Just Drivin’ Round…
Gettin’ Our Kicks on 66
Something we have always wanted to do is take a drive on Old Route 66. The 21st Annual Fun Run on Route 66 gave us the opportunity to get our Kicks. The run is sponsored by the Route 66 Association of Arizona and have held the run since 1988. Not sure how many cars actually showed up but there were over 700 car numbers. Ours was 305. Imagine even 300 cars driving down the road! It was an incredible sight. The Fun Run begins in Seligman, Arizona. This tiny little town is truly a “main street” town. The town was founded in 1886 as a railroad town. There is a Sante Fe “Harvey House” in Seligman but its long-term survival is in jeopardy and right now it is fenced and falling in disrepair. There is a famous Life Magazine photo of Seligman from 1953. The Snow Cap Drive-In is still serving ice cream, shakes, jokes and humorous banter. Angel Delgadillo’s barber shop is now the Route 66 Gift Shop and Museum. After the town was by-passed by I-40 in 1978, Angel began a campaign to try to save his town. In 1987 he successfully lobbied the Arizona Legislature to have Route 66 declared a historical highway and founded the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. All other state Route 66 associations followed Arizona’s lead. Mr. Delgadillo is an important person in Arizona’s history. However he is very friendly and still involved in the fun run. He is 81 years old and he was out on Saturday morning directing traffic and was the starter and dropped the flag to begin our Fun Run
.
And we were off with a few of our newest 1000 friends. Our first day’s destination was Kingman, Arizona but along the way we looked forward to several stops in other towns along Route 66. Our first stop was Peach Springs, which is on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. The little community was set up with a D.J., barbecue and Indian Fry Bread. We stopped to re-group. SAMC had five Mustangs and four of us stopped in Peach Springs. Our next stop was the Hackberry General Store. This is a very popular stop on Route 66. The former owner, Bob Waldmire, is quite a celebrity and is the inspiration for the Hippie van, Filmore, in the movie cars. The current owners have kept the store pretty much as it was when Bob owned it and it became a very popular stop on Route 66, the Mother Road. We followed a Corvette for much of the trip. That was not hard to do because there were lots of Corvettes. But there were lots of Mustangs too.
Naturally, there were a lot of older cars. A 1913 Ford Model T made the cruise from Seligman to Kingman. There were trucks, convertibles, street rods and Tear Drop trailers. Almost every kind of car you can imagine. Most of the entrants were from Arizona, California and Nevada. But we did see some entrants from Canada and a Mustang with a sign from France.
Several streets in Kingman were blocked to traffic and we parked on the street. Early arrivals got to park on Route 66 but we were just around the corner on a side street. Now we got the feel of over 700 cars and thousands of people. We toured the Powerhouse Museum, ate lunch at the 1900 Brunswick Hotel and admired all the cars.
Our Kingman hotel was on west Route 66 and across the street was a Sonic Drive-In. Someone had given us a heads-up on what might happen at the Sonic so we took our video camera. Sure enough, there was a burn out contest right next to the drive thru window at Sonic! Several cars went through many times and some a few times while we watched. We have some great video and you won’t believe the smoke and all the spectators just lining the drive. Even after we left, the burn outs continued until almost midnight. The police were out but they were just watching – unless a driver decided to do a little burn on the street.
Sunday, the last day of the Fun Run, was a cruise to Oatman with a stop at Cool Springs. This stretch of Route 66 has not been improved, as was the stretch from Seligman to Kingman. There are no shoulders – just as it use to be – and the road is very hilly and curvy. Cool Springs General Store is an icon for Route 66 and has graced many magazine covers. Many movies have used this location including Easy Rider. The original building burned literally to the ground and this structure is a recreation of the original. But it really is Cool.
Oatman is on a hill and looks like a movie set for an old western movie. Except the buildings are really old. The Historic Oatman Hotel is a double walled, adobe building. Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their honeymoon in this hotel and returned several more times. It is not a fancy place so they probably just enjoyed the solitude. No solitude on this day as hundreds of old cars converge on Oatman. We were there early so we found a parking place. Of course, the real reason for going to Oatman is to see the wild burros. They wander into town every morning around 10 am looking for a few carrots. They were a little late this morning so we drove out of town a little farther and spotted them coming to town. There is a new baby burro and mama burro was keeping her baby away from the herd. Very cute. We didn’t have any carrots but got some good pictures.
On our way back to Kingman, we got some video of all the cars coming up the curvy old road. Some of the entrants continued on to Topock but we said good-bye to Old Route 66 and the 21st Annual Fun Run but promised to come back again because we had a great time Gettin’ Our Kicks on Route 66.
