______________________________ SATURDAY, JULY 9TH, 1960 A special event was to be held that Saturday at Ted Badger's hobby shop at the Tri-Star Plaza in Albuquerque. It would be that evening that three model slot car racing clubs would have a competition on the hobby shop's big commercial slot car track...Those being; The Albuquerque Slot Car Club, The Sunset Model Racers Club from Arizona, and The Southern New Mexico Slot Car Racer's Association. Since Ted Badger announced the coming of the event back in February, Al and Marge had promised the cubs they'd take them to run their slot cars that day, then stay to watch the competition that evening. "You cubs remember what today is?", Al asked shortly after everyone had breakfast. "I sure do", Jed replied. "Ted Badger's having that big slot car race at the hobby shop today". "Andy Panda will leave you all in the dust with my Nash", Donna declared. "Oh yea?", Rex replied. "Pokey ain't so pokey in my Chevy. He'll beat you every time" ...referring to the small Pokey the pony figurine fastened as a driver inside the car. "Doesn't look we have very good sports here", Mama Marge mentioned. "Rex. Donna", Al said. "Winning is good, but being a good sport is enjoying a competition. That's more important than if you win or not". After Rex and Donna acknowledged what Daddy Al had told them, Clarence asked in jest, "Do you think our cars will be chasing the mummy again". "I bet they will if that mummy song plays", Jed answered as everyone chuckled...referring to the 1959 Bob McFaddin song, The Mummy. "We've invited Frank and Wanda's family to come along", Marge said to Al, then asked, "Is that still a go?". "They are. But they're just bringing Cheryl", Al said. "Jerald and Cindy are going fishing at the Pecos River today. And Dotty's going out dating with Buddy". Plans are, it would be around 2:30 in the afternoon when Al and Marge and the cubs head out to Albuquerque with Frank, Wanda and Cheryl. That would give the cubs plenty of time to run their slot cars before the track would be reserved for the competition that evening...Being that three slot car racing clubs were competing that evening, the competition would be starting earlier than usual. It was still about 9:30 in the morning, and like over the past five days since the 4th, that day too was a day of drizzle and rain...So in the meantime, some of the neighborhood cubs were invited over to draw artwork with Jed, Rex Clarence and Donna on Clarence's laptop and drawing tablet...The neighborhood already knew about the existence of the laptop and drawing tablet since Rex and Donna had gotten it out, despite being told not to, when guests were there for Jed's birthday party two weeks ago...Once the neighbors found out, they assured their word of honor to Al and Marge that they would keep secret the existence of those electronic devices, and the fact that Clarence was from 58 years in the future. Ten year old Randy Fox, with his 8 year old sister Connie and 6 year old brother Alvin, had dropped by to draw some pictures that morning. Along with the fox cubs were also 12 year old Ryan Lynx and his 9 year old sister Janice. Marge prepared some Kool-Aid (orange flavour this time) for the cubs to enjoy while creating their artwork. "Just be careful not to spill any Kool-Ade on the keyboard", Clarence advised. "If you do, it will ruin it". "Keyboard?", Randy Fox asked. Al affirmed to Randy, "It's that part that looks like typewriter keys". "Oh that. Well be be careful, Mr. Al", Randy Fox assured Al Coyote as the other cubs agreed. It was as though you could draw artwork by magic to the fox cubs and lynx cubs...It still felt somewhat that way to Jed, Rex and Donna as the cubs took turns drawing their picture creations, then saving them on one of the flashdrives Clarence had with him on his journey back to 1960. "Wow cool", Jed said to Ryan Lynx as Ryan was drawing an old double wing airplane doing loop-te-loops. "The animal in the plane is a barn-stormer at an air show", Ryan replied. When Donna had her turn, she drew Woody Woodpecker having an argument with a bumblebee. Rex likes to draw hot rod cars. "Ain't she beautiful?", Ryan Lynx's sister Janice said after she drew an Artic fox depicted as Mother Nature. Jed drew an approaching freight train...And he got the perspective and vanishing points good on it too. "Here's my time machine", Clarence said after he drew a picture of the time machine...Actually the time machine did not belong to Clarence Coyote...The time machine was property of the U. S. Air Force (government property) at the time Clarence left from 2018 in it, which was something