<VV> Plowing at the Farm

Smitty vairologist at cox.net
Mon Sep 19 12:29:51 EDT 2011


Smitty Says; 
   Just returned from (I would guess) around the 10th annual Ho Down at the Whelan family farm in Dinwiddy VA.  It rained the day before the event and it rained a little off and on all day Saturday.  This would have dampened the spirits of normal people but us Corvair people didn't notice.  The big event of the day as usual was the autocross in the pasture.  This time a single cone was used to mark each corner so as long as you went around the cone it didn't matter if you entered "wide" or "tight" or simply drove "across the street" to go around the cone.  The pasture was first cut with a bush hog at about 8".  Then after the course was laid out a finish mower laid out a track.  You could not get lost if you tried.  Because of the rain you could light up the tires anyplace on the course and at any time.  You could enter a turn at 30 mph if you didn't mind going sideways 30-40 feet before actually "turning in".  Hey, raci'n is raci'n, no matter if it is gocarts or NASCAR.  
    Spike had been taking a real beating out there in years past with many drivers trying him out.  This year Frank DuVall brought a new entry.  A Late 4 dr with a PG and a 140 engine called Pi. It was an ideal "farm racer".  One of those that got lighter every time you slammed the doors.  You have to think about that a bit to figure out the car's side number from looking at the symbol on the door.  Anyway the interloper beat Spike by a second and took away the award for FTD.  Dang PowerGlides anyway.  Power means nuthin if you can't get it to the ground.
    To fend off the cool and damp a baby fire was started early in the afternoon but that didn't keep us from starting the real fire later in the evening with it's 20 ft flames and wonderful heat the pushed the lawn chairs back 50 feet.
    All day long we ate on the potluck food that had been brought in and placed on tables under the Easy-Ups.  Late in the afternoon we shifted to more conventional picnic fare of hot dogs, hambergers, and steaks, with all the fixins.
    The hay ride was cancelled for lack of interest.  Seems there were few willing to sit in wet hay and get slapped in the face with wet branches for an hour.  About midnight when the fire was reduced to a pile of hot coals the troops retired to our tents, campers, or the farm house, or simply went home.  If they weren't tired they just didn't have as much fun as I did.
    The turnout was reduced as might be expected but still there were around 60 fun loving Corvair folks that came.


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