[ponyakr]

well it took 5 years, but by 1978 we had finally arrived. we'd found out what worked & what didn't work--what to do & what not to do & i had finally learned how to harness the monster.(455) some of these learing experiences were fun--some were not. we took on a young man to help us, taught him about bracket racing & built him a '68 bird 455. he worked out real good. he was always there to turn wrenches, & always showed up on race day, ready to rumble. we let him drive the 2 car rig & me & T.J. rode in the other truck with her car on the back. by that time 455's were plentiful so i started buying up all the old grand villes, grand prixs, bonnevilles, wagons & everything else i could find with a 455 in it. it was a race against time. every country bumpkin with a pick-up & a lot of city slickers too, would haul old cars to the crusher to get drinkin money. the heavier the car the more they got fer 'em. those old pontiacs were prize finds for the scap haulers because they were so heavy. sometime it makes me sad to think of all the good pontiac parts that got flushed down the toilet of the crusher. anyway, as soon as i could, i put a 455 in T.J.'s car & we were all ready to do the "monster mash". the '78 season was like a dream come true. it reminds me of how an olympic athlete must feel after he's trained so long & hard & finaly there he is & he knows he's at the top of his game.