Clarence would do best not to forget. Randy Fox drew a rocket landing on the moon...Little did anyone know (with the exception of Clarence being from the future) that would become a reality within the next nine years with the Apollo program. Randy's sister Connie drew a compilation of pretty butterflies. "Lookie this", Randy Fox's younger brother Alvin said after he completed a picture of a rabbit adorned as a Broadville clown. A short while later, Frank and Wanda's eight year old daughter Cheryl Coyote came over to draw on the laptop and drawing tablet. Cheryl drew a picture of a wedding in a church depicting herself as the bride, and Clarence as the Groom...Cheryl and Clarence had by this time gotten very much in love with each other. Not long thereafter, Pete and Tabetha Skunk's seven year old daughter Gail, and five year old son Dennis came over to have a go at the drawing tablet. Being that Gail Skunk has had sexual behavior issues, Al and Marge made it clear to the other cubs to keep an eye on what Gail is drawing. Al said to the cubs, "If you see Gail is starting to draw something naughty, you take the stylus away from her and come get one of us". "You hear that don't you, Gail" Marge said to Gail Skunk. "Yes mam", Gail replied. Thus the art drawing session went along without any of those kind of issues arising. At about noon, the visiting cubs were invited to stay for lunchtime. Al made phone calls to the parents of those cubs to let them know where their cubs are. After lunch, the cubs drew on the laptop and drawing tablet a while longer...But a while later, the Mr. Softee ice cream truck was due to come through the neighborhood. Thus all drawings were saved on a flashdrive, the laptop and drawing tablet were put up, and the visiting cubs left to go to their homes so they can get a nickle from Mom and Dad to get an ice cream cone. About 45 minutes later, the music could be heard playing from the Mr. Softee ice cream truck as it pulled off of Highway 54, then off of Route 3 into the neighborhood. Al and Marge gave Jed, Rex, Clarence and Donna each a nickle to get an ice cream cone as the truck approached. https://youtu.be/WsCDGY8e0P8?t=5 After the cubs finished their ice cream, the rain had been let up for some time, thus the cubs played outside for a while. Shortly before 2:30 in the afternoon, Al set out into neighborhood until he found Jed, Rex. Clarence and Donna. Upon Al locating the cubs, he said to them, "We're getting ready to leave for the slot car track". With that said, the cubs cheered as they raced back to the house to get their slot cars and paw held controllers...That was about the time Frank and Wanda rode to Al and Marge's house from just down the street in their '55 Chevy station wagon, as Cheryl ran to meet up with her parents there. As Jed got his red and white, 1/24th scale slot car of a '57 Ford, and Rex got his blue, 1/24th scale '57 Chevy, and Donna got her pink and white, '56 Nash, and Clarence got his black, '60 Chrysler 300 (1/24th scale replica of Dad and Mom's car), Cheryl asked, "What will I have to race with". "They rent slot cars and controllers out at the hobby shop", Al said to Frank and Wanda. "We'll rent a car and controller for you when we get there", Frank assured Cheryl much to her delight. Al and Marge's cubs also made sure to get some small figurines of cartoon characters that have to tie wire in to look like drivers in the slot cars...Donna picked the Andy Panda figurine like she did before. https://www.google.com/search?q=andy+panda&hl=en&am...: This time, Jed and Rex picked the two Disney chipmunks, Chip and Dale instead of going with Gumby and Pokey like last time. https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&authuser=0&...: And Clarence picked figurines of MGM's cat and mouse, Tom and Jerry. https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&authuser=0&...: The cubs had quite a large collection of two inch tall figurines of cartoon characters. "I won't have a driver", Cheryl said being that she didn't own a cartoon figurine collection like Al and Marge's cubs have. Jed then gave Cheryl figurines of Rough the Cat and Ready the Dog from the cartoon series Rough and Ready. https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&authuser=0&...: "Rough and Ready can ride together in the car your mom and dad rent for you", Jed said to Cheryl as she giggled and thanked Jed. Al made sure to bring some short lengths of tie wire along so the cubs can wire the figurines to the side of the chassis up in the slot cars...And Marge made sure to bring the 8mm movie camera and indoor paw held floodlight