Mile High Memories...
Posted 11-06-2007 at 10:21 PM by Tim Charlet
For my 1st blog entry here on the Mater, I figured I'd post this one from my Weekend at the mile high nationals this past year. Just to give ya'll a taste of who I am, and what I do!
Enjoy!
Timmah!
Mile High Memories!!!!
Last weekend the National Hot Rod Association's 23 race PowerAde Drag Racing Series came to Bandimere Speedway for the Mopar Mile High Nationals. For me, mile high week is by far, the best week of the year. I usually take the entire week off, to catch up with some errands, spend some time with my kids during the week, and then head out to bandimere for a couple days of Drag Racing Excitement. This week, was nothing short of extraordinary!
Monday-Wednesday:
I decided that I was going to work a few AM shifts Monday thru Wednesday, to make a little extra money, after I took my kids to their summer camp. I ran the DIA route on Monday, and about 20 people were asking me for tickets for the mile high's! As much as I wish I could accommodate everyone, I only had (1) extra ticket and it was spoken for! I gave my extra ticket to Bob, my buddy at work, who has had a hell of a year. He had some personal problems this past year that I wouldn't wish for anybody and seeing a friend go thru this was difficult for us all. Bob is a very educated motorsports fan. Being from Indy, I wouldn't expect anything else. But, Drag Racing has a special place in his heart. So, I chose to give up the "DUCKETS" to Bob. Unfortunately, bob's "HOG" was stolen from his place on Saturday Morning and was unable to go to the races. Just one more thing for him to deal with…When it rains it pours!
I picked up my kids Monday and Tuesday nights. Spending a week day with my kids is very special, and I very much cherish those days. We watched some movies, played some games, and just enjoyed the time together. Wednesday night was spent packing and preparing for the weekend up at Thunder Mountain!
Thursday:
I woke up Thursday Morning at about 10am! It was awesome to sleep in until I was READY to wake up. I felt like a lazy ass, since I'm usually up and ready to head to work at 5am every morning. I took a shower then headed up to bandimere to check out the track prep, catch up with some old friends and just hang out at the track. I also had to check in with NHRA to update my Credentials for the weekend, and apply for my "Hard Card" for germinate Restricted Access to all NHRA tracks. This will permit me to travel to a race and not worry about getting credentials any time I want to "talk" with any current owners about a future with their team as a driver. It would also allow me to fly out to any race to work for the NHRA if "CALLED IN". Anyways, once I got my credentials and parking pass for the weekend, I drove up to the track and met John and Robin Crosby, with the NHRA Safety Safari. I have been working with them for many years and their great people who really love what they do for a living. I called them a week ago and asked if I could observe how they prepare a track for NHRA competition. They agreed. So, it was pretty cool and I learned a lot about that. Afterwards, I headed home to take another shower and get "Prettied Up" for the Mopar Block Party. This party is held in Downtown Golden, Colorado every Thursday prior to the race. It's always a good time. This year was especially important for me to attend, as a few potential sponsors were going to be there and asked me to "SHOW UP". Plus, my mentor and friend, Fast Jack Beckman, his wife Jenna and their 4 month old son Jason were going to be up there. We had planned to have dinner prior to the party starting, but Jack had a sponsor commitment to attend to. So, since Jack was unable to have dinner, I decided to go on the Coors Brewery tour. I was supposed to meet (NHRA TRACK ANNOUNCER) Alan Reinhart up there, but he wimped out, so I had to fly solo. But, just when I thought it was going to be a boring tour, I met two really "HOT" and cool chics from Boston. Melissa and Julie are two Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers from Boston. They were on a Cross country road trip, and decided they had to go to a brewery tour. We hung out during the tour, and then headed to the best part of the tour….THE TASTING ROOM! While we were there, we met John O. and the entire Kalitta Motorsports team. The Girls have never been to a drag race and called them "HOT WHEELS". After the tour, they asked if there was anything going on in town…"HA…You just follow Timmah Ladies!" We had a great time! We hung out at the Table Mountain Inn's Bar and Grill, and then walked down the street to a "DIVE" bar to have a few drinks. In between, I met with some buddy's and sponsors, and finally hooked up with Jack and Jenna! Well, as soon as I knew it, it was 10:30pm and I had to get home to get some sleep. The girls headed back to their hotel, and I headed to my house, (I'm a gentleman folks!). It was really cool to meet the girls and Julie is on My Space and one of my new friends!
