In our October '09 issue, I shared my mishaps towing our LeMons Camaro to Reno, Nevada. As usual, I asked for your stories and the responses have been rather impressive. Seriously, a few of them were downright hysterical and I wish I had the room to share all of them with you-maybe I'll add a couple more next month. Now, for those of you who have never pulled a vehicle; read up because there's a lot to be learned here. -Hinline_mediumwraptextright25374332/hotnews/0912chp_chevy_high_performance_letters0912chp_02_z+chevy_high_performance_letters+rooster_call.jpgTrue

To Good Friends Recently-on July 22, 2009 to be more precise-I lost a dear friend. This was a whole new experience for me, something I wasn't entirely ready for. I had originally decided to keep this to myself, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed to share who he was with the world.inline_mediumwraptextright26489131/hotnews/0912chp_remembering_your_good_friends0912chp_01_o+remembering_your_good_friends+rear_bumper.jpgTrue

Here We Go Again!
We're finally settled down in our new Southern Californian home, and the immediate renovations to support a gearhead like myself are just about complete. Storage for race cars, trailers, and parts-and working space-can be tough to come by. We were lucky enough to find a house with enough space, and with a little imagination (money), we made it all work. Our realtor loved me and my wife, Lisa, because we could pull up in front of a house he wanted to show us and not even get out of the car: "That won't work to fit all my junk!"inline_mediumwraptextright26489794/hotnews/0912chp_chevy_performance_q_a0912chp_01_o+chevy_performance_q_a +engine_art.jpgTrue

Long Timer
I am a longtime reader and subscriber to Chevy High Performance and a lifelong gearhead. Your magazine is great! I thought I would tell a story that spans a few years. I was a teenager through the muscle car era of the 1960s and early '70s, and I used to drool over the SS Chevelles, Z/28 Camaros, SS Novas, and all the BOP go-fast cars. My first car was a '65 Mustang convertible (yes, a dreaded Blue Oval, but it was cheap back then).

National Parts Depot's 4th Annual All-GM Oktoberfest Show is Saturday October 3rd 2009 at the beautiful Silver Springs Park in Silver Springs, Florida. All vehicles with GM powerplants are welcome to enter.

Office Space
Next month begins my 10th year in the print business. Even more profoundly, I'm proud to say that I've been with the same company since I graduated from college. While this may not seem like a great feat to some, I beg to differ-I can't tell you the number of gigs some of my close friends have been through. Granted, everyone has a reason for coming and going, but in my circle of buds, I'm one of the few who have stayed firmly rooted.

Backyard Follies
After getting off work I decided to change the shifter in my '79 Malibu from a column shift to a floor shift. Being in a hurry, I drove the car on the ramps, forgetting to chalk the wheels. I got under the car to undo the linkage, and as soon as I turned the ratchet I heard a clicking noise. Realizing what I did, I scurried out from under the car as quick as I could, but it was to late. While I managed to get my head out in time, the front wheel got my shoulder. I was in serious pain, but I wanted to finish the job-and I did!

Our New Home Track
As you all know by now, the Mac family is back in Southern California. After a 15-year stint in Northern California, we have a new home track to figure out. Up north we had one of the toughest tracks in the nation to dial because of changing weather conditions, especially the wind. Infineon Raceway (it will always be Sears Point) is in the beautiful microclimates of wine country, Sonoma County. From the staging lanes you could look out over San Francisco Bay and have the hot winds blast down from Sacramento Valley to the north. Atmospheric conditions would range throughout the year from 500-feet-below-sea-level corrected altitude to the mid-3,000-foot range. The conditions are things you can easily measure with weather stations, but what you can't read with instruments are the subtle changes that create big performance differences. And just when you think you've got it all figured out, the track would leave you scratching your head!

Tow Tactics
I just returned home from my first 24 Hours of LeMons race in Fernley, Nevada, and while you can read all about it in this issue, there's a little piece of the story I want to elaborate on. No, it doesn't have anything to do with the event-the tow up was an adventure in itself.

Edelbrock is excited to announce the launch of its all-new foundries services website: http://www.edelbrockfoundry.com. Edelbrock has created this website to showcase their foundry capabilities, specializing in sand-cast and permanent mold aluminum castings for automotive and industrial markets.

The past couple years we've been dedicating our November issue to you by showcasing the top readers' rides and creating our Local Heroes edition. While we were originally a bit hesitant to stray from our usual core tech pieces, it has become one of the more popular yearly rituals. So if you missed the opportunity in years past, then here's another chance to grace the pages of Chevy High Performance.

Rough Times For The Auto Industry
Not a day goes by anymore that doesn't spell out the doom and gloom of the U.S. auto industry. By now the pain has worked its way to the imports-Toyota posted its first loss in 50 years! Everyone thought the imports were immune to the challenges facing car companies, but this slump is worldwide.

