meridican/Flickr Creative Commons
Now that spring has fully sprung here in Texas, as evidenced by the lakes of pollen coated water laying about state-wide, some of us look at the old RV we’re meant to be dusting off and getting ready for the 2015 touring season and our thoughts go something like this:
“The ol’ girl is well…and I mean WELL…over 100,000 miles now, the galley needs some upgrades, the propane system has that slow leak, the water tanks have that slow leak too. Time to upgrade to something a little more comfortable, a little more modern. But I just can’t say goodbye to my old baby!”
Granted, the above is a dramatization and probably not everybody is thinking those thoughts at all, BUT, that probably is the mindset behind one of motor-sports dare I say coolest ideas: RV RACING!
Whether it’s on the drag strip, the oval, or even hauling a classic (read super tired and wore out) camper trailer around a figure eight track, motorhome racing adds a bit of comic drama and demolition derby style ethic to what can sometimes become a fairly routine and rule-soaked day. I read an article recently about a classic GMC Motorhome get together at a Florida drag strip. Not only was it a chance for the owners of a certain type to gather together and compare and contrast each other’s old-school RV’s. They also had a chance to talk about mods, parts, BBQ, beer, etc while awaiting their turn to go head-to-head down the drag strip! Apparently a new record was set for front-wheel drive GMC 1/4 mile speed: 22.514 seconds, which equates to 62 miles per hour, set by Bob Heller in a 1974 GMC with a 455 and 110,000 original miles! The article also noted that Mr Heller performed all his own maintenance.
So the long and short of it is, if you have an adventurous mindset and you’re feeling like maybe it’s time to pasture Ol’ Bessie, maybe give some thought to cleaning her up, painting her all NASCAR style (we’d be glad to supply some PPL Motorhome stickers as well as parts and accessories), and taking her out to perform before the public in hair-raising style!