Friday:
Friday at bandimere is the busiest of days at the track. We started racing at 9:30am and did not get finished until 10:00pm. As much as I love the racing, the best part of my day on Friday is actually when I get home and take my shower. Working on the starting line and in the burnout box is a lot of fun, but a very DIRTY Job! I am covered by burnt rubber, oil and other STUFF. It's usually a 20 minute shower that includes a Bar of Soap and an ice cold beer! On Friday Night, Jack ran a solid 4.900 to qualify 6th on Friday night. By the way…he was in MY Lane on that pass!
Saturday:
I met some of my fellow co-workers at the track in the morning. James Beckham and Art Gobenski, who are couriers at Fed Ex Express, and both huge Drag Racing fans. It was a long, hot day, with hardly a cloud in sight. I took a break at about noon, and while I was sitting down having a glass of water, I looked up in the stands, and there was my old friend Curtis! Curtis and I have been best friends for about 9 years. We had a huge disagreement back in January to begin this year, and have not spoken since. He waved to me, and I told him to come down to the back of the tower. We just looked at each other, and both said "SORRY". It was a very emotional moment for me, as Curtis is a great guy, who has been a great friend of mine for so many years. It was great to reconnect with my old friend! Right after I met up with Curtis, I saw something that I was very happy to see…CLOUDS! We had about a 90 minute Rain delay. Once the clouds lifted and the track was dried, the track got "REAL FAST". Jack, and the entire MTS team were licking their chops, looking to get on that track. It was worth the wait. In their Last Qualifying effort, Jack and the MTS Dodge Charger ran 4.862 seconds @ 312.88 MPH, which was good for the 2 spot. They missed the 1 Spot by .20 MPH! Not 20 mph… two Tenths of a Mile per hour! But, that was a great baseline run for Sunday!
Sunday:
Sunday began with breakfast at the Blue Cow, in Morrison, Colorado. It's a great little place that I have breakfast every Sunday Morning of the Race. After breakfast, I headed up to the track to attend the RFC (Racers For Christ) church service. Racing began at 9:45am. The eliminations for the Pro Cars started at 11:30. After a great national anthem and tribute to my friend Eric Medlen, who passed away in a testing accident earlier this season, I was teared up even before the 1st drop of Nitro! Anyways, Jack and his team had a great day. They advanced to their 1st final round of the year, and raced team mate and one of my old racing friends Ron Capps, in the BRUT Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger. My other friend "Hot" Rod Fuller was in the final round vs. the biggest Dick in drag racing..And his name is not Richard! Whit Bazemore, Rod's team mate on David Powers Top Fuel Team is a fairly good driver. But, his attitude is really substandard for a professional Drag racer. It was great to see "HOT ROD" beat Whit in the Finals, but the best part of my day was when "Fast Jack" beat Ron Capps to win the Mopar Mile High Nationals.
I was standing with the crew on that final round pass. In my drag racing career, I have won races with teams, as a driver, a crew chief, and as a friend. But seeing Jack win MY race, at MY track, in MY home town, was the best experience I have ever had in Drag Racing! I called my Dad as soon as he crossed the finish line because I knew he'd appreciate it as much as I did. I met Jack and his team in Victory Lane and then the party began. My Dad celebrated his 60th birthday on Friday. As Jack and I were packing up his Coach for his trip to Seattle, he grabbed my phone and said…"what's your Dad's phone number". After I gave him the number, he called my Dad and wished him a happy birthday! On the Day where Jack won his 2nd professional Race, the 1st with his son Jason in attendance, in the middle of celebrating his win, HE THOUGHT OF CALLING MY DAD!
If nothing tells all my "My Space" Friends, why Fast Jack is one of my best friends…I think that story tells it all! It was great week. Time with my family, time with my friends, time getting to know people, time at the drag strip, and basically one of the best times of my life!
Timmah!
BTW: As much fun as I had working the mile high's this year…Next Year…I GOTTA RACE THERE!
Enjoy!
Timmah!
Mile High Memories!!!!
