April 1, 1997
Launch breakfast was great, biscuits and gravy. Film crew from "On The Scene" and the reporter from the Fairfield Republic were in attendance..."good stuff", as Thom Smith (Dickel Brand Manager) would say.
We set out and made way for the first stop in Rancho Cordova (The Auto Channel) for a live cyberlink...their web address is www.theautochannel.com. We were their first live recording on the net.
While on the road toward Rancho Cordova, we incurred high winds...in excess of 35 mph from the left of the roadway. The winds were steady until we crossed a bridge just before Davis, CA. A HUGE gust caught the floor boards of Oscar and lifted the seat from its setting. All of the vehicle papers (those that one is supposed to carry while operating) had been stored safely under the seat. Well, the manilla envelope with the pink slip, the registration, etc., took to the wind along with all kinds of receipts and folders documenting Oscar's construction.
Ray and I back tracked at least a mile and found but a handful of receipts...no manilla envelope. All is not lost however, we do have facsimiles of the vehicle documents.
Lots of folks waving and staring and smiling along the way.
We arrived in Modesto and finally reached the reporter for the Modesto Bee. He and a cameraman caught up with us at the Chalet Motel. They both had a good time.
We're beat...what an exhausting day.
Will keep in touch...looking forward to the 4th...we are to meet up with a stockcar at the Bakersfield Racetrack and have a grudge race...what a hoot.
Sincerely, The Dickel Brothers