to get video footage of the event. Once everyone got everything, Al, Marge Rex and Donna headed out onto route 3 from Duran in the 1960, Chrysler 300, followed by Frank, Wanda, Jed, Clarence and Cheryl in the 1955, six cylinder, Chevy station wagon. They proceeded west on Route 3 until it turned north and eventually came to the intersection of Highway 60. From there, route 3 was picked up by Highway 285 north...Along 285, they did run into a few patches of rain. After 27 miles along Highway 285, they arrived to Clines Corner...And did it ever so look way different from what it looked like five months ago back in February. "That's the Interstate 40 construction Jerald told us about last week", Frank said. "Wow, Clarence. You were right. They are making Route 66 into a freeway", Jed mentioned. "Yea, I told ya all", Clarence replied. "I never would have recognized the area", Wanda said as they followed the Chrysler turning west onto the old Route 66. Although traffic was still using the old Route 66, the the road-bed foundation work for I-40 was well underway and wouldn't be very long before it would be ready to have the pavement put down. "There's the overpass", Clarence said as he pointed out the partly completed Clines Corner overpass still under construction. It being a Saturday, no work was going that day, though equipment can be seen parked along the interstate construction site, such as; front end loaders, a few parked dump trucks, compaction machines (the kind that has four wheels across one end, and five wheels across the other), graders and various other kinds of equipment. "Some cubs I go to school with call those a Mister Hundred Wheeler", Jed said as they rode past a compaction machine that has rows of wheels on both ends.
"Sounds like those cubs need to go back to 1st grade and learn to count. It has only nine wheels", Frank jested, then said, "That's called a compaction machine by the way". In Al and Marge's Chrysler 300, Rex commented, "So that's gonna be the new highway". "Yep. They say it will replace the whole length of Route 66 someday", Al replied as they rode west along the old Route 66, seeing the I-40 construction site off to the right. "Wow, it's like a turnpike", Donna said. "It sure won't be the same", Marge added. Upon arrival to Moriarty, everyone could see that was as far as the I-40 construction went for the time being...Going through the city of Mariarty was the same as it had always been...Then west of Mariarty, they came to the first completed section of I-40 they've yet seen, which was built right over where the old Route 66 use to be. "And to think this was just two lane Route 66 the last time we were here", Al said as he drove where traffic makes the transition between the old 66 and the new I-40. "Feels different riding on this kind of highway", Marge said to Al as they, Donna and Rex were cruising along the new stretch of I-40. "The car rides smooth on this road too", said Donna. "Dad, is this what they call a super highway?", Rex asked as Al was keeping the speed down to 60 mph so Frank can keep up in his six cylinder Chevy wagon. "Well, it's an interstate highway", Al answered. In Frank and Wanda's '55 Chevy wagon Frank mentioned, "In all my time working for the highway department, I've seen a few four lane divided highways. But none like this one". "It doesn't look the same from when route 66 was here not long ago", Wanda said. "That's progress, I guess", Frank replied. "It real smooth riding", Cheryl mentioned. "I sure is", Clarence added. "I bet this car would ride just as smooth on this highway at 80 mph", Jed mentioned. "You're forgetting, Jed", Frank said. "Not in this car. It's equipped with only a six cylinder motor. You'd tear it up trying to drive it at 80". After about 26 miles of riding down that new stretch of I-40, they reached the east end of Albuquerque, where up ahead, there were big signs in big bold print that read, "INTERSTATE 40 ENDS AHEAD. DETOUR ONTO ROUTE 66". Coming down I-40, you could see Tri-Star Plaza dead ahead beyond where I-40 ends. "Tri-Star Plaza is still there", Rex observed. "It won't be when they extend this part of the interstate", Al replied as he was slowing down to leave I-40 onto Route 66. Tri-Star Plaza was right in line with where I-40 would continue...If you were standing on the end of I-40 near the signs and barricades, you could sight down the roadway to where the interstate presently ends and the plaza would be right in the line of sight...And vice versa, you could be standing at the plaza and look down I-40 past where the westbound traffic leaves 40 onto 66, and past where eastbound