Dave & Gloria Carroll
May 2008
Time – Speed – or Distance and THE MARCH HARE
March 29th, 2008
Submitted by Gloria Carroll
SAMC Mustangers participated in a TSD Rally Saturday, March 29th. Eleven Mustangs joined Snoopy as we chased the Queen of March Hares for 100 plus miles over Tucson’s and surrounding areas back roads.
Chuck Mahoney was rally master and route and instructions were meticulously prepared. No one got totally lost and we all came in pretty close to our estimated time. Along the way, there were a couple of checkpoints. Chuck and his rally associates (Darlene, Joe and Carol) recorded our exact time as we passed the checkpoint. There were penalties for early or late arrival. We had two rest stops and were much appreciated on our 100+ mile excursion. “A TSD road rally is a contest of precision – being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.”
Success in achieving the time closest to the Rally Master’s course time was achieved by:
1st place – Brian and Jose Ruder, 2008 Bullitt
2nd place – Chris Ader & Teannie, 2008 Bullitt
3rd place – Don & Karen Griess, 2006 Roush Mustang
We were all “ in exactly the right place” when we checked in at the finish line which was at Little Abner’s Steak House. Thanks for a fun afternoon.
Marathon Saturday
Saturday, April 5th will be a busy day for SAMC Mustangers. A caravan will leave from Cracker Barrel at 7 am for the Copperstate Mustang Club’s Rock ‘n Roll car show at Berge Ford. Then, we hurry back to Tucson for SAMC’s 1st Saturday cruise. SAMC’s monthly cruise is one of our favorite events with 25-30 Mustangs participating. The monthly cruise will leave from Mama’s Pizza on Speedway at 7:30 pm. Tonight’s theme: Tucson’s History – according to Dave.
April Car Shows
April is a busy month with at least two more opportunities to show your Mustang. Join the All Ford Show at Knott’s Berry Farm. This is the 23rd Annual show. Flowing Wells High School Auto Club is hosting their 2nd car show. Plan to attend. We know you will have a good time.
See SAMC’s monthly event calendar for more club activities.
Fords on 4th
February 24th, 2008
Submitted by Dave Carroll
We hope everyone had a great time at SAMC’s first car show of 2008 – Fords on Fourth. Almost 150 Mustangs and Fords lined Fourth Avenue and the side streets. My guess is there were at least a couple of thousand spectators who came to see all the cars and to enjoy the many restaurants and shops on Fourth.
There were many stars of the show and we want to especially thank those who drove from Phoenix, Payson and Las Vegas. Shelby Automobile from Las Vegas brought two vehicles including the Super Snake GT 500. Baer Brakes from Phoenix had two Mustangs. Jim Click Racing brought three cars: GT-40, 289 Cobra with more wins than any other Cobra and the Shelby Boss 302, formally driven by Peter Revson. The show haulers are a real crowd pleaser.
SAMC is proud to have several active duty military men and women in the club and a few were able to participate in the show. Corporal Alex Blissett with the Arizona Army National Guard who is still in Afghanistan entered his new Mustang GT in Fords on Fourth and his father, Bill Blissett, brought the car to the show. Everyone wishes Alex a safe return and can’t wait for Alex to get behind the wheel of his new Mustang.
We would like to thank all the Clubs who participated in this year’s show. Thanks to Copperstate Mustang Club, Over The Hill Gang, The Good Guys, Fat Fender Fords, Arizona Cougar Club, Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts, Pima Piston Poppers, Antique Automobile Club of America, T-Bird Club, SAAC, SAJA, NSRA, CCCT, R1320 and, of course, all the SAMC club members. There would not be a car show without all of your help.
Fords on Fourth 2008 was a benefit for The Easter Seals Blake Foundation. Final figures are not in but we will be making a substantial donation to the foundation. As you know, The Blake Foundation provides services for children and adults with disabilities in Southern Arizona.
Andy Hernandez was this year’s show chairman. He has been very busy for months planning and taking phone calls. By taking charge, he has shown us why he and Linda were chosen as SAMC’s Mustangers of the year for 2007. Thanks for a great job.
You are probably not aware of just how much support we receive from the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association. They take care of all the permits, the barricades, the potties, the trash—plus lots and lots of advertising with flyers, radio and newspapers ads. We could not have this show without their help and support. So, remember them when looking for a unique place to dine or maybe ride the trolley.
