Howdy,
51, originally a VW bug mechanic for 10 years, then an ornamental
welder
for 5, now a Mechanician for the last 20. Mechanician, this title goes
back to the 1500's as a title for a mechanic/engineer, the most famous of
which was John Merlin, a builder of Automata, clockwork robots in gold and
silver for Kings and the royal court.
I, however, don't build these, the great State on Wisconsin has
degenerated the job title to supporting the Instrumentation, and Heat and
Power Laboratories (ME368 and ME370) for the undergraduate seniors here at
the University of Wisconsin Mechanical Engineering Department. (Supporting;
building and maintaining the experiments that teach the students the basics
in engineering, instrumentation, fluids, heat transfer, and most everything
else that a beginning Engineer needs to know.
As to the Salt, I first came upon the lure of the Salt in my teens
while
growing up in Detroit. The 1966 (? I think) auto show in Cobo Hall was
where I first saw the Summers Brothers Goldenrod on display, and was
mesmerized by that car. Most of my buddies were either drag racing on
Woodward Ave and also Telegraph Road, or running sports cars in SCCA, but
me, no, I was using the center lines of roads as a guide, just like I
thought was done at Bonneville.
By the way, what was that TV series that had the looped tape of a run
at
the Salt in the 60's? the one where the long black line just kept rushing
by the camera with Floating Mountain in the distance? Anybody got tapes of
that series?
So I always had this dream of Bonneville, and finally got to go in '91
as
a spectator, expecting to stay the entire week. But I just couldn't stay
more than the first 2 days and then the morning Art Arfons ran his Green
Monster. I just didn't want to be a spectator, I wanted to be part of the
people making history racing at Bonneville. So I came back home, bought my
boss's 1980 Dodge colt and turned it into the race car it is now.....took
it out the next year and am still trying to make it go faster....adding a
motorcycle to my racing stable too, 67 BSA Victor Roadster....
anyway, drive careful out there.....
|