SHO National Convention #10

Tom Smith reports on his experience
At Summit Point Drag Strip.

Mason-Dixon was my first time ever on the 1/4 mile. My grin from the day was not as big as that from Summit, but it's still on my face even after torturing my car at the drags. After about 10 runs during the practice drags, I was going to try one more pass to get my times down before setting my dial in. I was really feeling good until I watched the supercharged cars hit the 13's. I wanted to get at least into the 14's and didn't have much further to go. Drop the pressure in the front wheels,
pump up the back, release a little further up in the RPM band, ok lets go. I was about 75 feet down the right hand lane, when I heard a loud BANG. If you have ever been in a fender bender, it was as loud as that. It was the most sickening sound my car has ever made. Thinking worst case, I blew the tranny diff. But wait, I can't, that's why I installed the Quiafe.

I remember looking out the rear window after the bang for smoke or fluid on the track, but there was none. Whew! I did see the start guy pick something off the track that looked shinny, What could that be? With my tail between my legs, I was towed off the 1/4 mile by a Honda ATV and a kid who looked to be about 14. He had that look like, what are you guys doing to these Taurus's? As I was being towed off track at about 2 miles an hour, I directed my young chauffeur toward the pits. I pointed toward one corner where Mark Nunnally and Josh Texiera were located. All my tools were right near them.

Mark walked over after he saw my high speed tow to the pits and asked what happened. I guessed half shaft. He said "What side do you need?"

http://www.monmouth.com/~tjsmith/halfshaft.jpg  (View Tom's Broken half-shaft - Ed.)

Between Mark (who donated a used driver side half shaft to my cause) and Josh and the tools they had, I could have almost done a 60k in the parking lot [;-)] As always, the SHO community between Josh, Mark, Ted Straub, John Mears, and someone who was my pry bar guy to help pull out what was left of the half shaft, help save the day. I did not finish in time to get into the Mason/Dixon SHO picture, but I still had a great day.

Mark had to cut the boot on the half shaft open in some need to provide a cause of death. I called him Quincy, but that went right over his young head [;-)] 

As Mark said summing the day up, "Welcome to the half shaft club!"  I almost feel privleged to join. What a great group of people. It almost made up for helping tech all the cars at Summit! This is what you miss at the conventions, not breaking your car, but meeting some great people from
across the country and as Josh will always remind you, Canada.

Tom 91+ car 34 - new member of the half shaft club.

Prairie-Sage, Inc.
902 S. Main
Washington, IL 61571