What an amazing weekend!

[thetub]

wow:thumbup:

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=475764

 

[l84theriv]

Damn I must have allergies as well. What a cool story. He was the baseball coach for my ex girlfriend sons team a year or so ago.......definitely a good guy. Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[rush1]

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

View attachment 475777


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"

View attachment 475759




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!

View attachment 475764

Dad was definitely there and enjoying the hell out of our adventures :thumbup:



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

View attachment 475767





I'm a Fast Jack Beckman fan for life, he is truly a class act


What an amazing weekend!

My hats off to you that's the shit right there :thumbup:

 

[Go-Fly]

Thank you for sharing this story with us Jeff. Somethings are just meant to be and this was one of those moments.:thumbup:

 

[TBI]

Thank you for sharing this story with us Jeff. Somethings are just meant to be and this was one of those moments.:thumbup:

Yes sir, it was definitely one of those times where everything that happened, happened for a reason and things came together for the absolute best outcome :thumbsup

Certainly could never have planned it that well :bowdown:



I'm still overwhelmed by the entire trip

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

Great story Bilgie...:thumbup: Pops be pedal to the metal n shit.

 

[TBI]

Jeff, did you jump in the Kallitta mosh pit when Alexis won?

Christ no! Those crazy sumbitches would have killed me!

I did get a shitty pic of Jesse James though

 

[waterhorse]

Great story, glad Pops was on that record run. definitely your Pops was there with you the entire weekend.:thumbsup

 

[TBI]

Great story, glad Pops was on that record run. definitely your Pops was there with you the entire weekend.:thumbsup

I looked for you, even asked some of the dragoons where you were, they said, "Oh, he should be along shortly"

 

[purrfecttremor]

Man you're pops a lucky man. Truly the coolest story ever!

 

[TBI]

Had some 5x7's made and put this together for my step mom Cathy,
also made one for Beckman with a letter of appreciation glued to the back, I will give it to him at the next race

 

[TomD]

Way C O O L Man!!!!!!:tbi

 

[TBI]

My niece and nephew sporting their new race gear

(and showing off that they have more thumbs than their favorite uncle) :grumble:

 

[Who'sYourFlatty?]

Good times Jiffy! :thumbsup

 

[shan]

Good times Jiffy! :thumbsup

Ole' Trim Lessler chiming in. Classic.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Like go-Fly said, sometimes everything in the world just seems to happen like it is supposed to happen.
This was one of those times when it all came together.
Thanks Jeff for sharing.
Your Dad would be very proud of you.

 

[shueman]

Awesome brutha ... :thumbsup

 

[TBI]

I was as excited when I heard that Beckman was filling in for Force as I was when I heard Sammy Hagar was going to be Van Halen's new lead singer!

 

[TBI]

I forgot to post this, a year or so after this happened one of my friends invited me over for a BBQ, after we ate he told me he had something for me. Beckman used to sell Infinite Hero coins for $100 to raise money for the foundation. He takes a few with him on each pass. Well my buddy hands me one of these "Hero Coins" - Beckman autographs them and includes the date, speed and track on each one. I'm looking at the coin and realize that the coin was in the car with my Dad's ashes! I couldn't believe it! My buddy was there in Vegas at that race, unbeknownst to me he went over to Jack's pits and bought all three coins that were with him on Dad's pass! He gave all three to me, one for my Mom, one for my step mom and one for me! My Mom and step mom have since passed and I ended up with their coins, I gave one to my Nephew, one to my Sister and still have mine. Thanks Ed!

 

[coolchange]

Still one of the best stories on rdp…