Friday, May 24
“Welcome to Lincoln. 41º and Cloudy”
Just my luck. I pack eight pairs of shorts, eight T-shirts and my sandals. No pants, sweatshirts or socks to be found in my bag. The flight was great until
we started our descent in beautiful eastern Nebraska. There was a bit of haze around which prevented a good look at the high peaks and snow
covered mountains.
Oops. Never mind. That’s Denver. This is Nebraska, where the roads are straight as arrows for miles and miles, and the land is flatter than
my wallet after dinner on Friday night.
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This, by the way, was not some crummy photographic effort — the atmosphere was thick with rain.
41º. And windy. And cloudy. Im not liking this. But, at least it’s not raining. After gathering my bags, I sat on the curb at the Lincoln airport
for my ride (4 gates and NO waiting!).
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Jim showed-up, all excited to be out of boring ol’ Southern California and in exciting Lincoln. We hot-footed it over to Speedway Motors, our host for the kickoff party and I immediately asserted my rights as journalist/photographer to take pictures of Jim taping the front of the P6 with 3M’s great ScotchCal Paint Protection Film. This stuff’s great — stays on, but peels off anytime without leaving residue; and it prevents rock chips.
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With just a few inches of ground clearance, it’ll be a lifesaver for the paint.
All too soon the familiar crowds started gathering. Ours was a popular stop for several reasons: two really cool cars, a really cool special event T-shirt, and a major television star. Here we see many of Gary’s fans waiting patiently for an autograph or a smile.
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It just so happens they ran one of our television shows with a Gary segment last night, and he was the talk of the kick-off party.
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Despite having two really cool, really clean cars, the gods of car care punished us for not tithing to the drive-thru car washes. At first, a few drops.
Then more. Then a down-pour. The crowds disappeared faster than a cold beverage on a hot day.
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What’s a guy without warm clothes or rain gear to do? That’s right, go looking for cars. I found the entire Studebaker club of
Nebraska filling this field.
I understand they were thrilled by the turnout.
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I finally got to get up-close and personal with the new Mercury Marauder, too. It’s big, black and FAST!
I could like a big car with over 300 hp and 18-inch wheels in my old age.
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At 5:00 pm they opened the new Smith Collection, the museum housing all of Bill Smith’s stuff. Bill is the owner of Speedway Motors,
and an all-around nice guy.
If you can think of it, he has it. A Ford 427 FE SOHC motor with 4 Weber carbs? Bill’s got it.
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Pedal cars? Over 500 of ’em according to one of the friendly hosts.
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How about a Tucker? Only 51 were ever built. It’s rare enough that this poor chap lost his head over seeing it.
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If it’s got wheels, it’s here. Wagons, pedal cars, tricycles, scooters, you name it. Mr. Smith has a real passion for automotive stuff; and a personality, too. Here he is greeting folks, signing autographs and talking cars with Tourers.
That’s his charming wife next to him.
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They were kind enough to provide us all with great food, a dry place to wait-out the rain (which didn’t ever happen, unfortunately) and cool stuff to look at.
What more could you want out of life?
When dark came, we went. It’s no fun being cold and wet and hundreds of miles from home. Did I mention I only brought shorts, T-shirts and a pair of sandals for this Tour? I think I need to go shopping before we head for Kansas City tomorrow morning.
I sure hope it stops raining.
Story and photos by,
Forrest Tosie
Mothers® Polishes•Waxes•Cleaners
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2002 Cruise Night Schedule
Friday, May 24th
Speedway Motors
Lincoln, Nebraska
Saturday, May 25th
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
Sunday, May 26th
Westport Plaza
St Louis, Missouri
Monday, May 27th
Kentucky Fairgrounds
Louisville, Kentucky
Tuesday, May 28th
National Trail Raceway
Columbus, Ohio
Wednesday, May 29th
Phoenix Center
Pontiac, Michigan
Thursday, May 30th
Canfield Fairgrounds
Youngstown, Ohio
Trip Total = 1,628 Miles
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