Originally posted on August 19, 2018.

We are home now.  In typical Mike and Libby Welch fashion, we FINALLY got here at about 4:30 yesterday afternoon.  We unpacked, got the truck and trailer inside the shop, fed the animals and started cutting grass.  As I write this Mike is back down at the shop cutting the grass there. 

Our trip was not uneventful.  As we started out, John, Joey, Trey and Marshall were on their way to the airport.  Joey and John had a morning flight but both Marshall and Trey had a very long day at the airport.  We certainly did not like that it turned out that way.  We tried our best to get a better flight schedule for Trey and for Adam and Cary but to no avail.  I had to return the rental car to the airport so we had to park the truck and trailer at a gas station.  There was no way we would be able to get the rig through the maze at the airport.  Mike rode with me to return the car at the airport and then we took a taxi back to the truck. 

Now the fun began.  The most strenuous part of the trip is from Salt Lake City through Wyoming.  The truck had performed quite well on the trip out.  Not long out of Salt Lake City the clutch quit functioning.  Mike is forever on the alert for any issue.  I am the one who panics.  When the clutch first went out we had just left a populated area and there was nowhere to stop.  I am sure my eyes were full of a panicky look.  Mike kept driving but, thankfully, we had begun a slight descent.  Soon the clutch began to function again.  Eventually we figured out it would go out when we were climbing and the engine was having to work particularly hard.  Then it would come back around when it had a chance to cool.  Once learning this I could calm down and we decided to go with it and address the issue at home.  What is it with clutches anyway?  There seems to be a common theme here with the clutch on the car at the Salt Flats and now this.

Advance to the end of the second day.  We had spent the night at a hotel at the end of the first day.  Anyway, we were passing through Kansas City, Missouri.  We had made a fuel stop and were on our way to Columbia, Missouri.  All of a sudden we lost the brakes.  I couldn’t tell anything was wrong but Mike said the power steering was gone and no brakes.  He pulled off onto the very narrow side of the interstate and looked under the hood to find that the idler for the serpentine belt was broken.  He got back in and we inched the rig up a few feet so that we were into a turn off ramp and not so dangerously close to the traffic.  We called the highway patrol.  After about 30 minutes a tow truck showed up.  We met the greatest guy.  In his words, he looked to be 12 years old but double that because he is 24.  His name was Josh and he was with Jackson County Towing.  He was just so pleasant and enthusiastic and obviously adept at his job.  He loaded the truck on his tow truck and hooked up the trailer to the back and off we went to Odessa Diesel Repair.  We had already decided that we would stay with the truck and trailer for the night.  Thankfully, there was someone at the repair shop and they indicated they could get us fixed up the next morning.  After unloading the truck and trailer Josh took us back up about 3 blocks and dropped us off at the local Pizza Hut.  Neither of us had much sleep but I had more than Mike.  He opened up the trailer and put out some cushions and I laid down on them.  Mike was in the truck making sure no one tampered with anything.  It rained all night.

By 10am we were back on the road again.  Mike told me that the 2 flat tires on the trip out had happened at Columbia, Missouri.  Odessa is also in the vicinity of Columbia, Missouri.  So what is it with Columbia, Missouri?  I will say that we were treated well there.  Even the waiter at the Pizza Hut said he was praying for us.  Once again, God’s protection was evident.  Also, I don’t mean to give the impression that our truck was not up to the trip.  It performed VERY well.  It is just that we were carrying a very heavy load and the journey is quite strenuous.

Now on to a more pleasant topic.  Our trip.  The team that went out was phenomenal.  Here we are posed with the car – Marshall Welch (Mike’s brother), Trey Williamson, me, Mike, Joey Watkins, John Watkins, Gene Fulton (engine builder), Cary and Adam Privette (our grandson and son-in-law).

There is a LOT of work associated.  There is not only unloading and loading but there are constant tasks each day at the Salt Flats.  The guys were all involved in mechanical aspects with the car.  I ran errands and supported Mike as needed.  We each pitched in and did whatever was necessary.  Over the course of the few days we came to know each other pretty well.  As well as a lot of work we had a lot of fun.  We laughed and told stories and made memories we will never forget.  Like how hyper Cary was the morning he drank 3 Mountain Dew’s and how John got “cootie bugs” in his head one night and how I lost Mike’s shoes.  Evenings became 2-hour meal times.  We would all shower and rest a bit and then go down to one of the restaurants at the casino.  The casino was not an obvious choice for any of us but it offered comfortable lodging and food and the staff was great.  I don’t want to leave out those at home who were also part of the team.  Amanda (Trey’s wife) and Shannon (Adam’s wife) were at home taking care of children so their husbands could participate.  Thanks to both of you!  John, Joey and Marshall all left their wives at home as well.  Thanks for letting them come! 

We will definitely plan to go again after getting the bugs worked out on the car.  We hope to be able to convince these folks to go again!  I think each one would be able to tell you what I mentioned in an earlier post . . . that this place and event are like no other.  You feel like you have checked out of reality for a short time and the “unreality” you have found is a very nice change.

Mike will be digging into the issues we experienced and I will pass along updates in this blog periodically if you want to check back.  Thanks for following along.

By the way, check out this link: https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/g22757244/cars-bonneville-speed-week-2018/