Last weekend the National Hot Rod Association's 23 race PowerAde Drag Racing Series came to Bandimere Speedway for the Mopar Mile High Nationals. For me, mile high week is by far, the best week of the year. I usually take the entire week off, to catch up with some errands, spend some time with my kids during the week, and then head out to bandimere for a couple days of Drag Racing Excitement. This week, was nothing short of extraordinary!
Monday-Wednesday:
I decided that I was going to work a few AM shifts Monday thru Wednesday, to make a little extra money, after I took my kids to their summer camp. I ran the DIA route on Monday, and about 20 people were asking me for tickets for the mile high's! As much as I wish I could accommodate everyone, I only had (1) extra ticket and it was spoken for! I gave my extra ticket to Bob, my buddy at work, who has had a hell of a year. He had some personal problems this past year that I wouldn't wish for anybody and seeing a friend go thru this was difficult for us all. Bob is a very educated motorsports fan. Being from Indy, I wouldn't expect anything else. But, Drag Racing has a special place in his heart. So, I chose to give up the "DUCKETS" to Bob. Unfortunately, bob's "HOG" was stolen from his place on Saturday Morning and was unable to go to the races. Just one more thing for him to deal with…When it rains it pours!
I picked up my kids Monday and Tuesday nights. Spending a week day with my kids is very special, and I very much cherish those days. We watched some movies, played some games, and just enjoyed the time together. Wednesday night was spent packing and preparing for the weekend up at Thunder Mountain!
Thursday:
I woke up Thursday Morning at about 10am! It was awesome to sleep in until I was READY to wake up. I felt like a lazy ass, since I'm usually up and ready to head to work at 5am every morning. I took a shower then headed up to bandimere to check out the track prep, catch up with some old friends and just hang out at the track. I also had to check in with NHRA to update my Credentials for the weekend, and apply for my "Hard Card" for germinate Restricted Access to all NHRA tracks. This will permit me to travel to a race and not worry about getting credentials any time I want to "talk" with any current owners about a future with their team as a driver. It would also allow me to fly out to any race to work for the NHRA if "CALLED IN". Anyways, once I got my credentials and parking pass for the weekend, I drove up to the track and met John and Robin Crosby, with the NHRA Safety Safari. I have been working with them for many years and their great people who really love what they do for a living. I called them a week ago and asked if I could observe how they prepare a track for NHRA competition. They agreed. So, it was pretty cool and I learned a lot about that. Afterwards, I headed home to take another shower and get "Prettied Up" for the Mopar Block Party. This party is held in Downtown Golden, Colorado every Thursday prior to the race. It's always a good time. This year was especially important for me to attend, as a few potential sponsors were going to be there and asked me to "SHOW UP". Plus, my mentor and friend, Fast Jack Beckman, his wife Jenna and their 4 month old son Jason were going to be up there. We had planned to have dinner prior to the party starting, but Jack had a sponsor commitment to attend to. So, since Jack was unable to have dinner, I decided to go on the Coors Brewery tour. I was supposed to meet (NHRA TRACK ANNOUNCER) Alan Reinhart up there, but he wimped out, so I had to fly solo. But, just when I thought it was going to be a boring tour, I met two really "HOT" and cool chics from Boston. Melissa and Julie are two Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers from Boston. They were on a Cross country road trip, and decided they had to go to a brewery tour. We hung out during the tour, and then headed to the best part of the tour….THE TASTING ROOM! While we were there, we met John O. and the entire Kalitta Motorsports team. The Girls have never been to a drag race and called them "HOT WHEELS". After the tour, they asked if there was anything going on in town…"HA…You just follow Timmah Ladies!" We had a great time! We hung out at the Table Mountain Inn's Bar and Grill, and then walked down the street to a "DIVE" bar to have a few drinks. In between, I met with some buddy's and sponsors, and finally hooked up with Jack and Jenna! Well, as soon as I knew it, it was 10:30pm and I had to get home to get some sleep. The girls headed back to their hotel, and I headed to my house, (I'm a gentleman folks!). It was really cool to meet the girls and Julie is on My Space and one of my new friends!
