Some of my favorite memories were at the Greenwood. My favorite years were "95-"98.
Remember Red and Jane selling computer chips through their room window at the Greenwood?
Me and my buddy took a whole ton of old parts with us to sell, took them all into the room, put a sign on the back entrance door and kept our room door open. I think we sold almost everything in two nights. Pat's House of Parts was open for bidness! Seeing people doing motor and trans thrashes in the parking lots and the smell of burnt rubber and radiator fluid wafting in the night air. Talk about die hards. "98 was also the year that I did the photo shoot of my white "87 Limited with Johnny Hunkins. (editor at the time of GM High Tech Performance magazine) Little did I know that my boy Dave also got his white "69 Camaro photo shoot done earlier that same day by Johnny. Imagine my surprise when later that night catching up with Dave we both found out about each others magazine stuff. Talk about a coincidence.
I also remember the cruise scene. You could not stop at a red light without seeing a Turbo Buick or GS. In those years, the local PD had their hands full with all the action going on. It was crazy. People doing burnouts at redlights. The TB.com dinners and get togethers at Toots. Also remember Lance footing the bill for us all that one year. So awesome of him to do that for all of us. We had that place frickin packed with TB.com members. That was our first official TB.com meet & greet. I met a lot of people for the first time that year. I remember getting pulled over one year for taking off a little bit too briskly from a light. Hell, I didn't know the cop was right behind me when I did. I was just setting my boost after draining my tank and pouring in the C-16. My buddy told me he was freaking out when he saw me do what I did. Thankfully, the officer let me off with a warning. He even complimented me on the car too. It went something like this. The officer came up to the window and was sorta laughing at me. Taking my license he said,
"Son, didn't you see me sitting behind you at that light back there?" No sir I was paying attention to my driving.
"Well, it was impressive. You think you could tone it down for the rest of the week?" Yes sir, absolutely.
"Alright then, drive safe and have a good week." Thank you sir.
My buddies were freaking out when I relayed the story later. They just knew I was going to jail.
Another awesome memory was when we all used to meet up with the locals at the Autozone. People were setting up races then heading out to the Corvette plant to make their runs, then come back to settle up. All that and a huge burnout contest that took place right in front of the Autozone. Those Autozone guys were really cool and did not say a word. Heck they even came outside to watch. Imagine that parking lot filled with street and race cars. Every spot filled and very few non street/strip cars in the lot. Maybe 200-300 people milling around. A basic mini car show that just happened each Friday and Saturday night for 4 years in a row. AWESOME.
But my all time favorite memory was cruising in race mode back in 2005. We all left the track and were driving back to the hotel for the night. It was Dave Fiscus in the right lane at the front. He was running consistent low 9's to high 8's. Beside him was Cal Hartline in his GN, also running low 9's high 8's. I was behind Dave and a sweet red "70 GS was beside me. I was giving Jason Cramer a ride back to the hotel before we all headed out for dinner. The light changed and they blasted across the intersection, both cars fighting for traction. I followed suit trying to be like the big dawgs, putting it on the GS beside me.
Jason was hanging on for dear life laughing hysterically. That was fun.
I have a picture somewhere around here of the back of Dave's GN on slicks with the chute on it, cruising down Scottsdale headed to the track the next morning. Gotta dig that one up.
I agree, those days will never be the same. There really is no other venue and or track that I can think of that has the persona and hospitality that Bowling Green had back then.
Ah, the good ole days.
Thanks for reading...
Patrick