traffic leaves 66 onto 40. In Frank and Wanda's Chevy wagon, Frank said, "It looks like Tri-Star Plaza is right in the cross hairs when they build I-40 out further". Once everyone left I-40 onto Route 66, it was only a few hundred feet before pulling into the parking lot of Tri-Star Plaza. Al and Frank then parked the cars near the hobby shop. "See the direction that interstate is going to swing to?", Al said to Frank as they were getting out of the cars. "I was just saying that coming in here", Frank replied. "Where they left off building the interstate points dead at the plaza". "And that plaza's only three years old", Marge said. "Only three years ago, the owners would have to had known", Al said. "Oh, I think they knew", said Frank. "When I use to work for the highway department, I've seen it a lot. Investors would build something where they already knew a highway is planned to go through. Once they got a structure on the property, their lawyers would hold out for an extravagant price before anything gets torn down". "Sounds like they're milking the state", Al responded. "How much you wanna bet the landlords who own this plaza aren't doing that?", Frank asked Al. Once Jed, Rex, Clarence and Donna got their slot cars and controllers, everyone went on inside the hobby shop. "Hey, back again", Ted Badger greeted Al Marge and the cubs. This was the first time visit to the hobby shop for Frank, Wanda and Cheryl, thus Al and Marge introduced them and Ted to each other. "You have five lanes available?", Al asked. "You're in luck", Ted Badger replied. "There's only two ferret cubs using the track right now. You got six lanes to choose from".
"Our daughter will need a car", Frank said to Ted. "And a controller", Wanda added. "Oh yes. And a controller", Frank affirmed. After Ted Badger showed Cheryl Coyote the selection of rental slot cars, a 1/24th scale, green and white, 1956 Chevy appealed to Cheryl, thus that was the car she picked. Seeing that Jed had the figurine of Dale Chipmunk tie wired into his red and white '57 Ford as though Dale was driving, and Rex had Chip wired in his blue '57 Chevy, and Donna had Andy Panda driving her pink and white '56 Nash, and Clarence had Thomas Cat driving his black '60 Chrysler 300 with Jerry Mouse riding along...Cheryl had Daddy Frank wire in Ready the Dog driving Cheryl's rented '56 Chevy with Rough the Cat riding. After the one hour track time and Cheryl's car and controller rent were paid, the cubs picked a lane among the five lanes rented, got everything set up, then it was fun time running the slot cars. Jed and Rex did help Cheryl with the correct places to set the wire clips for the controller. Until that got straightened out, Cheryl had her car going in reverse. Once Cheryl had her car going in the right direction, she did have quite a few wipe outs having the car go out of control and hitting the wall, as well as hitting other cars. However, Clarence gave Cheryl some tips and pointers from what he himself experienced getting use to running a slot car. Before long, Cheryl started getting the knack of it and was doing pretty much doing okay and having less wipe outs. The two ferret cubs running slot cars were 9 year old Ollie and his 8 year old sister Bobette... Ollie was running a white, '60 Ford Falcon, and Bobette was running a red, '60 Plymouth Valiant. The ferret cubs and Coyote cubs got acquainted with each other, and had friendly conversation while running their cars...The ferret siblings liked that idea the coyote cubs had of tie wiring figurines in the cars to make it look like they were driving. The cubs had a ball laughing when the store's piped in music played 'The Mummy by The Naturals' (1959)...They pretended the cars has some mummies on the run in a car after mummy chase; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoIMTxEa23M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF4Ghdz-BNM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40zoZBl01GQ At one point, the cubs, including the ferret sibling, stopped their cars lined up side by side. Then they ran the cars a couple of laps keeping them paced side by side, as they pretended a line of cars were hor rodding after several mummies running from them while the song played. "Those mummies better run real fast before Andy Panda gets 'em! ", Donna proclaimed as the cubs laughed. "A gang of hot rodders are gaining on 'em!", Rex laughed, getting more laughs from the other cubs. When lyrics had a mummy say in the low voice, "Put me back in my tomb", Ollie Ferret laughed, "An ole box ain't gonna protect him!". "Tom 'n Jerry aint playing cat 'n mouse with 'em