By Charlie Adcock, F311374
FMCA National President
April 2015
Hello, My Fellow FMCA Family:
Well, here it is the first week of February, and I’m trying to write this column for the April issue of FMC magazine. From the time I am writing this to when you end up reading it, Gloria and I will have been to many places.
First, I want to catch you up on what we’ve done since last month’s column. After leaving the Western Area Rally in Indio, California, FMCA national vice president Jon Walker and I met Kent Pratt and Ron Tibbetts at Fairplex in Pomona to take one final look at the parking plan for the 91st Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase to be held there in March. Kent will be the chief of parking and Ron the assistant chief of parking during the event. After this final site visit, we put Jon’s motorhome and pickup truck in storage at Bob and Becky Clapper’s RV & Boat Storage of Rialto to await his return for the Reunion.
Leaving Pomona, we headed to Las Vegas, where I dropped off Jon at the airport to fly back to his home in Elkhart, Indiana, and also dropped off Gloria and three of her girlfriends to fly out of Las Vegas to Hawaii for a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands.
After getting everyone on their flights, I headed to Quartzsite, Arizona, for the “Big Show” in the desert — the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show — and to visit with Harry Montgomery, national vice president, Rocky Mountain Area; his wife, Susan; and the rest of the crew working the FMCA booth. These volunteers diligently recruited new members and spread good news about the biggest and best motorhome association in the world. In particular, they devoted time to explaining the features of the FMCAssist medical evacuation and travel assistance program, as well as the Michelin Advantage tire program, two of the greatest benefits that FMCA offers.
One of the things I enjoyed most at Quartzsite was meeting and greeting all the FMCA members who were reveling there in the desert Southwest.
By the time I finished at Quartzsite, I needed to head back to Vegas to pick up the girls at the airport as they returned from their cruise. Now here is where the tricky part starts. To avoid driving across the country twice in two months, I had decided to fly to Sarasota, Florida, to the Southeast Area Rally on February 9. The alternative was to drive from Indio to Sarasota and then back to Pomona in March for the Reunion. So-o-o, we had some downtime and needed something to do during three weeks in Vegas.
On the first weekend, we attended a Super Bowl rally with some friends. We had lots of fun and still had two weeks to kill. We were close to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, so I decided to repeat something that I had done in December 1995. That was to drive a race car.
In 1995, Gloria and I attended an auto paint and body trade show, NACE, in Las Vegas, and I won a “driving experience” from one of the vendors I worked with in my business. The Las Vegas race track was brand-new, and the first race would be in March 1996. At that time, it seemed the speedway was way out in the desert, but now the city reaches out past Nellis Air Force Base and to the speedway. Some of you have heard me describe my driving experience before, and this is what I usually say about it: “It was the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever experienced.” I’ve done a lot of things in my life but nothing to compare to this. The adrenaline rush was indescribable.
Now, back to February 2015. We drove out to the speedway to check whether an appointment was needed to drive. We arrived at the driving school in the infield, and before I knew it, I was putting on a fire suit, and Gloria was paying for the driving experience.
Of course, a lot of things have changed since I drove the race car in 1995. Back then, they would have a lead car with their professional driver in it, and the novice, like me, would follow him. That was to keep us from driving too fast. I think my top speed then was 146 mph. They would only let you drive as fast as you could make the corners. These days, the instructor rides in the right seat and has an electronic box that he can use to control your speed. Also, in 2008, I think it was, they rebuilt the race track, and now it has 20-degree banking.
There were 10 of us in my group of drivers, and for some reason they lined me up in the number 10 spot. Funny thing — I was the only one with all gray hair. I also discovered that the past 20 years sure have changed my body and mind. At the age of 49, I was able to easily slip into the car and seat. This time, at 69, it took everything I could do to cram myself through that window into the car and wiggle into the driver’s seat. I finally got in, and they got me all buckled tight. About that time, I started to wonder whether this was such a good idea. My hips were starting to cramp up on me, and I hadn’t even pushed in the clutch yet. I think the instructor was starting to get a little nervous.
We fired up the engine and pulled out onto the track. If you are reading this in the digital edition of the magazine or at FMCmagazine.com and you want to see how intense this was, click on this link — http://youtu.be/1E0FFZrtc6Y. If not, just believe me; it was intense. I know everyone is wondering how fast I went this time. Let’s just say that the instructor must have been concerned about letting this gray-headed old guy get out of control and thus kept us throttled back. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! I averaged only a little over 140 mph this time.
I guess if I learned anything from this, it would be that this race car stuff may be best left to those under 65. The driving experience did remind me how tough it is for the professional drivers who are making a living at it. I drove only eight exhausting laps, whereas they drive about 300 laps each Sunday. I do love racing! But I think I will stick to just watching it.
That’s my story. But some of you younger and/or adventuresome types might like to try the NASCAR Racing Experience or the Mario Andretti Racing Experience offered to FMCA members at a discounted price. I should note that the “driving experience” I participated in was not part of the programs offered to FMCA members; nor is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway one of the tracks that participate. But plenty of other tracks offer the programs. You can drive a race car or ride along, depending on your level of thrill-seeking. You do need to purchase a gift card and make arrangements in advance. So, to use the special FMCA pricing, you cannot just show up at the race track like I did. To learn more, visit FMCA.com and click on the Benefits tab, or look for more information on page 146 in the January 2015 issue member benefits article.
On a much more important note, I am really excited about our new benefit, FMCAssist, the medical evacuation and travel assistance program that now is included with your membership at no additional cost to you. I have personally witnessed a couple instances where members have successfully used this benefit. Knowing that the program is available to you if you need it while traveling offers great peace of mind. If you happen to run across me or want to give me a call, I would be glad to share the stories.
Looking ahead a little bit: I’ll be flying out of Las Vegas on Monday, February 9, on my way to Sarasota, Florida, and the Southeast Area Rally. My flight takes me through Chicago, where I switch planes, and Jon Walker joins me on the same flight to Florida. I am really looking forward to this rally. Sarasota will be a new venue for the Southeast Area after years of hosting their rally at the Hernando County Airport in Brooksville, Florida. By the time you are reading this, their rally will be history, and I’m sure they will have had a great time.
The same can be said for FMCA’s 91st Family Reunion in Pomona by the time you read this. So, we look forward now to FMCA’s 92nd Family Reunion, which will take place July 29-August 1 in marvelous Madison, Wisconsin. The registration form appears on page 49 of this magazine and online at FMCA.com. Please make plans to join us for this fun-filled summer get-together.
Well, it’s time for me to close this and find something to keep me busy today. Remember, “It’s all about having fun!”