JIMBO McCONNELL.....

[Ron Hill]

This is Ted, my dad, Russ Hill and Vito Adragna at Vito's house in Belflower, California where Miss Carrot Top was built. Nothing but a BIG SID-CRAFT...

This is a picture I took from a slide I was showing on the wall...Intersed to see how it posts.

Ted's shirt says, "Galveston Island 250."

It was at the Needles Marathon that Jimbo and I almost casued Ted to have a heart attack. If you notice, the white Ford Ranchero behind the boat, well that was Ted's "Transporter."

Jimbo ran Miss Carrot Top at Needles, 1970....On the way hoem from the Beloit 1970 Stock Nationals my 1968 Chevy wagon did like Jake's car did, only trouble was I was in Winslow, Arizona. (In case you forgot or never knew, Jake Plachek's car took a Sh&t, that is why he didn't go to DePue, 1968...)...

I was towling a 20 foot Jones, I had a D Runabout on top, inside I had my wife's sewing machine, her encyclopedias and my D motor...I was going 90 MPH up a hill into Winslow when I dropped a valve....I pulled the dip stick and water and oil came out...I thought I'd STRUCK oil but I knew better.

I got a tow to the Chevy agency, and one of my fraternity brothers wife's dad owned the agency...He said, "Son, we can fix your car in a week or two." I said, "My wife has been off work a month and if she isn't to work on Tuesday her *** is fired."

He said, "I've got a nice little El Camino on the show room floor I could make you deal on....Long story, but we rolled out of there, same day, in a NEW, 1970 Gray, El Camino...D Runabout stacked up on top, 20 Jones on the back, encyclopedias and sewing machine.....The El Camino had so much torque, that even at a mile high with that load, I smoked the tires as was lift the Chevy agency...

This is 1970, so Jimbo, me and Ted have been "Hanging" with OMC since 1966...

Jimbo is working for the Needles's Playboy dad selling "Soda Pop" in Victorville. Jimbo had had a nice '58 Impala, but he decided to buy a new El Camino to take to Needles to the marathon... I never talked t o him and he couldn't have known, but Jimbo bought a new GRAY El Camino.

We get to Needles, Ted has had to haul Miss Carrot Top out and get someone else to bring his Stock stuff...Ted ain't in the best mood. He's hauling his boat out so Jimbo can WIN....

Anyway, he pulls in and I've got my brand new El Camino, GRAY, and Jimbo has his brand new El Camino, GRAY. Jimbo says to Ted, "Where's your El Camino?" I look at Jimbo and say, "Jesus Jimbo, be quiet, can't you see Jack Leek didn't buy Ted one." Ted was a little hard hearing but I said it loud enough that Ted could hear...

Ted got this "Bull SHIP" look and didn't say much all weekend...Monday, after school I get a call from the operator that Jack Leek has a conference call with me and Jimbo....I start laughing like a maniac. Jack comes on the line and gives Jimbo and me hell. He says something like God Damn it guys, I have enough trouble trying to run this team without you causing Ted to go crazy...

Some how, Ted never really believed that we JUST HAPPENED TO BUY GRAY EL CAMIINOS at the same time!!!!! Of course, we'd always say things like, "Jimbo, did your pink slip ever come in the mail?" Or Jimbo would say, "Are you paying for your insurance?" Ted would mumble something under his breath!!!

This is my '68 wagon on the way to Beloit...2 years old, 89,000 miles, fourth clutch, thanks to boat racing...Actually it was only 20 months old...4,400 miles a month, average, for a full time school teacher????? A little "Traveling"...