either. One of those mummies got a Chrysler 300 bumping his tail", Clarence laughed. "That means he better run faster", Cheryl laughed. "But Rough and Ready will get 'em". To the cubs, it was like a '60 Chrysler 300, a '57 Chevy, a '57 Ford, a '56 Nash, a '56 Chevy, a '60 Valiant and a '60 Ford Falcon were all in hot pursuit after several mummies around the track. After the song finished playing, a 12 year old skunk, Stanley, came in with his 1/24th scale, red and grey, '59 Dodge. The cubs were just finishing laughing, and so were the adults, including Ted Badger the store owner when Stanley Skunk walked in. "What's so funny, everybody?", Stanley asked. Everyone told Stanley Skunk how the cubs had a blast pretending their cars were chasing mummies around the track to the tune of 'The Mummy' by The Naturals, and how funny that was. "Aw, I missed a good one", Stanley said, then jested, "Bet my '59 Dodge would have put 'em on the run though". Stanley Skunk then purchased 45 minutes track time, thus all eight lanes were now in use. "Now that we have a full track, you cubs want to have some races?", Marge asked as all the cubs agreed. Even though the cubs presently running slot cars that afternoon were not going to be participating in the evening slot car club competitions, Al and Frank did host some one and two lap races for the cubs. As Marge recorded 8mm movie footage, the cubs lined their cars up to begin a one lap race. Al then said, "Ready...Set...Go". The cars then took off around the track and finished with Jed in 1st place with his '57 Ford, Stanley Skunk with his '59 Dodge in 2nd and Rex with his '57 Chevy. Frank did it a little differently, simply pausing then suddenly saying, "Go". Most of the cubs were caught off guard on that one. After that race was run, Frank whispered an Idea to Al as they both laughed. After the cubs got their cars lined up to begin a two lap race, Al said, "Ready...Set........" Four of the eight cars on the track raced ahead without Al saying the word 'go'. In fact, Stanley Skunk ran his '59 Dodge all the way down to the bank turn before he realized the word 'go' was never mentioned. The others who jumped the line were Bobette Ferret's '60 Valiant, Rex Coyote's '57 Chevy, and Cheryl Coyote's rented '56 Chevy. "A lesson in racing", Al said to the cubs. "Wait for the signal, and don't anticipate". "I have to admit, Mr. Coyote. You got me good on that one", Stanley Skunk said. "We see that. All the way down to the bank turn", Frank said as everyone including Stanley Skunk laughed. Other songs also played on the store's music system as the cubs races their slot cars on the track...Like Bobette Ferret and her brother Ollie, Stanley Skunk also noticed the cartoon figurines fastened into the cars being run by Jed, Rex, Clarence, Donna and Cheryl...as though the cartoon characters were driving the cars. "Wow, that's so cool", Stanley said to the other cubs. "I got some of those little cartoon guys at home too. I'm gonna try that next time". Rocket 69; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz8rsBX19Qk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPdoplEeW0o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87LWe4QCYD4 The Coasters - Along Came Jones; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uj0wOaNrbk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFyr49TwuiI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIhUMEtYICM The Barker Brothers - Hey Little Mama; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4jQHMScmks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx4ruySFhVU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHQStYFHXKE I Am Dreaming Of You - The Fashions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5CYIAf_yz0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS0zCnFg6VY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKabEjWmz-g Everyone had lots of fun as the cubs raced their slot cars on that big commercial track. By the time the one hour track time ran out, there were other cubs waiting to use the slot car track, thus out of consideration, the adults decided for now not to buy any more track time so the cubs who were waiting can have a go at the track. "While were waiting for the competition this evening, we could go over to Manuel Kinkajou's pizza and cafe' ", Marge suggested. "Awright! Pizza!", the cubs cheered. Thus, Cheryl's rented car and controller were turned back in for the time being, and everyone headed a few doors down to Manuel Kinkajou's pizza and cafe'. The rain had at least cleared up and the clouds thinned out enough to let the sun shine through. "I see it