2012 HAMB Drags

It has been a busy August for me and last weekend included going to the State Line area of Kansas and Missouri to attend the HAMB drags. The HAMB is a hot rod message board with members worldwide and where I have met many of my best friends. This event is sort of a national gathering of this group and I try to attend each year. The chance to meet new friends and see old ones is well worth the four and half hour drive for me. And this year, my trusty sidekicks Deke (cuzzindeke) and Ron rode along. 
Upon arrival we looked over the cars in the host hotel parking lot.

I also got to visit with some longtime friends from back home (this is my old neighborhood) and see my sister and her husband as well. It soon got too dark to take photos and later we called it a night after watching the band play a few songs...

 The next morning we arrived at the race track which is out in the country between Joplin and Pittsburg. We got my exhibitor tent set up and I took a few things to sell to help with expenses but I was mostly there to network with like minded folks and let them know about my vintage hot rod engines that are always for sale.

Then I walked around to see what else was going on.

And I said hello to my friend Marcy from Texas who is a big printer and vendor of t shirts and her helper from Minnesota Jeff (titus) who you might recognize from another blog of mine last month.

Of course I had my old pedal bike along so I went for a ride with camera in hand to look at cars.

Then I went back to Camp PF to see how things were going and my pal Deke had sold everything I had brought except one gasser style pedal that I didn't want to sell anyway. Soon I was getting lots of visitors and well wishers. You will recognize my pal Bob K from Wisconsin pictured here with me.....he gets around and can be found everywhere! Plus I gave him my "best beard award" this time and he was glad to win that.

Then I looked at more cars and people...

Well known message board member Denise Sheldon from Michigan drove her new 1960 Pontiac wagon to the event and raced it too.

and I looked at more cars...

And I saw the very pretty Sweet girls from Abilene, KS selling a new children's book "Grandpa's Hotrod" for my pal Jay Sweet (nosurf). Always good to see them. I bought one myself and hope it sells good for him. 

And speaking of pretty girls my friend Heather stopped by my tent to borrow some corn chips for her little girl who didn't want to eat good that day.

The drag racing started at noon and the weather was cloudy and real comfortable in the 80's. I had the best seat in the house right behind the starting line looking down the track. Lots of folks stopped by to say hello including my pal Lippy (Steve) who is on the left from KS and his brother who would make a great bodyguard as he never smiles and looks very serious...

and I saw my pal Don Davis from MO who was shopping for cool threads from my neighbor BScott.

I took this photo of my two sidekicks who were watching the racing action...

And this young man named Jason came from Australia and included the drags as part of his travels over here. He was friendly and said that all the Americans he had met treated him very good and I was glad to hear that.

And speaking of Aussies, Rooman (Keith) from Indiana hurried over to shake my hand and say hello before getting into his racing suit and piloting this rail down the strip skilfully. That is him in the black shirt and grey hair.

And he raced Kerry from Kansas who built this car himself and is getting the hang of driving a hard to control beast such as this...

And more race cars pulled up to the line near me to wait their turn down the track.

And here is Jay Sweet the author in his red Model A coupe preparing to race his good friend Mike (barn find t) from Colorado in a 57 Ford.

Not to be left out of the action was Bob K in his well traveled Chevy convertible who was ready to race as well.

And some more race cars here....

By now it was getting late afternoon and our friend Bill Moore who is well known in custom car circles came by to visit and invited us to supper and to see his shop. He only lived a few miles from the track so we gladly accepted.

Bill runs the drags at our Salina KKOA Lead Sled show each July and it was good to see him in his home surroundings. He also had a friend from Wichita there (sorry I forgot his name) and along with Bill's pretty wife Donna we all went to eat at a place that has been open for business for over 75 years and it was very good. He even bought our meals which was unexpected and very nice of him. 

After this fun time of visiting we had to get on the road for home and arrived around midnight or so later that Saturday night. 
And that wraps up my coverage here. Thanks for riding along and I hope to see you there next year....