Today is Friday the 13th and we have our final full day of rallying. Bad luck huh? Luck is chance, and pretty doggone arbitrary. I don’t believe it. I choose to believe otherwise that you make your own luck by hard work, and a little prayer and a smile from above. Theresa and I were using all of the above on the last championship day.

On Championship days all the car numbers go into one pot to pull their start order. So on the last day you could be car number one or car number LAST. Last night Cameron had hinted to me that his Mom had a surprise for me the next day. I was looking forward to something only to find out that she pulled the next to the last car for the final big rally day! We were to go out next to last at the back of the pack and get in last and everything! Yuck.

It was hot as hades coming in to Laughlin and was a little warm this morning when we began. Our speedo run was up a hill for 20 minutes indicating to me I could not pay a whole lot of attention to it. I was right and left our speedo factor alone.

We did a whole lot of 55 mph straight down a two lane highway to 29 Palms and Yucca Valley for lunch. We also passed Joshua Tree, California. I was looking for the armed guards that made the people that live there stay there! Just kiddin. I am sure there are some wonderful people who live there in the desert, but I aint going to be one of them.

We had belly dancers who entertained us for lunch inside in the air conditioning at Yucca Valley.

After the lunch, we hit the heat again and started climbing to Big Bear for a pit stop. We climbed to 8000 feet to a wonderful reception by the whole town. People were lining the streets waving the whole way to the Big Bear airport. My friend Charlie Van Cleve, a former fellow SEMA chairman was there to greet us with her co-pilot, Roger (Charlie and Roger are pilots). It was a good surprise!

There was a 20’s era White bus used in Yellowstone. I tried to find the guy to attempt an acquisiton but was only successful in leaving my business card.

We were only “off the clock” for a short time before we had to get back on the road to descend Big Bear to finish down the hill in Pomona. The road was very curvy and difficult to keep speed and keep my eyes on the speedo. It was sort of surreal to rally in the beautiful mountains at Big Bear and finish up with a Maze and dumping out onto the LA freeway. The thirty minute drive into Pomona seemed to take hours. Remember we were next to last car to arrive so it was sort of anti climatic but we were received by some great friends. Our buddy and famous car builder George Barris was there and welcomed us with open arms. George is a treasure to the automotive aftermarket.

They parked our Shafer 8 right in front of the front door to the NHRA Museum which was kinda cool. Tony Thacker is the Executive Director of the Museum. Tony, of “Thacker and Shine” land speed record and former SoCal Speed Shop guru fame is a good friend and doing a wonderful job raising the visibility of the NHRA museum.

Theresa and I were wasted from the sun and heat, so we checked in to the hotel next door, ordered room service and crashed.

We didnt get our score for the last day, but it felt like we did okay and at least did not make any mistakes. The scores are held from everyone so to increase the anticipation for the finish in Anaheim. Guess we find out tomorrow.

Tomorrow we dont rally into Anaheim however we have to get there for the finish of the race. We expect to see a bunch of friends there tomorrow.

Looking forward to it.

From the road,

Corky Coker