TBI
Thumbless Wonder
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2007
- Messages
- 28,430
- Reaction score
- 28,519
Rolled into Vegas Thursday night with a group of friends for the drag races. We stayed in the trackside motorhome lots near the finishline on the north side.
I was on a mission, I carry a little vial full of my Dad's ashes on my keychain - I wanted to find someone to take "Pops" for a ride in a funny car
I walked the pits with purpose for hours trying to find the right opportunity to ask someone to give "Pops" a ride.
First person I had the chance to talk to was Force, I asked if it would be possible for him to take dad for a ride?
He said "Sorry, I won't do it" I said Bad Mojo? he said "Not at all, but last time I did it, I lost the ashes, still haunts me" Classic Force! lol
But he was more than happy to take a picture with "Pops"
In the mean time all the pro classes hit the track for the first round of qualifying.
A bit later I'm walking past Jack Beckman's pits just as he stepped out of the trailer and there was no one else around.
I explained things to him and took a pic of him holding the ashes. Then I asked if there was a chance he would take "Pops" for a ride?
He said "Absolutely!" I'll go put him in my fire suit right now so I don't forget, wait right here" By the time he got back I was bawling like a baby,
he gave me a big hug and said "This is going to be cool, your old man is going to love it". I thanked him and turned to walk off and he yells
"Hey" I turn around and he says "You're kinda sexy when you cry" I said Are you busy later Big Guy? We both laugh and he says "Get the hell out of here"
So I return to the moho to watch the second round, I told everybody in our group dad was riding with Beckman in the next round of qualifying.
Well Beckman comes out, sets a new track record and nails the number one qualifying position with my dad aboard! I couldn't believe it! Everybody in the camp was yelling, jumping up and down, crying, hugging, high fives, knuckles you name it!
I head back over to Beckman's pit (walking about 6" off the ground) and Jack sees me coming and runs up, gives me a big hug and says "How about that!" I told him, Well now you're just showing off! lol
He gave Dad back to me and I ask if I can get another pic of him holding the ashes (don't know what happened, but the first one wasn't on my camera?)
So I take a pic and check it to make sure it worked this time- when I looked at the pic I ABOUT SHIT!
Dad was definitely there and enjoying the hell out of our adventures
I showed the pic to Beckman and he said "Oh that's just my halo"lol
I give him a hug thanked him again and start to walk away, he yells "Hey" I turned around and said What? He yells "Your dad holds the track record for funnycar in Las Vegas" We both laugh and I said Get the hell out of here! lol.
When I saw Beckman after he went out in the second round he said "Shit, I should have kept your old man in there with me until the race was over"
(Earlier I had offered to let Jack hold onto the ashes until after the race and he replied "No, he belongs with you")
As things were winding down after the race Sunday I returned to Beckman's pits to thank him once again and tell him what an incredible weekend it had been and how much his kind gesture meant to everyone in my family. He told me it was an honor, then he gave me this hero card
I'm a Fast Jack Beckman fan for life, he is truly a class act
What an amazing weekend!
I was on a mission, I carry a little vial full of my Dad's ashes on my keychain - I wanted to find someone to take "Pops" for a ride in a funny car
I walked the pits with purpose for hours trying to find the right opportunity to ask someone to give "Pops" a ride.
First person I had the chance to talk to was Force, I asked if it would be possible for him to take dad for a ride?
He said "Sorry, I won't do it" I said Bad Mojo? he said "Not at all, but last time I did it, I lost the ashes, still haunts me" Classic Force! lol
But he was more than happy to take a picture with "Pops"
In the mean time all the pro classes hit the track for the first round of qualifying.
A bit later I'm walking past Jack Beckman's pits just as he stepped out of the trailer and there was no one else around.
I explained things to him and took a pic of him holding the ashes. Then I asked if there was a chance he would take "Pops" for a ride?
He said "Absolutely!" I'll go put him in my fire suit right now so I don't forget, wait right here" By the time he got back I was bawling like a baby,
he gave me a big hug and said "This is going to be cool, your old man is going to love it". I thanked him and turned to walk off and he yells
"Hey" I turn around and he says "You're kinda sexy when you cry" I said Are you busy later Big Guy? We both laugh and he says "Get the hell out of here"
So I return to the moho to watch the second round, I told everybody in our group dad was riding with Beckman in the next round of qualifying.
Well Beckman comes out, sets a new track record and nails the number one qualifying position with my dad aboard! I couldn't believe it! Everybody in the camp was yelling, jumping up and down, crying, hugging, high fives, knuckles you name it!
I head back over to Beckman's pit (walking about 6" off the ground) and Jack sees me coming and runs up, gives me a big hug and says "How about that!" I told him, Well now you're just showing off! lol
He gave Dad back to me and I ask if I can get another pic of him holding the ashes (don't know what happened, but the first one wasn't on my camera?)
So I take a pic and check it to make sure it worked this time- when I looked at the pic I ABOUT SHIT!
Dad was definitely there and enjoying the hell out of our adventures
I showed the pic to Beckman and he said "Oh that's just my halo"lol
I give him a hug thanked him again and start to walk away, he yells "Hey" I turned around and said What? He yells "Your dad holds the track record for funnycar in Las Vegas" We both laugh and I said Get the hell out of here! lol.
When I saw Beckman after he went out in the second round he said "Shit, I should have kept your old man in there with me until the race was over"
(Earlier I had offered to let Jack hold onto the ashes until after the race and he replied "No, he belongs with you")
As things were winding down after the race Sunday I returned to Beckman's pits to thank him once again and tell him what an incredible weekend it had been and how much his kind gesture meant to everyone in my family. He told me it was an honor, then he gave me this hero card
I'm a Fast Jack Beckman fan for life, he is truly a class act
What an amazing weekend!
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