cleared off some", Frank said as they walked over to the pizza cafe'. "Looks like the weather might be nice this evening", Wanda added. "They said it's going to clear up tonight for the next few days", Al said. Even if it had still been raining, the plaza had a canopy out over the sidewalk running the whole distance of the front of the building. "Al. Marge. Hello", Manuel Kinkajou greeted the coyotes as they entered the pizza cafe'. "And how are the cubs today?". "Doing fine as usual", Al replied. Al and Marge then introduced Manuel Kinkajou to Frank, Wanda and Cheryl. "Happy to meet you", Manuel greeted them. "Pleasure is ours the same", Frank replied to Manuel. "We had let the cubs run their slot cars. And we're watching the competition this evening", Marge told Manuel. "Oh yea. This is the night Ted Badger has three slot car clubs competing with each other", said Manuel Kinkajou, "That's going to be a big one". Everyone already knew what they wanted to order...Supreme pizza...And a few of them so there'd be enough to go around for everyone. "The Pizza is really good here", Jed said to Frank. "From the sight and smell, it looks it", Frank affirmed. As for drinks, the cubs had sodas of their choice, and the adults had Ice tea. There was even some good music playing on the cafe's piped in music system; Sam Cooke -Wonderful World; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYQFTbLKNcg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4GLAKEjU4w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdjgj5A2gOs While waiting for the pizzas to be ready, Al mentioned to Manuel Kinkajou, "I noticed the direction the end of that new interstate 40 is pointing". "Yea, I know", said Manuel. "When they decide to build the rest of it, all of us with businesses here will have to relocate. And after only being here three years...But I guess it's one of those things where no one has a crystal ball to see the future". Frank Coyote mentioned to Manuel Kinkajou, "It's likely the owners already knew when they built this plaza. I use to work for the highway department, and I've seen where investors would buy some land and build something on it where they already knew a highway was about to go through". "I think I'm getting the gist", Manuel Kinkajou said, then asked, "And they get lawyers to claim the building and land is worth a king's fortune?". "You got it", Frank assured Manuel. "And as long as the State of New Mexico has enough federal highway funds, they'll often pay what the investors want rather than fight it in court". "I believe you're right, Frank", Manuel Kinkajou said. "The owners of this plaza spent six hundred and forty thousand dollars building it three years ago. I've been told their lawyers now got the State of New Mexico in court trying to get one million two hundred thousand for it. Frank then said to Manuel, "In reality, they'll most likely come to an agreement on nine hundred thousand, or an even million. That's still a hefty turn around for a three year investment". "Yea, there's where their making their real money", Manuel mentioned. "You know that far exceeds all the rent they've collected from us business owners since this plaza opened three years ago in 1957. "A plaza built for the purpose of being torn down in three years. Amazing", Wanda Coyote said. "My thoughts exactly", Manuel Kinkajou affirmed. "Amazing". After about 20 minutes, the pizzas were finally ready, and it was "mmmmm" pizza time. "You were right, Jed", Frank said. "This pizza is good". "Oh, it is", Wanda agreed. Marge asked Manuel Kinkajou, "Have you decided where you'll relocate?". "Ted Badger is relocating his hobby shop and car track to Sun Plaza just across the river", Manuel answered. "I got a store building being held for me just a block down the street from there". "Oh we're glad to hear that", Wanda said. "Well excuse me a moment. I got to wait on these customers", Manuel Kinkajou said as a family of raccoons came in. Manuel Kinkajou engaged in conversation with the patrons who knew him during the times he wasn't busy waiting on other customers, which seemed to make the dining experience more enjoyable. Also, as everyone was still enjoying pizza, the big crowd of spectators and participants could be seen gathering at the hobby shop for the competition. A while after everyone finished the pizza, the adults decided to order ice cream for their party of nine...Al got a butterscotch sundae, Marge got a strawberry sundae, Frank got a banana split, Wanda got a root beer float, Cheryl got a vanilla shake, Clarence got orange soda float, Jed got a double dip dish of coconut and pineapple