Just a few more thanks. Our sponsors, Holmes Tuttle Ford and Jim Click Ford are always there to support SAMC’s community efforts. Thanks to Jim Click, Chris Carroll and all the Holmes Tuttle staff who helped at the Holmes Tuttle display. Did you get a good look at the Ford GT?
We could have had an all Mustang show. But isn’t it more interesting to see some of the other Fords. Just to name a few we had trucks in every color, T-Birds, Cougars, Galaxies, a couple of Roadsters, T-Buckets, Lincolns, a Pantera and a Panoz. There were race cars and daily drivers. Now wasn’t that fun!
Thanks to all who participated in the show and thanks to everyone who helped with planning, parking and registration. Our DJ, Chris Carroll, did a great job playing our favorite tunes. Thanks everyone!
See you next year on The Avenue.
Quarter Mile For a Cure
October 19, 2007
Submitted by Dave Carroll
The Southern Arizona Mustang Club sponsored a Gambler Drag Race at SIR on Friday night, October 19th. The event was a benefit for Breast Cancer Charities. Event organizer, Kelly McLearran, reported that $795.00 was raised at the race and donations continue to be received. This year’s race was open to all makes of cars and 28 racers signed up to participate. The winner who drove a 1967 Falcon was declared around midnight and was pleased with the amount of the purse. The People’s Choice trophy winner was Bryan Carrillo with a 1971 Mach 1. The Host Club trophy winner was Tim Warfield with a 1962 Galaxie. Baer Brake Systems from Phoenix brought their show truck and have donated a full set of rotors: Front & Rear DecelaRotors or Eradispeed Rotors. Raffle tickets are being sold for $5.00 each and all proceeds will go to local breast cancer charities. The drawing will be on December 8, 2007 and the winner will be notified by phone or e-mail.
SAMC also held their annual Burger Burn cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs on the new BBQ grill. The new SAMC Club trailer was debuted at SIR. Funds to purchase the trailer and grill were all donated by club members with special contributions from Home Depot, Element 7, Ace Hardware and Holmes Tuttle Ford.
This was a fun evening and everyone said SAMC should have these kinds of events more often.
Win a Ford
Submitted by Dave Carroll
Breakfast with the Ford Mustang, Edge and F-150 – “They’re, GR-R-REAT!”
A nationwide promotion with Kellogg’s, Hot Wheels and Target begins Labor Day weekend. Hot shots of Mustangs, the Edge and the F-150 will be on more than one million packages of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops and the newest Kellogg’s cereal, Hot Wheels. They will be sold exclusively at Target stores.
Ford will give away one of each vehicle in a contest involving Hot Wheels collector cards, available in the specially-marked boxes. To win, consumers must purchase the special marked boxes. Inside each box is a Hot Wheels collector card with a picture of one of the vehicles. You will have to collect three different colored cards unique to each car to be given away. Some of the cards are numerous, others are rare. The catch!
The boxes also contain a Target coupon for a free Ford-model Hot Wheels basic car.
Win a Roush Stage 3 Mustang from Office Depot:
Office Depot and Roush Fenway Racing are giving away a Mustang to a lucky customer. To enter, you must make a purchase using Office Depot’s Worklife Rewards member card. You can register at www.myworkliferewards.com between September 1 and October 20, 2007. You are automatically entered every time you make a purchase using your worklife rewards card. The car will be awarded at a VIP Experience at the Ford Championship Weekend by Carl Edwards and Jack Roush November 16-18, 2007.
The $1 Million Mustang “Bullitt” from Jim Click
Jim Click Automotive Teas is presenting a new 2008 Mustang “Bullitt” to be used a the featured prize in a raffle to raise at least $1 million for non-profit Tucson organizations. Tickets are $25 (or 5 tickets for $100). The drawing will be held February 18, 2008. To order tickets call 520-762-4279 or email mustang@russellpublic.com.
Mustang for Men Fragrance Contest
http://www.mustangformen.com/
You register to win the use of a Hertz Mustang Shelby GT, a 1st class round trip ticket to Miami, FL, VIP tickets to the last NASCAR race, the Ford 400 in November 2007.
Bullitt – The Movie
Submitted by Dave Carroll
We have all watched this movie many times and the most important 12 minutes, many, many times. But nothing compares with watching it on the big screen and to hear the crowd cheer when the bad guys fly off to their firey reward.
The beautiful Fox Theater was full for this special showing of Bullitt and unfortunately for all of us, the theater’s air conditioning had been sabotaged by lightening during one of Tucson’s monsoons. It was a little warm but was worth a little discomfort.
