Quizzically, Tom Rittenhouse opined on 02/14/2001 06:07:
>Well, I only read one other post where it sounded like the guy
>knew what a gymkhana was. Very strange.
>--Tom
I attended and then "had" to participate in a series of gymkhanas held in
the parking lot of the first "Mall" in the USA in Framingham,
Massachusetts in the late 1950s. Jordan Marsh and Filene's were the two
(2) key department stores. The macadam lot was fairly heavily sloped from
the stores to the outside perimeter.
I drove my father's "commuting car," a 1957 Renault Dauphine four door
(no other kind) with a tiny, tinny 4 cylinder engine. To comply with
safety, we needed seat belts, so I got some at a junkyard and baling
wired them to the coil springs under the driver's seat.
I was classed with VW Beetles, and could beat most of them. But there was
one black one who took me every time. Probably illegal!
My best day was when that car didn't show up,and I won my class, AND, had
a better elapsed time than one of the Wellesley rich who ran his Mercedes
180 SEL. He thought that smoking his tires and drifting around every cone
defined corner would get him through the course faster.
I do have pictures that I may find again someday. I've seen them in the
last year of so.
My father, by the way, never knew the abuse I was inflicting on his
little gas miser. But I did hear him on several occassions couriosly
questioning how the fuel filter got clogged with junk every weekend. I
doubt it was my putting Hi-Test fuel and engine "Power Additives" in the
thing in an effort to go a little bit faster for a second! ;-)
JoMac, Imagineer with Camera
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