Well, I was right. It rained and stormed, with a little pea-sized hail thrown in for good measure about midnight. It was still raining when we arrived at the driver’s meeting. Few listened.

Because few showed up. Some who did were our friends in the Ariel Atom.

As a matter of fact, they received applause when the motor was shut down and they prepared to climb out.

That, dear friends, is dedication.

Their biggest problem so far? The drain holes in the floor plugged up, preventing water from flowing out. 30 seconds with a pocketknife and they were good to go.

My heroes.

When the meeting ended, folks made their last stop before saddling-up.

Because when you gotta go,

you gotta go.

For the OCD amongst us, it was the perfect time to give the ride one last wipe.

Anyone remember Sysyphus and his boulder?

With the lot all but vacant,

Springfield became but a fond memory as we hit the (soggy) trail for Heartland Raceway Park in Topeka. Just 2 blocks on the way, we found an excellent way to stand out in the crowd.

Yep, a rare, 4WD Taurus. It could be yours if you ask the right questions.

Touring in the rain can be troublesome for several reasons. Number one on the list is vision (lack of it),

as are numbers two through seven hundred twelve.

Some cars, though, have a presence, even in less-than-ideal conditions.

Stately comes to mind.

Right before crossing into Kansas, we saw another Tin Man.

I see he’s already been to the Emerald City and received his heart from the Mighty Oz.

Our route took us through lots of small towns where, for a few minutes, we were somebodies. While youngsters stood tall with excitement,

some of the oldsters were less than impressed.

My children, Pamela (16) and Robert (14) found their own ways to wile the time away. Robert played his PSP,

while the always exuberant Pamela chatted.

With the price of gas being so high, and having two teenage mouths to feed, I’m always looking for a way to save a few bucks without diminishing the quality of the dining experience. That’s why we’re headed to Berts Tavern,

where “We only look expensive.”

With Shane and Ken trailing in the Mazda RX-8,

we arrived at Heartland and immediately set to cleaning the cars.

Okay, so Shane cleaned while I watched.

After inspecting his fine work (you gotta love the de-ionized water tanks we carry on the big rig), I walked the show, looking for clean, cool rides. Stuff like a mid-late ’50s Chevy pickup,

and the winner of the limbo “how low can you go contest.”

Great photo, huh? Thank my son Robert for laying on the ground to snap that one.

Even a hot ’67 Chevelle,

sporting rat power was under-motored compared to the Old School, school bus.

I’d have never been able to use my late to school excuse with that on the route.

Brett over at Air Ride brought a sweet Camaro along,

but it seems we can never catch up to it on the road.

I love electrician’s tape as much as the next guy. See if you can find the use for a roll or two on this rental trailer.

Yep, even “U” can become a Long Haul(er).

Great idea, I’d say.

While Jim helped-out,

behind the scenes,

and Victor demo’d the PowerBall 4Paint,

I ran up to the stage and took my grief from Joe over the weather. Finally, we let the crowd vote, and they agreed I called it right. Joe and gang responded by trying to pilfer goodies from the Mothers/Foose Design detail bag I was giving away.