Second City Hustlers

Things are moving along

Edinburg Motorsports Park - -

During the first week in January of 2009. My friend and I took a ride down to Texas with my 66 Chevelle from the Chicago area. We stopped in San Antonio for a test and tune on Saturday and went back to try bracket racing on Sunday. After leaving San Antonio Raceway we headed south towards the Edinburg- McAllen area. Being from the upper Midwest. Fresh fruit being sold on the side of the road was quite a different experience. We arrived at the hotel on Sunday afternoon, it was 80 degrees. I told Larry, " it's so nice here. We don't even have to take the car off the trailer. We could just sit by the pool all week. " 😃 We went to the track for a test and tune during the week.
We were first in line to get in the gate. I like to walk the track I have never been to. I like to see where the turn offs are and which side they're on. As I'm walking the track a guy pulls up on a golf cart. Introduced himself as the track manager. He asks me what I'm doing. I explain that I've never been here and I like to check out the surface. He asks where I'm from. I tell him Chicago. He says jump in I'll show you around. He said we have this spot in the left lane where a previous repair was made that had moved and there was a 3/4 inch difference in height where they come together.
They prep the track, I get my car ready. Meanwhile other cars are showing up. I make a checkout pass on motor. It runs good but not very impressive as the car is set up for spray. We get a few people come by to check out the car. We put a bottle in and at this time I'm running just a plate with no progressive controller. I make a nitrous pass and run 5.75 in the 8th. They are only running 8th mile this night. I go get something to eat and come back to a pretty good crowd around my car. I hang around towards the back. I hear people talking, one guy asks his buddy, what's everyone looking at? His buddy says, this car just went 5.70. He says, really, it's got steel wheels on it.
Too funny.
I got to meet some great people. I still keep in touch with Mark Molina who I met that week.
These are the reasons I travel to different tracks. Racing people are some of the best people.

Here's one of our track Hustlers, Scott Lavin. Scott, Patti and I took a trip down to Oklahoma to pick up this car. Scott raced it in the EZ Street class during the NMCA days in the early 90s. That was when Mickey Thompson came out with their new wrinkle wall street tire. Scott received some of the first pairs. Then proceeded to put the car on the bumper in Norwalk. First time I've ever seen a car go on the bumper. And this was a small block, flat tappet cam, iron headed engine. Very cool.

A little story about this 68 big block Chevelle owned by one of the original Second City Hustlers Mickey Rizzuti.
Long before drag and drive was a thing. In the early 90s. This car was driven from the south suburbs of Chicago to Martin Michigan for a Super Chevy Sunday event. If I remember correctly it rained most of the way there. I towed Mickey's Impala out there following behind him driving the Chevelle with Randy Fitzgerald riding shotgun and Sherrie Rizzuti riding with me.
Good memories