El Camino group gets hailed out at Lee Speedway
I’m in the market for an El Camino. Actually, I’ve been in the market for an El Camino for the past 20 years.
The problem is that any time I go looking for one, there isn’t a good one to be found. Then, when a good one comes my way, either I’m not in a position to buy it or something happens. Example of “something’’: At last fall’s big Stafford Springs (CT) swap meet, I found “my’’ car for sale. I walked to a quiet spot to call Mrs. G and get her OK. When I got back to the car, I found the seller shaking hands on the deal— with someone else.
It looked like my time finally was at hand this month. I’d had June 8 circled on my iPhone’s calendar for a few weeks. That was going to be El Camino Night at Southern New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway.
El Caminos (former President Bill Clinton had one in his youth) are the five generations of carbased, pickup-bodied vehicles made by General Motors from1959- 1987 and marketed as both Chevrolet El Caminos and GMC Sprints and Caballeros.
Ford built a competing Ranchero during part of that period and later had a SportTrac version of the Explorer SUV with a small pickup box. Subaru introduced the Brat in 1978—a smaller version of the same concept with plastic rear-facing seats in the bed—and sold the Baja, another variation on the theme, from 2003 to 2006.
The Lee USA promotion allows El Camino owners and their guest to receive free admission to the track, be parked in a separate display area, and do several parade laps around the track before the feature race with “burnouts not only welcomed but encouraged.’’
I just “knew’’ that several of those cars would have For Sale signs on them as well. Mrs. G said, “Gee, there aren’t many cars here’’ when we arrived at the track about 5:30 p.m. and found the parking lots empty.
The answer was on the big Lee USA sign by Rte. 125: “June 8: NASCAR Racing Cancelled.’’ The forecast was for thunderstorms with high winds and hail. The storms arrived just about the time racing would have begun.
Instead of making a U Turn, I drove through the lots, hoping to find an El Camino owner and do some commiserating.
It turns out we found much more. Coming the other way was an eye-catching white 1983 El Camino with a Camaro IROC nose. It was driven by John Harris of North Andover, a retired administrative judge and past national director of the National El Camino Owners Association and the organizer of the event.
Harris had received word of the cancellation in mid-afternoon from track manager Bob Watson, sent out emails to those who’d signed up, and posted a message on the club’s website. He then headed to the track to meet up with those who’d hit the road from long distances before word of the cancellation went out.
Far from being despondent, Harris was in full campaign mode: “We first started this night about six years ago. Some years we were rained out, other years we’d have a dozen cars. But the club is growing and we had 43 cars signed up this year and expected a few more to just show up, enough that we’ve reached a real tipping point and gained momentum as a group.
That mirrors the national organization, which has grown to 22,000 registered members and a website, www.elcaminocentral. com, that is the source for all things El Camino, including forums, parts, restoration advice, and performance tips.
“This postponement gives us the opportunity to do something even better when we get a make-up date,’’ he said.
The make-up date was set for Friday, July 27. Harris is already pitching it as a possible weekend away for NECOA members.
“That’s going to be a bit of a quieter night, racing-wise, at the track so we might get some more attention,’’ says Harris who is now trying to set up additional activities for those who want to make it a getaway weekend.
He is contacting Wes Pettengill, organizer of the popular Skip’s Hamburgers Cruise Nights in Merrimac (300-plus cars), to arrange for a special display area for El Caminos the next night.
For the daytime hours, he’s looking to plan a breakfast gathering and group parade through a nearby area such as Hampton Beach or Newburyport, where participants could join the crowds for the start of Yankee Homecoming week. El Camino owners who wish to participate can contact Harris at [email protected].
So now I’ve got July 27 circled on my iPhone calendar. The bigger question: Will I have found an El Camino to call my own by the n?
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