I received a call one day at work from a guy named Dwane. He was a volunteer at the Carolina Air Museum, and they had a problem. One of their functional exhibits was a deicer, and the fuel pump on the device had broken. The museum works with all volunteers and subsists on donations. I was able to work out a way to get them what they needed. While all this was going on I had a chance to talk with Dwane and found out that he was a chassis man for Hendrick Motor Sports. Their main drivers at that time were Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson. I asked Dwane if I ever was in their neighborhood could I get a tour of their facility. He assured me we could.
It turns out that a year later Martha and I were in the neighborhood and went to see him. We were given a grand tour of the facilities and met many of the employees and support staff. We were surprised at the size and complexity of the operation.
However, our biggest surprise came later when we went to the Carolina Air Museum. They knew who I was and that I had helped them out in their time of need. They let Martha and I climb in and out of their aircraft which they don’t normally do. In addition, they had Sully Sullivan’s plane there which had been retrieved from the Hudson River and put on display there. Apparently, Dwane had called and told them I was on my way.
We also took a tour of the NASCAR Hall Of Fame, but more on that later.
Susie
I remember when you took that trip. Martha was impressed by their hospitality.