Throwback Thursdays - A Trip Down TBN Memory Lane

[007Cruiser]

I had the pleasure of meeting them at Thunder Fever.

[2K2BIRD]

I spy a 007 in row 3.

Yes, that is Gene and Karen Collins from Nevada. They also owned an 02 Inspiration Yellow. They, along with Lon McConnell and others, became instrumental in putting on Desert Thunder II a couple of years later. Sadly, Gene passed a few years ago and Karen sold the 02, but last I heard she still has the 007.

Side note: Gene & Karen were two of the first TBN members we met in person. We met them on the Thunder on 66 Tour in 2002 before TBN officially began.

[007Cruiser]

I spy a 007 in row 3.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Yes, Ron, that is 1/2 of the answer. The other half is a little trickier.

In the picture below Dot (Inca) and George (Thunderbird Blue) are circled in blue. Circled in red Paul and Rosetta are standing by Jewel. Also circled in red is Rosetta's Ford Freestyle parked behind the wall and the safety vehicles.

20200725_212333.jpg

That was my next guess.

[2K2BIRD]

Yes, Ron, that is 1/2 of the answer. The other half is a little trickier.

In the picture below Dot (Inca) and George (Thunderbird Blue) are circled in blue. Circled in red Paul and Rosetta are standing by Jewel. Also circled in red is Rosetta's Ford Freestyle parked behind the wall and the safety vehicles.

20200725_212333.jpg

Pat Elliott volunteered to provide the large checks and shipped them to me at no cost. He didn't want to take any money away from the charity.

Doesn't seem possible that it was 14 years ago. Where did those years go?

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

I see a Thunderbird Blue and an Inca Gold.

And the answer is ------- Dot and George.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Yes, I meant question #4. Who has more than one car in the picture? The answer is right in front of everyone.

I see a Thunderbird Blue and an Inca Gold.

[2K2BIRD]

Yes, I meant question #4. Who has more than one car in the picture? The answer is right in front of everyone.

[5bird7]

Still looking for the answer to question #3 and if anyone remembers who supplied the "big checks".

Bill got the answer for #3 He got all 3.

I don't remember who printed out the check BUT the question # 4 is the one that hasn't been answered. I know but I'm not telling.

[2K2BIRD]

Still looking for the answer to question #3 and if anyone remembers who supplied the "big checks".

[DavidA]

That was the best track day ever. All the spotters were in place as Paul and the other planners had the track rented for the whole day. George, Gary and I raced and races. Finally George and I had a timed challenge. Although I ran off the track onto the grass, I lost by only 1/10 of a second. What a great time.

[2K2BIRD]

Bill got the answers to question #1, #2, #4 and part of #5.

Indeed DavidA, George Lang, Gary Himes along with a friend of mine that I asked to serve as a driving instructor for any that wanted help, had the times of their lives with the track to themselves as most of the group left Hallett Motor Racing Circuit to visit the Gilcrease Museum, home of one of the best collections of western art in the world with many original oils by Remington, Russell and Moran. As much as I enjoy going to the Gilcrease any chance I get, If I had been thinking, I would have let Rosetta lead the group there and stayed back with David, George, Gary and Don.

[2K2BIRD]

Yep, it was only about a month later when we went to the SGK Hesdquarters for the check presentation. I wasn't trying to be sneaky, just got the timing wrong in the question.

Some more trivia about the check itself. A member of TBN donated the "big check" we used for the presentation. Because we didn't know exactly what our final total would be there was a check made for $29,000 and one for $30,000. At the time of the presentation, I thought the total was $29K so that's the check we gave to the Komen representative (along with a stack of actual checks that totaled that amount). Later as I was doing the final bookkeeping to close out the account I had opened for the event I discovered a clerical error that resulted in me sending them $1000.00 more, so the final total was the $30K. So, the correct big check hangs on the wall in our garage.

20200723_162834.jpg

Bonus question - which TBN member provided the big checks for the presentation?

[5bird7]

More for #5: dinner & ride on the Cherokee Queen paddle boat out on the lake, Visit to Darryl Starbird's Museum and his re-creation of a Jag into a Retrobird for his wife plus time to talk with Darryl and his wife.

#6: Date was July 8 for the check donation. Just a month after the Heartland Thunder event. (If it was 2 months later we were not there! but in WA state attending a wedding so I assumed you were leading us astray in your quest)

ps, Paul, I was guessing on that 3rd driver at the end of the Hallett track drive. George was there but I had left by then probably following you as you led us to our next museum tour. George wasn't home when I answered or would have asked him. He remembered! btw, that is a hint for any one trying to figure out #4.

[2K2BIRD]

Dot got some the details correct. She was 2/3 correct on question #3. Still some details to add on question #5. Question #6 is primarily correct.