A day at the races.

grumpy

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
It was common back in the day (late Summer 1967) to have a featured race at Dover Drag Strip (RIP) in NY. Once it was the (really a) Batmobile. This day it was Stone, Woods, & Cook versus K. S. Pitman. I don’t remember who won the best of three races for the day, but I do remember they put on a good show. But that’s not the story.

All done a racing for the day, we hooked up (flat tow) behind my ’63 409 and started home from Dover Drag Strip back to The Bronx. Cook and Pitman were already hooked up on their open trailers, and had left just before us. Headed south on Route 22 (NY), we came up to a traffic light and there they were, waiting for the light to change.

They were in the lane that led to the Saw Mill River Parkway, which did not allow commercial traffic, which we all were. I shouted over to them, and told them they would get ticketed if they continued their way. Now remember this was WAY before GPS, and now they had no idea how to get to the George Washington Bridge to continue their way.

We told them to follow us because we were on the legal way to the bridge. Our turnoff was on the way. So there was the caravan, us Pitman then Cook, motoring along. It must have been quite a sight.

When we got to our turn off we signaled them to go straight as it would lead them to the GWB.

We turned off AND THEY FOLLOWED US. They followed us right into our neighborhood and stopped with us at our house. Word spread fast, and soon we had a mob of race fans around the cars.

They stayed and chatted with our friends for a while, gave out photos, and then headed on their way.

We were they Kings of the neighborhood for at least a week.

That was then, back in the day……
 

Phil Reed

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 10
That car is in a private collection in the harbor area of LA. My good friend Tom Jacobson took me there last fall. The guy loves Willies!!!!!! I know....I spelled it wrong!!
 
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