Friday:
Friday at bandimere is the busiest of days at the track. We started racing at 9:30am and did not get finished until 10:00pm. As much as I love the racing, the best part of my day on Friday is actually when I get home and take my shower. Working on the starting line and in the burnout box is a lot of fun, but a very DIRTY Job! I am covered by burnt rubber, oil and other STUFF. It's usually a 20 minute shower that includes a Bar of Soap and an ice cold beer! On Friday Night, Jack ran a solid 4.900 to qualify 6th on Friday night. By the way…he was in MY Lane on that pass!
Saturday:
I met some of my fellow co-workers at the track in the morning. James Beckham and Art Gobenski, who are couriers at Fed Ex Express, and both huge Drag Racing fans. It was a long, hot day, with hardly a cloud in sight. I took a break at about noon, and while I was sitting down having a glass of water, I looked up in the stands, and there was my old friend Curtis! Curtis and I have been best friends for about 9 years. We had a huge disagreement back in January to begin this year, and have not spoken since. He waved to me, and I told him to come down to the back of the tower. We just looked at each other, and both said "SORRY". It was a very emotional moment for me, as Curtis is a great guy, who has been a great friend of mine for so many years. It was great to reconnect with my old friend! Right after I met up with Curtis, I saw something that I was very happy to see…CLOUDS! We had about a 90 minute Rain delay. Once the clouds lifted and the track was dried, the track got "REAL FAST". Jack, and the entire MTS team were licking their chops, looking to get on that track. It was worth the wait. In their Last Qualifying effort, Jack and the MTS Dodge Charger ran 4.862 seconds @ 312.88 MPH, which was good for the 2 spot. They missed the 1 Spot by .20 MPH! Not 20 mph… two Tenths of a Mile per hour! But, that was a great baseline run for Sunday!
Sunday:
Sunday began with breakfast at the Blue Cow, in Morrison, Colorado. It's a great little place that I have breakfast every Sunday Morning of the Race. After breakfast, I headed up to the track to attend the RFC (Racers For Christ) church service. Racing began at 9:45am. The eliminations for the Pro Cars started at 11:30. After a great national anthem and tribute to my friend Eric Medlen, who passed away in a testing accident earlier this season, I was teared up even before the 1st drop of Nitro! Anyways, Jack and his team had a great day. They advanced to their 1st final round of the year, and raced team mate and one of my old racing friends Ron Capps, in the BRUT Don Schumacher Racing Dodge Charger. My other friend "Hot" Rod Fuller was in the final round vs. the biggest Dick in drag racing..And his name is not Richard! Whit Bazemore, Rod's team mate on David Powers Top Fuel Team is a fairly good driver. But, his attitude is really substandard for a professional Drag racer. It was great to see "HOT ROD" beat Whit in the Finals, but the best part of my day was when "Fast Jack" beat Ron Capps to win the Mopar Mile High Nationals.
I was standing with the crew on that final round pass. In my drag racing career, I have won races with teams, as a driver, a crew chief, and as a friend. But seeing Jack win MY race, at MY track, in MY home town, was the best experience I have ever had in Drag Racing! I called my Dad as soon as he crossed the finish line because I knew he'd appreciate it as much as I did. I met Jack and his team in Victory Lane and then the party began. My Dad celebrated his 60th birthday on Friday. As Jack and I were packing up his Coach for his trip to Seattle, he grabbed my phone and said…"what's your Dad's phone number". After I gave him the number, he called my Dad and wished him a happy birthday! On the Day where Jack won his 2nd professional Race, the 1st with his son Jason in attendance, in the middle of celebrating his win, HE THOUGHT OF CALLING MY DAD!
If nothing tells all my "My Space" Friends, why Fast Jack is one of my best friends…I think that story tells it all! It was great week. Time with my family, time with my friends, time getting to know people, time at the drag strip, and basically one of the best times of my life!
Timmah!
BTW: As much fun as I had working the mile high's this year…Next Year…I GOTTA RACE THERE!
Total Comments 1
Comments
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Timmah.....The next time you race at Mile High I'll be there..Remember I'm your team manager! LOL
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Posted 02-22-2008 at 10:31 PM by Jessica Murry
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Recent Blog Entries by Tim Charlet
- Time to Spring Forward..! (03-09-2008)
- Mile High Memories... (11-06-2007)
