My two week vacation on the road included Bonneville, the Springfield swap, hitting a deer at 70 mph(BenD was drivin', not me!), culminating in my arrival at the Hotel Friday night....and in 5 minutes time, 1) I got a bearhug from Ryan, 2) got an armband, and 3)witnessed Ryan doing the 50 yard dash after the brain trust who thought a launch--not a dry hop, or a burnout-- a wfo launch in a parking lot was a cool idea....... Best 5 minutes of my whole vacation. You can't make that shit up! I've been 7 or 8 times, and every year it gets bigger, better, and faster. The faster part isn't optimal, but it makes me appreciate the whole event a little more....
Best weekend of the year. Bar none. I can't even describe it to people that aren't there. So many times I stood there in the hotel parking lot or at the track and thought how fucking cool it is to be alive and with my best pals. Already looking forward to next year. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Ryan Always a great weekend! We enjoy the Friday night party in the hotel parking lot as much as the Drags on Saturday morning. I am an "event guy" and know what it takes so I understand what you are talking about. This is the ONE event I brag about all year to anyone who will listen.....a MUST ATTEND! Thanks to all who put it on and make it happen. PS - Ryan, tell the girls more Moonshine soaked Strawberries are already ordered for next years Friday night party and we plan to do an even better job "Pre-Gaming the HAMB DRAGS" next year! LOL!
I don't consider myself a hamber, but my wife and I have been to every hamb drags accept one. I've always wanted to shake Ryan's hand, but never once got a glimpse of him until this year. Everyone kept telling me how laid back he is, but my first sight of him was on Friday night when he was screaming at an older gentleman in a bright red 40 ford. Get out of the car. Get out of the car, right now! He didn't use those exact words of course, but you get the idea. He was one angry young man. And now I know, for good reason.
I don't really have words for how amazing it was this year. I don't live far from Joplin little over an hour. I think I'll be there Monday next year. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Wait a second... Are you the guy that the girls always talk about on Friday night? Seems its some kind of tradition that they try to sell you fellas wrist bands every year... only to get side tracked by liquor... That's awesome. In my defense, I was just forced to sprint like a college hopeful at the combine some forty yards to a car that had just done one of the dumbest things I think I've ever seen in my 37 years. I blew my top a little... I give ya that. I apologize for the first impression. Next time come on over... I won't yell at ya - promise!
Always a weekend that tops off my summer, with the Springfield swap and all the folks there to the hotel parking lot, track and back to the lot again. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep over the weekend and didn't feel it hit me till our traditional stop at Swopes drive-in in Rich Hill on the way back to KC. Kerry's last run of the day was the high point of the event for me after seeing the car and driver evolve over the last few years. Don't know if everyone had a similar experience but my hats off to the staff at the host hotel who seemed very calm and cool all weekend with the usual antics going on. Especially that guy that was driving around in his cart at 3 in the morning and stopped to chat with the late nighters and was nice and even ask us if the Police officer (also pretty cool) had given us any trouble when he pulled through. We joked with him and commented that it was really quiet after the non-HAMB related police activity in the vicinity last year and he scowled and chuckled and said we were nothing compared to that deal. Ryan.. Love ya' Love ya' Show. Keep up the good work. MONGO
Ryan, Yes that is our crew! But we always DO buy the wrist bands from them....we just don't let them leave empty handed!! LOL! We are always at the far end of the host hotel down by the dumpster/turnaround. Set up a small grill, coolers full of adult beverages and everyone walking by is always offered a cold drink and/or something to eat. Hotel always provides a trash can and the big parking lot light makes it a great place to call home for the night. My buddy has a 61 Falcon gasser (tanish primer with the black roof) and for the past two years we use the moon tank hanging off the front as a Margarita cooling tank.....we call it our "Racing Fuel" and have small cups you can fill and sample if you are brave enough! This year Mad Mark made the Strawberries....it was a HIT! We have more fun planned for next year.....and we might even get the Falcon down the track at the drags! Thanks again for being the "director" of this great event!
Those were excellent. Jane had the Spidey skills finding those little gems! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Would that be the car with the really cool details? Like the bitchin little hinges on the deck lid? If so, why didn't he run that thing? That was a great little car.
Yea the guy in the golf cart was cool as hell. He let me hitch along with him a few times. That I don't think would have happened anywhere else. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
He's the head of security for the Holiday Inn. Those people are really tolerant of us as a whole and deserve the props.
100% agree. I thanked him a few times. I was more than a little shocked when he said sure grab on. Great weekend can't wait for next year. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Man this years event was great. The weather was perfect. I don't think we could have asked for any better. Hopefully I'll have my roadster finished by next year. I really just isn't the same driving a late model to the drags. Just doesn't cut it. Thanks for putting on such a great event guys
Best weekend of the year. Period. The swap meet is fun, the cars are great, the racing is awesome, but it's the people that make it. What a great group of folks are on the HAMB!!! I bet the guy in the red car is the same guy I had a talk with in the tech area and had Ryno call you about. :-/ Sorry you had to deal with it but glad you did.
I enjoyed the cackle! Sorry I didn't have the JB Weld you needed. I've already restocked for next year. ;-)
Funny, he was telling me that Ryan had asked him to do a burnout in front of the stage area later. I wasn't buying it.
Kerry. Your dragster pass makes my hair stand up even as I am typing this... Congratulations, -Abone. Hell of a good year, by the way. Some of the best runs for the Yay-Hoo Cup ever. Gonna be hard to top.
Oh crap! I hope we don't become one of the casualties! We like racing at the HAMB Drags and all our friends are there! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
You do realize you got me started on the digger with that set of header flanges you sent... THANKS!!!!
I would like to thank everyone involved for one of the most fun events I have been to. It gave me a hard dead line to get my truck done so my brother and I could show up in something other than our lame daily drivers this year. Beer was drank, and cars were ogled, but it was so much more!!!!
I think wer're gonna print up some Hamb-Land Security T-Shirts for next year. It was cool/shocking to meet your "brother" this year. You saw the look on me at the introduction. Thanks a ton or two man. Best event ever.
Absolutely the greatest weekend of the year thank ryan,ryno,bobk, yahoos and everyone else that has something to this weekend it'd truly appriciated Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Ryan, Excellent event once again! I didn't see the guy do the burnout and you chase him down but it sounds like you handled it perfectly. I'm glad you got a chance to enjoy a little and have your "Brother" there. Now you can realize how much this event means to all that attend. Each year I try to introduce myself to at least one member that I don't know and that makes it a fun event for me. Along with all the cars and the drag racing of course. Maybe one day I'll get a chance to meet you also or maybe I have and just didn't realize it. Either way Keep up the good work and hopefully I'll have a car that can contribute to the fun next year. My '34 Coupe is ever so slowly coming along, I know my direction it's just time and money holding me back but that's changing too. Thanks Again, Mark