While we’re in between seasons there has been a lot of activity around the S& L Estates. My activities have been focused around work and reorganizing/decorating the house for Christmas. Gary’s activities have been focused more on riding, and his motors.

Our nephew Ryan, who I have mentioned before, competes in desert racing with his quad. He had to go to California City, which is located about 200 miles northeast of Los Angeles, for his last two events this season. I said two events because the previous race had been cancelled and so they ran the make-up race and the final event together. That’s a lot of racing. The course was eight miles per lap and they had to run as many laps as they could in 75 minutes. Ryan won the first race and completed five laps. With a one-hour break between events, Ryan again jumped on his Honda 450R to run another five laps and take the second event win. Collapsing on the back of Gary’s trailer he smiled knowing he won the championship. Here is a picture of Ryan racing.

Just to put it into perspective, Gary and his brother Dave jumped on their quads for a pre-race lap, and halfway through one lap both were desperately seeking the end so they could pry their sore arms and legs off the vehicles. They finished the lap and both commented how tough it was. Neither competitive brother letting the other know how sore they really were. Ryan being more than half their age just laughed at his dad and uncle.

Gary also has been trying to complete a new motor for his ’68 Pontiac Firebird. I am in the car traveling to Reno right now with Gary to witness the start of his motor that he has been building for a year. Good friend Tony Hughes of Hughes Performance Machine, and also a very competitive Stock Eliminator competitor in Division 7, built the motor for Gary. After the first of the year we will take it to the dyno. Gary will then have to wait to put it in the car, because testing and racing for the 2007 POWERade Series will begin. He has also been trying to move forward on the shop. It’s been slow because he is overseeing everything and being home only a few weeks at a time and collectively a couple months a year, limits him. It is progressing though.

Well, we arrived at Tony’s shop and the motor was ready to start. It sounds good. Poor Gary, he will probably have to wait until July or August to race his car. He may have time to put the motor in during his time at home in April, however, we need to look at the track schedules to see when the local track events are. Maybe he can squeeze a race in then. We’ll for now that’s all.