As you know, major events in your life start long before they play out. Meeting and spending the weekend with the One & only "Mark Donohue" @ the 68 Trans-Am race Kent WA. I usually have my Father to thank (SCCA Marshall) for meeting famous race car drivers but this one, I have to thank my Mother, and the great cook she was. 1965 we were pitted next to Randy Hilton (Car Owner) and Chuck Parson (Driver, he raced a Cobra in 1964) with their Genie-Chev in the USSRC race, my mom, she always made enough to feed the whole pits, fed them lunch all weekend (The team never forgot her) Fast forward to 1968 Randy Hilton is now Partnered with Roger Penske for 68 Trans-Am series, of course we saved a spot for the now Penske/Hilton team. Randy introduced me to Roger & Mark, I was 13yo @ the time, Mark joked that I had the build of a race car driver SMALL & TRIM!! I said that I already race Moto-X. He said you want hang around me this weekend you may learn something, I thought he was joking, he wasn't
Roger told me if you're to be a crew member, #1 rule "No just standing around, for god's sake POLISH something" (Clean Race car are faster than dirty ones
) That weekend was a burr, but Saturday evening after Mark got Pole Position, we took his Loaner (67 Z-28) around Pacific Raceways, He asked if I knew what an Apex was, did I know how to Heel & Toe, etc. I said yes to his question's. We stopped SWITCHED seats, now I was Driving MARK DONOHUE around a track in a Z-28
We did 3-laps at a slow pace, Mark said Nothing during the drive, when we pulled in, this is his Quote "Tom, you have the Drivers Gene" Sunday, Mark won the race & the Series. I would like to thank, Roger, Randy, Mark, but this really is a tribune, to unsung heroes like my Mother who without them, we could never enjoy our hobbies. Hope you enjoyed the story, Brent(EM-0785) said we need to write a book about my crazy life. Cheers Gentlemen, Tom. Here is the exact car.
https://www.motorsportretro.com/2016...maro-trans-am/