Form & Function
I had an epiphany; you know, waking up in the middle of the night with an idea so spectacular that you can't get back to sleep because you think you're onto something big. Oh, never mind. Who am I trying to kid? The truth is I have a terrible time sleeping, and because of it I've been doing a lot of homework, scouring the Internet and reading every muscle car forum I can run across-and what did I learn?

Busted Knuckles!
Great magazine. I've been reading it for years. A while back you requested our busted-knuckles type of story, so I wanted to share my story from 40 years ago. When I was a senior in high school standing in the parking lot during a fire drill, parked right in front of me was my friend Bob Wilson's '64 four-door Valiant slant-six, known to all as the Duster. Being the rascal I can be, I figured it would be OK to switch a couple plug wires. Back to class we go. Bob worked at the local Gulf station and I worked at the local Sunoco. On my lunch break I would run down to the Gulf station to see how the better half was being treated. You can imagine my surprise walking in to find the Duster sitting in the bay with the cylinder head off. Apparently, after limping it back to work on it, he decided that the Duster needed a valve job. To this day, we still laugh to tears about that prank. Bob and I are still friends after all these years and still laugh about old times.
Tom Hagle
Bisbee, AZ

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Where There's Smoke
A good friend of ours had the misfortune of running into some serious heat. I could change the names to protect the innocent, but you know me: If you break it, you own it. Charlie Allen decided he had enough of Super Gas racing and sold the Vega wagon he'd raced for many years to build a Stock Eliminator car. He chose to build an off-brand car to this book, but his challenges fit any make or model.

LSX Power
A while back Bob Endress from Vortech Engineering offered me shotgun on an off-road excursion in a Trophy Truck he crews on. Of course, like most of you, I didn't hesitate to take that offer. There was one problem, however: coordinating our schedules to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The classic car season is just starting its engine this spring in the Northeast and as the summer drawers closer, things will really start to heat up!

The Sad State Of Motorsports
Just as we all have felt the pinch of the economy, many of the country's race teams and sanctioning bodies are falling on hard times. I don't know one form of motorsports that hasn't been affected by the lack of funding. As of this writing, we are right at the beginning of the '09 season, and by the time you read this we will be several races into the year.

NMCA Extreme Street
I'm a fan of sportsman-level street car racing--understatement of the year, right? In fact, I'm beyond infatuated with big-horsepower cars that can run a number. And yes, I'm just as guilty as any of you when it comes to spending a bit more than I should at times. But seriously, does it really matter? Sure, there's always a way to justify the extra expenditure, but more importantly, you have to know going into it that it's a losing proposition, with minimal chance of ever recovering your losses. It isn't until you've accepted the nature of the sport that you're able to fully comprehend why we're so willing to strap ourselves into these cars. In short, while it may not seem like the most responsible answer, the quickest, easiest response when asked why we're willing to pour so much into our sport is: "Because it's fun!?!?"

If you've got something to say, we'll make you famous and put your letter right here: chevyhi@sorc.com

Backyard Follies: Fire!
Guys, the term "backyard follies" is great ("Letters," CHP Garage, Apr. '09)! You should make a recurring feature out of it. My own experience came when I was installing a new 770 Holley on my 79 Camaro. No big deal, I've done it all before, right? Not really. Got it all bolted down and the linkage connected and went to install the fuel line. Since I hadn't ordered a fuel line yet, I just used the tee connector, the fuel bowl nipples, and the rubber hose Holley includes with the carb. I must have had a major brain cramp, because even though I got all the hose clamps snugged down just fine, I left the fuel bowl nipples only finger-tight. Naturally, when I twisted the key it only took a blink of an eye for fuel to spray out and another blink for a huge yellow flame to erupt from under the hood.

Neglected Tools
If you're like most of us, servicing your vehicle isn't way up there on the to-do list. It's more fun installing a set of headers, swapping out the latest intake manifold, or if you like to keep your hands clean-and need instant gratification-blowing in a new program into your PCM. There's one tool many of us have that I know gets neglected. How about the wheel bearings and brakes on your trailer? Many of us have trailers, and some have more than one. What if you lost a wheel bearing going down the road with your prized possession on its back? This is what happened to a good friend of mine on his way to Las Vegas with his triple-axle, gooseneck Pace trailer! As he came to a stop, the axle in question was up in flames! His trailer even had the self-lubricating bearings that were submerged in a bath of gear oil! The point I'm trying to make here is that we all do it. We come home from the races or whatever activity and unload our cars, then stash the trailer until next time.

Lemony Fresh
If you're into motorsport shenanigans, then there's a good chance you have already heard of the 24 Hours of LeMons. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. This event started in Northern California in 2006 as a spoof of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. If you didn't know, Le Mans features high-caliber endurance cars that are designed to run reliably at peak performance with minimal downtime. Demanding? Yes, in every aspect of the event, from the mechanics of the vehicles to the pure physical stamina required of the drivers.

Edelbrock and the Center for Learning Unlimited have once again teamed up in support of helping children with learning disabilities to present the 4th Annual Rev'ved Up 4 Kidz VIP gala charity auction and car show, April 25-26, 2009.