SPEEDWORLD RACEWAY, ARIZONA

My Trip to SPEEDWORLD Raceway Arizona

It was a MDRA race on 11-8-08, Saturday. I had contacted MDRA and was giving credentials that could be picked up at the gate. I was to pick up Roy Strawn the past Director of the Original AMDRA. It would have been a great invite except for the circumstance of bad luck I had getting there. Roy and I hadn’t seen each other since the mid seventies and we were looking forward to the renew friendship and bench racing we both knew how to do well.
I left my home in Hesperia California, small community in the Victorville Valley in the High Desert at 1:30 PM on Thursday, with the idea of getting there a little early so we would have time to chat and bench race. I had a map from my computer that show just how to get to Surprise Arizona which was a small City between where Roy lived and the race track, about twenty mile separated the two. It will be the first time out of California for me since my Touring Days and I was looking forward to the drive, driving is one thing I’ve loved doing since I was 14 years old. The trip was on Interstate Highway 10 and everything went smoothly until I reached the area where I would get off the interstate to make my way to Surprise by using the Map. The first problem I encounter was that the Map didn’t show me that the directions was using streets and roads that were under construction, with many detours. And there weren’t many street lights and it was pitch black night time. The road I got off the interstate on was called 303 and I was to go left till I reach Bell Road, according to the map instruction that was about six mile and after going more than that I thought I miss it and turned around to look some again, I did this more than once on this road that was a mess and had lots of traffic, finely I called Roy and told him my trouble and he tells me Bell Road is about fifth teen miles from the interstate. (The reason I’m going to Surprise is to get a Motel Room).

I finally made it to Bell Road which was a busy road with a lot of business along the way. Looked just like the place to get a room, I went both directions for about five miles and didn’t see one Motel, by the way they are now called Inns. By now my Gas gauge is looking toward empty so I pull into a Station to fill up, while there this guy pulls in next to me for Gas and I ask if he could direct me to a Motel. He says to me with an ugly grin on his face that if I could find a Motel with a Vacancy with in a hundred miles I would be lucky. This was NASCAR weekend in Phoenix plus there was a big thing going on at the local Fairgrounds that happens every year. (Now I didn’t know about any of this). But he said if you go out Bell Road about 12 miles or so the other side of Phoenix you might find something. By my Speedo I drove sixteen miles and seen two Inns that were full up. I made trips on other main Streets looking, got lost many time, I mean many times, even went the wrong way on a one way street, boy was that a mess. By now I’m beginning to get very upset and disorientated because of the darkness.

There was no Motels in the area with a Vacancy, that finally sunk in. So I decided to head back to the interstate and head West away from the NASCAR race track looking for a Motel. I got back to 303 and headed for the interstate, now this road is being tore up to be redone, has numerous detours along the way and the speed limit is fifty MPH which is what I’m doing where possible. The Traffic behind me is beginning to get pretty heavy and they are starting to flip there lights off and on and ride my bumper so I pick up speed, the cars behind me began to peel off on side streets and the next thing I know there is a set of Red lights behind me, a Sixty Five in a Fifty was what the little piece of paper said. Now I’m really Pissed.

I get to the Interstate and head West, drove for over sixty miles and seen one motel, it is now after well past midnight and I pull in and go to the after hours window and ask for a room, yea I got one, check out time is 10 AM, I'm reaching for my wallet and he ask if I’m a Senior I say yes and he says our Senior rate is $92.00. Now that’s for eight hours, so back on the interstate and I say to myself FT, I’ll head for a Casino and do a little gambling instead.
As it was I ended up back home. I was on the road for twelve hours and drove 730 miles round trip. At least I got the driving out of my system. I know I and Roy might have upset some for not showing up but I couldn’t stay without a room of my own for that many days. Plus Roy was to ill to make the races and we didn’t have our much needed visit.

Next year it will be a AHDRA race and I will do my driving in the Day Time. That’s the third race I tried to get to this year and something happened each time. I’m two years shy of Eighty, I think next time I will leave my Leathers Home, maybe that’s what is causing all this bad luck or would that be good luck.

There was some comedy in my trip. This is kind of for the guys only.
When I stopped at one of the rest areas for a relief of bladder pressure I noticed there was a candy machine and it was after midnight and I figure some sugar would help keep me awake even thought I didn't get sleepy once during the trip. So I go over to the machine and it is inside a cage but still reachable, I put in my $1.25 and picked the candy I want and it fell in the tray. I have to reach my arm way it there to get the bar but got it. I put it in my jacket pocket and went into the restroom, standing there at the urinal and you know what a man does at the end of that little chore well I look down and there is blood flying every place. I'm glad I was the only one in there because I yelled out pretty loud "Oh my God" jumped back and looked down at my self and then at my hand and evidently I had cut the top of my hand on the candy machine and didn't know it. Man, what a relief, and then again I'm glad there was no one in there but me because I began to laugh, I couldn't hardly stop.

Granddaddy Joe Smith