Spoiled Child Ahoy

I was a spoiled child.  I don't know if it was because my parents couldn't have children of their own, and I was adopted, or what.  But I do know I was spoiled.

How so?  You ask?  Well, lets start with the "Hobby" I had from 1976 until 1983 or so. 

My father got me into Quarter Midgets.  If you don't know what that is exactly, I will wait a minute while you Google it.

Ok, 1976, I was 5 years old.  Naturally, my dad thought I should be in a race car.  So he did it smart, mostly.  Used an old snowmobile trailer we already had, bought a very old race car, and scrounged up an old basic engine from someone.  The first year was just to see if we all liked to do this new thing.  Needless to say, I did.  So did my dad.  I don't recall how I did that first year.  I remember the car, it was an old '60's model Curtis car, painted with white primer, and red and blue number sevens on it.  It was our country's bicentennial that year, after all. 

The following years brought progressively better cars, engines, and accessories.  I can't imagine all the money that was spent doing this.  Using most of your time off, and vacation days to do your kid's activity.  Seems outlandish to me.  But that's what we did. In our Tri-state area of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.  I remember tracks in Kokomo, Whites Town, Toledo, Indianapolis, Waterford, and our home track in the beginning, Lansing.  there may have been a few more.  Memory isn't my strong suit. 

It sort of culminated when I was 14 or 15 years old, when my dad wanted to make a strong play for winning some big races.  He came to me for my input, lord knows why, and asked, "If you could choose, would you rather have a great new car, or a great new engine??"  Being a fool, I said, the car.

Foolish, because the car we had then, we had gotten new, albeit at a discount due to the people who ordered it backed out, but it was still new.  A couple years old by then, and getting a little tight for me.  I should have said "Engine please"

Because, the grand scheme he had was to get a new car and engine, and do some winning.  But, he couldn't do both in one year.  So, I got a brand new, custom built to my dimensions, Stanley car.  It was super cool.  We ran it with our old engine, in the Heavy B class.  Didn't even paint it.  Ran it with the black frame, and bare gel coated fiberglass all year.  It was pretty darn cool. 

We never got to see what was going to happen with a new car and engine, because that was the last year we did Quarter Midgets.  I don't remember why exactly.  Probably me, losing interest or something, or maybe it was partly due to the new High School things I had going, what with the month of August going to football practice.

So, that was that.  Only one, of the many, spoiled activities that were bestowed upon me.

I think we can all agree, Me = Spoiled.

Cheers all