Mary and I arrived about a half hour before our car. This is the 1934 Ford Phaeton being unloaded in a parking lot near the Mall of America, if you’re familiar with that area.
It’s a wonder Mary and I know what day it is. Preparations for the Great Race have kept us up past midnight for the past several nights. We arrived in Bloomington, Minnesota on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, the starting point of the Great Race 2013. We’re in a parking lot not far from the Mall of America, if you know where that is. The trailer with the cars arrived shortly after we did, so we were there to help unload. For the past several hours we’ve all been working like crazy with last minute adjustments to get them ready for the pre-rally runs. It’s a lot of fun being back with our “Great Race” family, so good to see everyone again and also to meet new participants. At least we know part of the drill and don’t feel as lost as we did last year at this time. Mary and I are getting a kick out of watching Brett and Dan take it all in. They’ve also been under their car at least once today making adjustments as well. We also had to do some repairs to the Leslie Special (the gas tank was leaking), which is typical of the Great Race, (follow on Twitter @thegreatrace, #thegreatrace) fixing cars in the parking lot. Tomorrow, we’ll be up early again, getting officially checked in and going through vehicle inspection. In the meanwhile, we have to install a new speedometer in the Phaeton. On Friday we’ll depart for the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in Saint Paul, attend a rally school and then take a trial run. This will be the first time Brett and Dan will be able to test their skills as a driver and navigator. Mary and I are really looking forward to see how they do. It’s great to be here, great to see everyone! Don’t forget, if you want to donate to support the Great Race for Autism, we’ve added a link on the right hand side of this blog (thanks Keith and Danielle). Just click on the donate button. Thanks to everyone who has made it possible for us to be here, we truly appreciate your support. And don’t worry, I’ll be on the lookout for all signs of heat printing along the way–t-shirts and classic car enthusiasts just go together. I’m also going to get you a photo of our spirit wear soon and explain how we created it.
Working on the Leslie Special’s gas tank. Parking lot repairs are very common during the Great Race. Any one who is available is always eager to lend a hand, a tool or their expertise. It’s truly a family affair.
Good luck!