TexasT
Texas, Where are you from
LOL.. I was wondering if anyone else was going to know about the post cards. Ive gotten quite a few of those.
Here's a good one for you if you werent there and man, I wish I knew who was behind this and I wish I had a copy of one to show off. I HAD one I saved but it was many years ago.
Im thinking it was the 97 Nats.. the event had been going on for a few days and for a long time, the prices just kept going up and up and up to the point it was ridiculous. The 90s were the heyday at the Nats. People were hiding in trailers to avoid the huge spectator fees. So Richard Lassiter is there with his new wife (And Id like to say for the record, she seemed like a nice woman from when I spoke with her and this story isnt a dig at her at all) and lets say his new wife had had some work done up top. Im only including this because you need to know in the payoff.
So we drive into the track either Friday or Saturday morning and you know how that drive into Beech Bend is.. trees, light poles every 10 feet, etc. Well, someone had drawn a characterture of Richard and his wife with just beyond ridiculous boobs. There was a talk bubble coming out of his mouth saying something like "Dont worry honey. After the Nationals we can get you new implants and fix up Old Blue" which was what he called his GS and at the bottom of the page with musical notes adorning it, it said "Its all about the money at the GS Nationals". These were posted on every light pole and tree for about a mile when you were driving into the track. I stopped and grabbed one and held on to it. I wish I could find it because it was classic.
To whoever pulled this off, if youre reading this, I tip my hat to you. Please email me a copy
IMO when the Nats started the downslide is when The Park Inn burned down. It was the host hotel and man, back in those days, it was nuts. The first year I went I didnt stay there, I stayed at the Holiday Inn by the interstate but you spent all your time at the Park Inn. The vendors were set up there in a banquet room.. Don Kizer (Anyone remember him?) was selling chips there and had all these lame books like "Understanding binary code", etc to try to make people think he knew what he was talking about. Years later it came out Don was a front for some guy that worked at GM that was doing his chips.. I have no idea who. But yea, you'd hang out at the Park Inn, people would walk around with pitchers on Long Island Ice Teas and it was a great time. I stayed there every year afterwards until it burned down and they never could capture the magic of that place anywhere else. Probably because it was laid out weird with a huge inside area you could congregate in and the rooms kind of surrounded it. If you ever saw the place, you'd understand what Im talking about.
I got a million of them.... like I said, the car is only half the story
For those wondering the Park Inn was an old Holiday Inn Holidome. For those who a bit younger the Holidome concept included a giant central atrium area that the interior rooms all opened up to(2nd floor too was a big wrap around balcony), there was an indoor pool, video games, mini golf, pool tables and such. This or course made for a giant indoor gathering, Buick swap meet/vendor area. It was incredible to an early twenties guy like I was back then. Just flat out BUICK overload. And then there was the parking outside with wall to wall Buicks as far as the eye could see One year they pulled a Regal up in the entry and put it on stands and swapped out a transmission right there. Lots of crazy stuff happening out on the lot with all the newest greatest parts being bought and installed.
