Pushing a car for a mile-plus on a busy California highway is one of those activities most people would much rather forget.But when that memory involves a pair of Hall of Famers and yourself, that’s one that never exits your memory bank.
Pushing a car for a mile-plus on a busy California highway is one of those activities most people would much rather forget.
But when that memory involves a pair of Hall of Famers and yourself, that‘s one that never exits your memory bank.
Whether we‘d like to admit it or not, the majority of us have been in this unenvious predicament at some point — the feeling of desperation when your car‘s gas tank runs dry and there‘s no exit in sight.
In my teenage years, my eyes were affixed to the printout of MapQuest directions in my hand instead of the gas gauge as I made my way to a first date with my high school crush. They say first impressions are everything and — needless to say — that was my first and last impression with her.
I‘ve experienced it in adulthood as well, driving Sprint Car & Midget‘s Pat Sullivan back from a pair of basketball games in Dayton, Ohio, where the thought of fuel consumption never entered my mind. I‘m guessing we might‘ve been in deep conservation about whether Jerry Walkingstick or Snake Livernash had the better racing name. Probably.
But anyhow, eventually, I found myself coasting on “E” and soon thereafter, we found ourselves on the shoulder of the highway, caught between the moon and Cambridge City.
A two-mile jaunt to and from the local Shell station resulted in fruitlessness when the engine refused to refire. As a proud, tried and true USAC loyalist, I felt a tinge of irony when USAC‘s own had to call its racing predecessor, AAA, to bail themselves out of a jam.
However, there‘s one instance that takes the cake for me, personally.
In my first major road trip with USAC in November of 2014, the destination was the Turkey Night Grand Prix. But as anyone who‘s traveled with USAC‘s Dick Jordan knows all too well, there was never a point A to point B trip, which, if you marked down our path on his Rand McNally, it‘d resemble the Richter Scale.
Two-time USAC midget champion Kevin Olson tagged along for the adventure. Our first destination was the church where the famous final scene from the 1967 film, “The Graduate,” was recorded. Soon after, we lived our own real-life version of a scene from the movie, inspired by true events on the movie screen.
The next stop was Jay Leno‘s Garage to meet the famed Tonight Show host. The excitement was palpitating and our anticipation was full — quite unlike the gas tank of DJ‘s rental car. As we sputtered on the 210 en route to Burbank, it was clear what had happened.
Just as Dustin Hoffman did when his tank ran dry during his pursuit of Elaine in “The Graduate,” KO and I quickly hopped out of the car, but instead of making a run for it, we made the excruciating one-mile push to the exit as DJ steered toward the sunset. KO and I performed an impromptu form of traffic control, hitting the gap to cross four lanes of traffic — and a line of angry motorists — to reach the median.
With a gas station within sight, our troubles seemed at an end until KO yelled out, “Keep pushing; gas is a penny cheaper another half-mile ahead!”
I was never quite sure when he was joking, but this turned out to be a classic KO quip that I‘ve retained in my repertoire ever since. Once we got the car in position at the pump, KO and I exhaled a sigh of relief, only to find out the car‘s gas tank was on the opposite side.
Most people know DJ and KO through their racing exploits, but I know them through adventures like these and, as it turns out, strangely enough, for running out of gas.
As time marches on and some memories begin to flicker in our busy lives, these are the ones that truly stick. Those memories that may exasperate you, challenge you and frustrate you at the time, but allow you to look back at with a hearty laugh.
Since then, we‘ve sadly lost both DJ and KO, and I miss them terribly. Through this one adventure, I‘ve learned a couple things. First and foremost, whether it‘s in a Hollywood movie or in real life, the most unexpected moments are the ones that hang with you forever.
Secondly, always keep an eye on your gas gauge.