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Debut of a Legend
Story by Todd Hutcheson
The full nude 180” long new dragster was ready to test. In its raw form, without soul or name, it needed an identity for its life span. But first a few test runs to discover its personality was at hand. The lone drive through the hot California desert to Arizona had George in deep thought. His machine was visible in the rear mirror, safely strapped to its open trailer. George talked openly to his new partner through the mirror. “Now remember I’m the boss, I’ll take you on the long drives, you just have to take me on the short ones.” He would laugh. “Partners OK? Let’s find out who you are.” Along side George was his new helmet, also unpainted. On the helmets crest held 24 tall red ostrich plums. Just like what George had dreamed a month earlier. It too needed testing.
The crowd in this desert town knew all the local cars and drivers. When George got to the pit area, he drew a gathering crowd of onlookers. The new digger by its self, un-painted, un-named had the fans in aw. It was beautiful! Frame by RCS, body by Tom Hanna. Tail to nose it had all the right curves. Like a Supermodel walking into a local pub, all eyes were on this shapely mistress of speed.
Suited up and ready to take the first ride, George pulled out his new red plumed helmet. The onlookers had never seen anything like it before, no one had. George leaned over and whispered into the injector, “It’s show time, remember what we said, I’m the boss.” The fans whispered and pointed at this stranger talking to a race car. It would be the last time that these desert racing junkies wouldn’t know who this stranger was. George’s long love affair was about to begin.
At the opposite end of the track, George gave the signal to push. Faster and faster until her lungs were filled with air and fuel, Waaaap! Ruuup! Rattt rattt rattt…she woke up and came to life. The locals sprang to their feet and pressed to the fence to see what this stranger was going to do. George brought her around slow and easy like, now in full view of the crowd. The red plums danced atop his helmet, Waaaap! She flexed her mussels after a short burnout to ready the Racemasters; George gave the “V” for victory to the waiting fans. The fans returned the ‘V’. George went into his driver's trance; nothing outside of his tunnel vision could distract his thoughts. Most top drivers switch into a different level before staging. Waaaap! Ruuup! Ready… Rpm’s up and amber lights down…blast off!
In an instant, the Racemasters grew tall and thin, just a trace of smoke. The G-forces pushed Georges head back, the tall red plums pulled his head up and his vision of the track was all but lost. George was only able the watch where he was going by the side of the track, enabling him to keep her straight and his foot to the floor. Few things would have had George lift his foot, today it stayed to the floor. Through the lights, she sputtered to a stop, the twin parachutes in full bloom, her first full run a success.
All alone in the deserts end, George climbed out and took off his helmet … “Did you see that, what a ride! You’re my baby…God that was great…I’ll have to do something about the head rest, I couldn’t see nothing!” The crew arrived and helped push her back to the pits. Waiting for George in the pits was a huge crowd cheering, wanting to greet their new hero. Kids wanted to touch the plumes and sit in ‘The Car’. This dusty arid land adopted George Hutcheson as its own. He would later return as ‘the Stone Age Man’.
Todd Hutcheson, 2008
425 778-7578
Lynnwood Washington
hutchphoto@netzero.com
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