A race at Beeline, Arizona, was the first race my wife Leslie ever attended. She was under the impression that drag racing was jacked up '55 Chevys on Van Nuys Blvd. I had never told her anything different; you can imagine what she thought when I suited up for our first pass... 

Also, we needed some help. I grabbed the first kid that looked like he could speak the language and put him to work. He helped a lot and loved every second. When it was time to return to California, he asked to go with us. This kid was 16 at the time. He called his mom and had me speak to her. I promised I'd take care of him. Without even going home to pack, he gets in the rig and is "On Tour." 

Now for the rest of the story: that "Kid" was Mike Kloeber, who went on to become a well-respected crew chief in the Big Show. He stayed with us until Setzer quit, then went on to the Snake and so on... Who says dreams don't come true? Just ask Mike sometime! Leslie is still my bride of 19 years. She bore me a great son, now 14. Life is good!