Highlights of Woodburn (for me)

[jonathan_dodge@juno.com (Jonathan L Dodge)]

Hello!

I had a GREAT time at Woodburn this weekend.  I want to share a few of
the highlights for me.  There were too many to list them all, but here
are only a few...

Friday night I arrived at Woodburn and was greeted enthusiastically by my
good friend John Bryan.  He and his friend Harley arrived with the Ghia
without any problems at all.  Alright!

I saw Roderick Wilde make a sensational first run in the Maniac Mazda
RX7.  I remember it ran 12.something seconds and over 109 miles per hour.
 He raced with the gas guzzlers and spanked them.  Too bad I didn't have
my camcorder with me then!  Dennis Berube ran against the gassers too,
and of course nobody could touch him.  Folks in the stands were impressed
with fast EVs that night.

I stayed up really late on Friday.  Dave Cloud had the covers off his
Electrathon cars and was explaining them to Bill Dube and me.  I really
appreciate how Dave freely shares what he knows.  (He still wins anyway.
:-)  )  What a nice guy.  I learned a lot.

The couch.  What a riot!  I hitched a ride with Otmar Ebenhoech on the
electric couch.  I video-taped a wheely ride over to Joe Strubhar's
hybrid -- his gorgeous Datsun EV pickup with a generator running in the
bed.  Got a hearty greeting from Joe.  Sure was good to be at Woodburn
again.

I hung out with Lon Gillas.  He gave me my first ride in an EV, a TR-7
back in 1992.  He was running the Electrathon race.  He told me lots of
great stories.  Got to smell an overheated motor... again, just like my
old scooter.  Oh well.  Unlike my scooter, the Electrathon car just kept
on going.  I have lots of admiration for Lon and the very successful
Electrathon program in Oregon which is in large part due to his efforts.

I watched several cars and motocycles go down the track.  Bill Dube's car
unfortunately broke.  He came walking up to me with a hand full of what
used to be a pinion gear (that's what it's called, right?).  Bill wasn't
bummed at all.  In fact, he put the broken pinion on display on his EV
Wabbit.  I didn't see it happen, but John Wayland told me later that the
same thing happened to him.  His Kostov ate his his Datsun's tranny for
lunch.  Just part of racing.  These cars are definitely getting faster
all the time.  Can't wait 'til next year!

Oh yeah, and the throwout bearing with Rich Rudman's EV.  I saw some guys
working on the car, and I said, "hmmmm, this looks like surgery."  Sure
enough, in a matter of minutes the motor was out.  And of course the car
was running the next day and won the best burnout.  Earned it too!

One of the best highlights for me was watching Jason Hill's MR2 roll
under electric power for the first time.  A car is born!  err reborn, err
rather an EV is born...  Anyway, it really was magical watching an EV go
for the first time.  And I got it on videw too.

I suppose I should mention that no, I didn't have my EV 914 there.  It
would have been nice, but I didn't persist like John Bryan did to make
arrangements to get it there (cheaply).  Well, maybe next year.  I just
had such a good time talking with fellow EVers, looking at the clever and
talented workmanship that goes into converting EVs, building
Electrathons, dragsters, EV couches, ...  I just soaked up as much as I
could, like a sponge.  It was a great time.

You can be sure that my EV is on show here in the Boise area at the
slightest excuse.  I give someone a ride in it at least every other day. 
Next month there is a car show, I all FOUR running EVs in the Boise area
will be there!

Drivin' electric!

Jonathan

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