Our town sponsors in Crowley showed us the meaning of true Southern hospitality. What a welcome!
With the first Championship Run Day behind us, (Saturday was the hardest day of the race, with 10 legs!) it’s almost over…on Sunday we leave Covington, Louisiana for the last finish line and closing ceremony in Mobile, Alabama. Today was one of the best Great Race days ever, the crowds in Crowley, LA and Covington, LA were as good as it gets. And the food featured some of the most delicious and amazing Cajun and Creole dishes we’ve ever eaten. Crayfish, gumbo, jambalaya, you name it, they served it with style and spice. The hospitality of the locals is just over the top. Not only were we adorned with traditional bead necklaces, we were welcomed with cheers, music and much enthusiasm. Fellow Great Racers Ed Habetz and Tom Regan hail from Crowley, but everyone felt that they were being welcomed home. Once again, we had our own town sponsor assigned to make sure we were well taken care of. We really, really enjoyed this day. Another reason we had such a great day is that we earned our second ACE (an
We had one of our best Great Race days ever on the Championship Run from Crowley to Covington. Great driving Mary, so proud of our second ACE and excellent overall finish time.
ACE is when you score zero penalty points between 2 distances) on the first leg of the run. Overall we had a very good score for the Championship Run, earning a 36! And yet another reason for having such a fantastic day was that we had the company of ultimate ride-along winners, Allen and Sharon Steele, of Covington, Louisiana. They have a screen printing, embroidery and promotional products business called Cajun Creative Marketing Inc, specializing in everything from apparel to watches. They also do a lot of heat printing. You name it, they will customize it for you. During their ride-along, Allen was most impressed by a sudden U-turn Mary had to pull (maintaining her reputation as “Two-Wheel Mary”), and they were both thrilled to occupy the back seat of the 1934 Ford Phaeton. It wasn’t quite as hot as it had been, but the humidity was still pretty high. As one local Louisiana gentleman joked with me, “this is the only state where you can almost drown after taking a deep breath!” That made us all smile and carry on. Brett and Dan have also been winning smiles from all the children they let sit in the front seat of the cars. Some of the parents can’t believe it that we don’t mind, but we all truly feel that the best way to encourage young people to appreciate history is a “hands-on” approach. Tomorrow we head out on the last Championship Run day, with lunch at the Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, AL and then crossing the final finish line in Mobile sometime after 2:30pm. If you are in the area, don’t miss this opportunity to see these classic cars cross the line. We have to reiterate how impressed we are at the operation and handling of our almost 80-year old car, she has really been taking a beating with the weather, the sharp turns, the sudden stops and starts, and she is still going strong. Please follow along on the Spirit of Stahls Facebook page for “almost” real time updates. See you all at the finish line!
Allen and Sharon Steele, owners of Cajun Creative Marketing in Covington, LA were our guests on the leg from Crowley to Covington. It was a pleasure!
Huge crowds and great Cajun food welcomed us in Covington. It was quite a wonderful experience!
Brett and Dan had a lot of fun allowing future Great Racers the opportunity to sit behind the wheel.
Our 1934 Phaeton is a true treasure. Here we are with ride along guests Allen and Sharon Steele.
Breathtaking scenery all the way!
Here is picture of me trying to keep cool during the Great Race, with a wet towel over my face. Yagottadowhatyagottado.
Love the picture with the towel over your face Ted! I thought maybe Mary was running on 2 wheels again!
Great Car,Great Fun and Great People The Towel is so that Ted cannot see what Mary misses while driving that beautiful classic.