The somewhat impromptu car show on Congress in front of the theater was a big hit with everyone who came to see the movie and just people passing by. We even heard from a neighbor youth who was riding a city bus that night and when the bus stopped near the theater, all the kids on the bus went crazy trying to see all the Mustangs.
Jim Click had made arrangements for two new Shelby’s from Shelby America in Las Vegas. The red 2008 Super Snake Shelby has not been released and we were not allowed a peek under the hood with its 746 horse power engine. Also, the Blue 2008 Shelby GT Convertible has not been released and we are one of the first to get to see them on display. Jim Click also sent his 1969 Trans Am Boss 302 race car which had been driven by race driver Peter Revson. Revson was also a Formula one driver and was killed in a practice for the South African Grand Prix in March of 1974. His car has been restored by the Jim Click Racing Team.
SAMC had ten spaces for Mustangs and we had a representation of four decades of Mustangs on display. The 1967 green fastback which was the closest we could provide for a Bullitt look-alike had pride of place. Holmes Tuttle and Jim Click also brought some new Mustangs, each one unique with special features.
Before the movie, Mr. Click thanked us all for coming and announced that the Jim Click Automotive Team is presenting a new 2008 Bullitt Mustang for raffle to raise at least $1 million for non-profit Tucson organizations. Tickets are $25 (or 5 tickets for $100). The drawing will be held February 18, 2008. To order tickets, call 520-762-4279 or email mustang@russellpublic.com.
SAMC New Trailer!
Submitted by Gloria Carroll
June and July might be hot and some people try to escape the heat with a trip to the beach or the mountains, but SAMC Mustangers look forward to the cooler evenings and fun ways to enjoy our Mustangs before the summer monsoons drive us to the covered carports, garages and the car wash.
We began June with our 1st Saturday Cruise to the foothills to enjoy a few city lights before heading for a cold dish of ice cream. Later in the month, The Tuuri’s hosted a Luau with lots of great food and fun entertainment. It was a perfect evening and we were able to watch a movie outdoors around the pool.
As a group, we had our second dining experience at In-N-Out. In May, we met up with El Con’s security officer (often referred to as Officer Bimbo) who immediately informed us that we could not park there and we would have to leave. We tried to inform him that we were just there to eat a hamburger! “Do you want me to call the cops?” was his friendly response. So, after some discussion with the manager of In-N-Out and with the more reasonable bicycle patrols, we were allowed to eat and then leave.
E-mails to In-N-Out corporate, El Con Mall management and several telephone calls has had positive results. June’s last Tuesday of the month, proclaimed as In-N-Out Tuesday, was a success. We had 21 Mustangs, a few prospective Mustangers and a great hamburger and fries. Officer B waved as he drove by! We realize we are on probation and will not open hoods (we cannot refer to our In-N-Out Tuesday as a car show – that is against El Con’s rules) and we will be neat and orderly. But we will have a good time because that is what we do best.
In June, SAMC purchased a storage trailer from Home Depot (thanks to Gary Boliver for negotiating a good price) and Element 7 installed graphics on both sides and on the front. Now, everything we need for car shows and events will be stored in one place and ready to go without frequent trips to a storage room – plus we can eliminate the annual cost of storage. Holmes Tuttle will allow us to store the trailer on their property at no cost. We have also purchased a gas barbecue grill so that we can burn those burgers in style. Donations from SAMC members have been very generous and everyone who makes a donation will have their name inscribed on a plaque displayed in the trailer. Thanks to everyone who contributed. The response has been very positive. It is not too late to make a donation. Just mail a check to the PO Box or contract the Treasurer. I think you will agree, the graphics make a statement and looks good too.
Someone commented on all the things SAMC does each month. We really try to have events and outings that appeal to all our members. We hope you will agree.
Here are some of the upcoming events:
August 4th - Bullitt is playing at the Fox Theater and SAMC is excited about watching the movie once again in a theater. PLUS, SAMC will participate in a display of Mustangs and possibly a Dodge Charger in front of the theater.
September 7-8th - SAMC has been invited to participate in the Route 66 Days in Flagstaff. A really fun weekend.
October 19 - SAMC’s annual Quarter Mile for a Cure at SIR. A benefit for local breast cancer charities. Plus our annual Burger Burn.
October 27 - 40th Anniversary of The Great Pumpkin Car Show and Halloween Party.
Location is the Inn Suites Hotel. A Mustang tradition for Forty Years.
If anyone would like to contribute to the "Just Drivin' Around" segment on the website send your story to info@southernarizonamustangclub.org. Please attach a Word Document, PDF, or just type it in the email message itself.
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