[da judge]

Late in the day last Sunday the oppressive heat broke and I told the gal we were gonna take some laps with the Judge. For the last month it seems the heat and humidity have kept the 70 Judge in the garage. With the cooler temps it was now time to cruise the strip.

"The Strip" in our small central-Wisconsin city is the four lane that leads out from the old city center to the interstate. It's where all the burger joints and hotels are located. After graduating in the early 80s, it was a favorite playground for me and all my gearhead buddies and our cars.

I first stopped for some gas. While fueling, my long-time buddy Al slowly rolled by the station with a car load of people in is burnt orange 1970 Charger R/T Hemi. I seldom ever see his car out, so I figured he was giving some friends or relative's a ride through town. I decided to give chase and quickly got back in my car and pulled out. Being late on a Sunday the streets were empty. I could see ahead that Al turned to make a lap out the strip. I was going at a pretty good clip when I crossed our small city bridge and took the sweeping RH turn onto the strip. I pulled into the left lane and hit the throttle to really blow past 'ol Mopar boy Al. When I got alongside Al's car I realized that he had downshifted his pistol grip and opened up all eight barrels on his AFB's (or AVS's...whatever those lousy Hemi's run). We were side by side as we roared out the strip. A couple of old warhorse 1970s still doing battle. It didn't take long before we had to quit as our speeds were getting out of hand. But I did notice that Al never got past my front fender until I had let off.

We traded insults as we both got turned around out where the four lane ends past the interstate overpass. We stabbed the throttle and hopped the front ends of our cars on the return ride back to town in childish displays of horsepower. I leaned out the window and asked "that thing gotta Hemi?" At the other end of the strip Al turned off for home to put his baby away. It's still nice to know that after all these years that memories can still be made out on the strip.

The photo shows both of our cars in happier times.