4 July 2004
William Van Dyke

New record set at the Monster Mile in the APS/PF3000+ class the last weekend
in June, by old Shongo Tongo, aka, Big Horse reaching 140.60523 MPH pulling
through the traps. Of course the clutch gave up but it I should point out
the obvious, it do go faster each time we make the next improvement. Well we
are about at end of technology for the old tapered shaft four speed tranny. I
will order a new, heavy duty, gold spring and six new steels along with a
couple more of them bad ass bronze plates to see if we can get just a few
more miles per hour out of the Thing. Do I sound discouraged? Well lets
face it, the duce club ain't that hard to join if you don't mind riding Jap
iron. Me, well I got to do it on my old Harley parts and I know I got the
power if I could just rightly divide it in such a way that it don't fry the
clutch. Man that six speed tranny would work better but I would still need
the old style clutch. Unless some really smart guy makes a spindled main
shaft that would fit in my tranny so I could have more clutch options. Any
way it was a great trip and I got to stop by Ken Weaver's home place on the
way back to the shop in Michigan. What a wonderful place to live. On top of
a Mountain, in front of the James River with a giant Sycamore tree in the
back yard, why who could ask for more? Oh yeah, he got to make a pass on the
King Snake Special in the gas class and set the new gas record at about 132
MPH. All right Ken! On the way to Ken's house I lost the cap on the left
rear tire on that old GMC Van of mine. So Ken says, "No problem Bill, I
just get you a new one." Well he calls this tire place and they gave him a
deal on four LT's and all I can say is, "Thank you Ken". OFOS is a team
event and if I get the Transmission fixed on the old girl what got burnt up
going up Black Mountain in W. VA, I'll try to wear them out on the way to
El Mirage, CA in two weeks. Now Roy and Mary came and got me in Beckley in
their roll off wrecker and hauled us back to the shop in Michigan. I'll be
in Stanton. MI for the AMRA Drags this weekend and maybe I'll get to make a
pass on the Double. Friends from all around the mid-west should be there and
it ought to be a blast. Oh yeah, special thanks to God for the extra six
days I got with my son Bill. Just waiting for rescue in a Hindu run motel
with good cable and a Game Boy Toy, running distance to the Go/Mart and a
Dominos Pizza close at hand made for a good time in the mountains...
Happy Birthday America!