ice cream, Rex got a root beer float, and Donna got a strawberry shake. While enjoying the ice cream, a song played on the cafe's piped in music system that really didn't mean much more than just another good song to most anyone...But to Clarence and Cheryl, it really hit home being they were so much in love, but yet were from two different time eras; The Poni-Tails - Born Too Late; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT-mwtcxXJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3mfPDSbl-4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddaGI5KrSjk It was about 5:50 in the evening when everyone finished their ice cream, and the adults realizing how late it was getting paid the tab and left a tip. "They said they'll be starting the competition at six o'clock", Marge said. "That's only ten minutes from now", Wanda said. "Thanks for dropping by", Manuel Kinkajou said to the coyotes as they were leaving to go back to the hobby shop. "We enjoyed the stay", Al replied. "Have a good evening", Frank said to Manuel. "We'll see you later", Marge added. The coyotes made it back to the hobby shop without a minute to spare. The piped in music was already stopped as Ted Badger had switched the store's music speaker system to intercom mode...it was now 6:00 pm. Time for the slot car race competition to begin, and the store was packed with a big crowd. Before making the announcement, Ted Badger tapped the mike three times, with the speakers sounding >NIK NIK NIK woooooooo<, as he usually does at the beginning of a monthly competition. Then Ted announced, "Good evening everyone, and welcome to our monthly Albuquerque Slot Car Club race competition held here on the second Saturday evening of every month. And as you all may be aware of, this night is special in that we have three clubs competing here tonight...Besides The Albuquerque Slot Car Club, we also have The Sunset Model Racers Club from Arizona, and The Southern New Mexico Slot Car Racer's Association. Let's give them all a big round of applaud if you'll please". After everyone had applauded, Ted then announced, "For those of you who are with us for the first time, you may have noticed the track has only eight lanes. How we do this is, we have preliminary races, 100 laps each...All our competition races are 100 laps. Then we have semi-finals until we're down to eight finalist. Then those eight finalists will compete to be the one who will represent their club. After all three slot car clubs have a finalist, each of the finalists will then compete for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize trophies for their clubs". The Albuquerque Slot Car Club was scheduled to run their races first, so Ted Badger pawed the mike over for the first 100 lap race to the vice president of the Albuquerque Slot Car Club, Vince Bear, while the first eight contestants were running their cars on a warm up lap. Once the cars were lined up on the start line, Vince Bear gave the, "Ready...Set...Go", and the first eight of the fast competition class cars were off and running. After the 100 laps, 23 year old Roy Ferret came in at 1st place with his bronze, 1960 Corvair in a running time of 9:56...Roy Ferret would run against seven others in the next race. That process of elimination continued for two hours until, at 8:00 pm, they had a finalist from The Albuquerque Slot Car Club, who was 19 year old Susan Mink with her '58 Plymouth in a running time of at 9:27...Susan Mink would be the one to represent The Albuquerque Slot Car Club in the final race with the finalists from the other two clubs. The Sunset Model Racers Club from Arizona was next to have their races to determine who will be their finalist. It was 10:20 pm by the time Sunset had a finalist, who was 20 year old Butch Beaver with his light blue, 1957 DeSoto in a running time of 9:21. Even though this was by now past bedtime for the cubs, the cubs were having a great time watching the slot car races, as was with every other cub who was there, along with the adults. Then the The Southern New Mexico Slot Car Racer's Association had their races to determine who their finalist will be...And by 12:40 after midnight, they too had a finalist...18 year old Desmond Cougar with his red, 1959 Cadillac in a running time of 9:22. Then there was the moment everyone had been waiting for...the final race between the three slot car clubs. Which of the three slot car clubs would receive 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize trophies was contingent on this last race. For this one, it was Ted Badger who, at 12:45 am, gave the start command, "Ready...Set...Go". This