never
know.. you just might meet some really cool folks :)

Whether we drive Chevelle's, Mustang's, or Honda's...whether we're 16 or 60...rich or poor....we're ALL in the same boat....GRAB AN OAR!!!!!

PEACE!

9-2-03

Now we have "ECO TERRORISTS" Burning SUV's and dealerships because the vehicles aren't "economically friendly". I
guess it's ok to release huge amounts of toxins into the atmosphere by burning vehicles. Oh yeah...and using spray paint to
get there points across.
GEEZ

On the same note.....I read about the "What would Jesus Drive" movement against SUV's and large
vehicles. Yanno.... I bet Jesus would drive a 15 passenger van, or a school bus :)

An open letter to those who want GOD out of the U.S.A.
(You have the right to stop reading this )

We have to remove the Ten Commandments from a public building. We can’t have nativity scenes on state property. A church can’t build a big cross on it’s own land. Schools can’t include prayer. Some people want to remove “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” from out pledge of allegiance.

Then…. in the midst of all this, I actually hear people ask, “Where was God” when our schools are shot up, our buildings are bombed, our landmarks are terrorized, our people are killed. Folks…YOU told GOD to leave !! At the very least, you sat around while others did, and didn’t say anything.

This country was based on freedom of religion. What that means is NOT that we have to hide our faith in God and Jesus Christ. What that means is that we will not persecute you for not believing in them. You will not be harmed because you don’t believe the same as we do. THAT IS THE EXTENT OF IT, NO MORE. Oh yeah....the most important thing....OUR SOLDIERS HAVE DIED AND CONTINUE TO DIE SO THAT YOU HAVE THESE RIGHTS AND DON'T HAVE TO DIE YOURSELF.

Don’t expect us to sit and let you tear the last moral fibers of our country apart, and not stand up for what we believe in. Separation of Church and state does NOT mean we can’t display the Ten Commandments in a public building. It means that a church will not RUN the government as it did in England when we left there. It does NOT mean that a government building cannot display items proclaiming our belief that there is a GOD that looks over us all. You will not be forced by the government to pray to God, or to bow your head when others pray….THAT is separation of Church and State. If you don't want to look at the monument, you have the RIGHT to walk by it and now look.

You have many rights in this country that you don’t have elsewhere. You have the right NOT to participate in a prayer in school. You have the RIGHT to NOT read the ten commandments when you see them displayed in granite in a public place. You have the RIGHT to NOT say the pledge of allegiance or to omit to yourself the “UNDER GOD” part if you so choose. You will NOT be hurt, ridiculed, or murdered for practicing any of these rights. THAT IS FREEDOM OF RELIGION!!!! Again.... people have DIED and continue to DIE so you can have that right.

This is AMERICA….ONE NATION UNDER GOD. If you can’t live with that, I’m sure there are lots of other countries that would love to have you…for dinner! Go somewhere else and start proclaiming that you are going to remove religious items from their buildings… I’m sure they’ll give you the attention you crave…at the end of a rope or on the blade of a sword. You should be glad to live in a place where you are free to say “I don’t believe in this or that” but don’t try to turn that right into a tool to remove the basis of this country. The country that ALLOWS you that freedom.

You are welcome here…you are safe here…but you don’t have the right to change what this country is based on.... It is that plain and simple. If you don’t believe in God…there shouldn’t be a problem with you ignoring a monument containing the Ten Commandments, or anything else for that matter. When you really look at what you’re trying to do, it makes you look silly. You want to turn THIS country...the one that PROTECTS your right to not believe, into one that mimics the countries that will kill you for exercising that right......wow.....you have some serious learning to do. PEACE.

What do you think?

Peace…and be safe!
Steven Ritchie

2003
Vernon Texas
Summers Last Bash
Get more info on this and next year at:

www.vsmca.com

It’s about 7pm, Friday August 8^th and we’re sitting in Vernon Texas watching cars cruise down the road leading downtown. This cruise has been the most popular event of it’s kind in this area for years. An annual deal here in Vernon, the whole town gets in on the fun and there’s plenty of fun to be had. The whole town you ask…..yeah…when’s the last time you saw a town hall with checkered flag banners hanging on the sides ?What about the District Judges parking place taken over by a car trailer??? You’ll see it here!

