Cliff went down and back to make the maiden trip in his Model A and filed this report from the field…
What do a right-hand-drive Merc Hudson led sled from Australia, a Paco-bodied Model T Speedster, and bongo drums on a Chrysler rear window shelf have in common? They could be seen at the 2018 Stray Kat 500.
As usual, the story starts with the journey. Just five minutes from home, my pal Mark and I came close to being the meat in an A-bone sandwich. Two equipment trucks put the squeeze on us when merging onto Rt. 69. Thankfully the rest of the trip down and back was uneventful.
Weather was close to perfect, perhaps a tad hot for early May. Mickey was expecting 600+ cars, and by the looks of it they all made the show. Spotted several Misfits…Tim, Kevin, Grumpy, Jim, John, John’s brother…I may have missed a few. Heard Tucker lost a fuel pump coming down. Met a guy from Arkansas, a veteran of many Stray Kat 500s, who had a great quote: “This is a fun, laid back event. The only problem is the quality of the cars is going UP.”
I can attest to viewing several big money build rods and sleds. But the Kats stayed true to their gospel. Awards were given to rides they liked, regardless of expenditure. And to my surprise, they liked my A! Got my picture taken with a pretty girl and have a kool gas can trophy as a first-timer remembrance.
Cliff Koehler