last race was the most exciting of them all with most of the spectators and club members cheering as those three last cars races around the track...And after the 100 laps at 12:54 am, it was; Desmond Cougar representing The Southern New Mexico Slot Car Racer's Association with his red, 1959 Cadillac coming in at 1st place. Butch Beaver representing The Sunset Model Racers Club from Arizona with his light blue, 1957 DeSoto coming in at 2nd. And Susan Mink representing The Albuquerque Slot Car Club with her '58 Plymouth coming in at 3rd. Just before the trophies were awarded, Ted Badger announced a request for everyone to give a round of applaud for the contestants who participated in the event that night. And after applaud, Ted gave Desmond Cougar, Butch Beaver and Susan Mink an opportunity of their moment of fame to take the mike and give a statement to everyone. Their statements did seem to come off as a bit shy and modest, but the one thing all three were sure to mention was, "Thank you all for your support". After congratulating Desmond, Butch and Susan, Ted Badger then awarded the trophies for them to recieve in behalf of the clubs they represented in the race competition. Everyone applauded, and photos were taken of the winning contestants holding their trophies and cars, after the trophies were awarded. Everyone had a great time that night, and even stayed around for another ten minutes in social conversation...However, it was more than an hour past midnight, and way past time to close up shop and go home. Thus it was at about 1:17 am , Ted Badger made the announcement, "I hope everyone had a good time, and I thank you all for coming out here tonight. I would also like thank all you good folks in behalf of the Albuquerque Slot Car Club, The Southern New Mexico Slot Car Racer's Association, and The Sunset Model Racers Club, who help make tonight's event possible. You all have a good night, and please drive carefully going home tonight". The vice president of the Albuquerque Slot Car Club, Vince Bear, requested use of the mike for a moment, in which Ted Badger pawed the mike to him. Vince Bear then announced, "And please, no drinking and driving. They just had a bad one caused by a drunk driver outside of Roswell on 4th of July night five days ago...A cousin of mine lost a close fox friend in that wreck. So always remember, the booze bottle and the steering wheel don't make companions". Vince Bear then thanked Ted Badger as he pawed the mike back to him. "I couldn't agree with you more, Vince", Ted said into the mike to Vince, then announced to everyone, "Yea, if you've been drinking, don't get in behind the wheel. Okay?...We'll see you all here again next month, on August 13th. And remember, the track is always open to public use when we're not having our monthly competitions...Good night everybody".
It was right at 1:30 am when Al, Marge, Frank and Wanda, with their cubs, left Albuquerque on their way home...which put it at shortly after 3:00 am when they were pulling up into their driveways at their homes in Duran. That late at night, it didn't take long for the cubs to head for their bedrooms an climb into bed. Al and Marge headed straight for bed as well, and everyone got a good night's sleep for the five hours before it would be time to get up to get ready to go to church. It didn't take long for Frank, Wanda and Cheryl to head for bed at their house either, though they were careful not to awaken Dotty.
The Coyote Family get their look at the highway construction transforming Route 66 to I-40. Ted Badger's hobby shop has a slot car race competition between three slot car racing clubs.
Parts of this story are also in the pool named "Project Courier".
____________________________________________________________________ Throughout this story, multiple links to songs are being set up. That is because Youtube is aggressively shutting down accounts that have music videos. So in case you click a link and get their notice like shown below, there are two other links to the same song;
![Clarence Coyote and Project Courier - Part 24 - Slot Car Competition [Page 2] by moyomongoose](https://va.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/2730/2730463_moyomongoose_zzzzzz_slot_car_track2.jpg "Clarence Coyote and Project Courier - Part 24 - Slot Car Competition [Page 2] by moyomongoose")
![Been Seeing a Lot of This With Links to Youtube Now Days [Page 2] by moyomongoose](https://va.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/2693/2693771_moyomongoose_notice_cr_noncustom.jpg "Been Seeing a Lot of This With Links to Youtube Now Days [Page 2] by moyomongoose")