No matter what kind of vehicle you own, you’ll be able to come to this event and find some ideas and have a LOT of fun. As I type this, a 56 ford wagon just drove by, followed by a yellow pro street nova. Parked just down the road there’s an old ford roadster pickup, and a Chevy II with a killer black paint job and big wheels. The other direction I can see a 48 Chevy, and a flamed late model suburban…..neat stuff folks!!

As soon as night falls, the creatures come out of the wood work. There’s been a WILD ‘40 ford pickup, a ‘59 vette and a early Riviera all within 300 yards of each other. These cruises are neat things, and if you’ve never been to one, you are definitely missing a LOT.

We’ve seen a few “speed exhibitions” this afternoon, and the police seem to be fairly lenient and understanding about those situations. Nothing we’ve seen so far though has been overly enthusiastic…just small applications of loud pedal, and some short side by side challenges. Everyone overall seems to be behaving. And considering that it’s about 400 degrees out…( I believe a fire that damaged a wooden fence across the street was caused by spontaneous combustion!!) and that usually breeds short tempers….EVERYONE has been great….we haven’t seen one frown since we pulled in!

Above all, this has been Brandon’s first cruise night of any size at all. I’m sitting in the motor home right now looking out the window, and he’s sitting a few feet away, outside in a lawn chair watching the cars drive by. I know in his mind, he’s dreaming of what it’ll be like to get to drive his coupe up and down the road like these people are. Folks…….take your kids to these kinds of things….this is a kind of energy that they can’t get anywhere else on the planet. This is the stuff that keeps kids on the right track….doing things like this with their families and friends. It also gets kids on the right track with law enforcement ….the burnout contest here is sponsored by the police department!

Cruise nights happen all over the united states all year long….there are even cruise nights in the dead of winter in some places. Get the family out and enjoy being together, and enjoy our sport. In the summer we have cruises and race tracks, and in the off season, as I mentioned there are still a few cruises and a Lot OF car shows to attend. Load up the family and go check out a show….and bring one of your kids friends…you never know how you may be impacting a young person by showing them this side of cars. Make sure you check out the Vernon Street Machine and Customs Assn website @ www.vsmca.com, and make plans to attend next years “SUMMERS LAST BLAST”. We’ll see you there!!

Remember....don't take a chance at ruining a perfectly good weekend. There will be another street race during the vernon cruise next year at the Wichita Raceway Park in Wichita Falls Texas. There was A TREMENDOUS turnout this year, and we hope to make it even better next year....so put that in your plans for the Vernon Cruise weekend also...some HEAVY HITTERS showed up this year as well as some regular street cars just wanting a safe, LEGAL place to race. So make plans to come next year, and come by and visit the track before then....there's always something going on at WRP. You can get more info at wichitaracewaypark.com or here on this site at hotrodshack.com. RACE SAFE!!!!!

Now, I’m going back outside to hang out with my boy, and try to answer his questions, and listen to his ideas about HIS car J It doesn’t get any better than this !!! J

Peace ,and be safe!
Steve Ritchie
Hotrodshack.com

I was watching TV yesterday and paused on the outdoor games. It was there that I saw two guys in a Pro Bass Boat
High Five-ing over a 9 inch largemouth. They said "this meant they were ON the fish". Now....I DO like to fish and stuff,
and I enjoy actually CATCHING fish just as much as the next guy, but getting THAT excited over a small fish??? And
"On the Fish"?....Come on guys....you happened on a Jr Bass.....he was just hungry and immaturely stupid.....it doesn't
mean that Mama , Dad, 6 cousins, 5 brothers and aunt Edna are going to want in on the action. :)
Anyway, the thing that really grabbed my attention is that they were
floating around on a boat that probably cost $36,000.00 ,and using probably another $6,000.00 worth of equipment, and
who knows how much more hidden costs, and the two guys were acting like orphans that just found rich families over an
9 inch long fish.....what came to my mind was that'd be kinda like getting excited over running a 12 second quarter in a
PRO MOD.

Why can't all the PRO racin' guys drink that POWERade right? Heck....why all these lil' baby GOLFER sips ????????

Guys....
DRINK IT LIKE YA STOLE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey POWERade...........Send some POWERade and a camera to MY shop...I'll make ya a commercial!!! :)

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