Pat, you should start a thread: "Stuff We Never Dreamed Of."
I always knew there was amazing stuff going on behind the scenes. I mean things you never saw in the pits that made the difference. The big towels draped over carts weren't just keeping the goodies clean, I suspect they were hiding the secrets that made a winner, not an 'also ran.'
Great idea Bob, but how do I know you or anyone else didn't dream of it???
Pro Stock is a monkey see monkey do. We had a White Board just inside the door of the trailer so you could see it from the back of the trailer. We would put wrong Rear End and Transmission gear ratios on the board. Every once and a while you would see some one take a picture of it or write a note.
On occasion we would leave a Transmission out with the wrong ratios written on it...again the pics and the notes. We always played our own game...but we did keep our eyes and ears open.
When we started making headway into our Engine Program we did start to cover things up. This was a new Intake design just prior to the Virginia race in 2006. Jerry wanted it covered so he emailed me the Cad Model and I fabbed up the cover.

And we had R&D Intakes that we didn't care who saw them or what they looked like. Epoxy is a Porters best friend at times.

Then there is the top secret room. Cylinder Heads, Intakes, Carbs and Shear Plate development. All kinds of stuff went in and out of here. Dyno sessions could last for days trying different combinations.

In 2005 I visited Warren Johnson's shop. He gave me the full tour except the Upstairs Top Secret R&D storage area. He said he wouldn't even let his wife Arlene go up there.
I'll have to look for mine. For several decades we hosted Train Parties. Celebrated my Luckiest Day once every five years and only gifts allowed were gag gifts. A guest cut one of the cuffs off a pair and put a "Heinecuff" sign on the dangling chain.
As I was typing the reply about Hand-Cuffs, I did ask myself, "how would you hand-cuff Bob?".
Now I know...you use the "Heinecuff". There, a thing I didn't know!!!
There's the story of ol' Bob Glidden (RIP) wrecking and he was out of the car before the safety safari got there and put his fire jacket over the exposed engine to hide it from prying eyes.
I remember hearing that or reading that.
I am sure there are plenty of stories like that only the Tech Inspectors would know.
Getting the bug to race again Pat ?
The thought does cross my mind from time to time. The peer pressure pops up once and a while with the guys mentioning putting the band back together. But then the reality of it all settles in and back to reality we go.
This past fall I was asked to pilot a Nostalgia Front Engine Dragster for a local club. While enticing, I declined knowing once you put that meth pipe down you had better not pick it up again...the consequences become real and my Wife's anxiety level goes through the roof.
Good to look back at the memories, the laughs, the friendships, the craziness of it all but I put those things in a jar with the lid on tight. Set the jar up on a shelf. Once and a while I can pick up and look at the jar but I don't take the lid off of it.
























