Bob Myers

Hey Bob, Any of your friends affected by the flooding in Australia? I'll be praying for them.Gene.

 

Gene; thanks for your concern. I wish I knew myself. I do know they went from drought to severe flooding in some areas. Resevoirs are overflowing in many areas of Qld.
There is a T/F & T/A race near Brisbane, Qld., Sun. and Monday, but have heard the track is dry today, we'll see.

Bob Meyer

 

NO wet feet

Racers who live in the greater Brisbane area are all OK, seemed like most of the wet went north and south of us. My current shop is low lying and we were concerned but didht have a problem. New shop is out near the race track on high ground so cant wait to move. I got an email from Peranio in Rocky with photos but no comment on his status so must be OK. Did catch a guy on the news up to his knees in water with a salt lake T shirt on, but I didnt know him.

If any affected racers get this and need some help give us a shout and we will see what we can do to help.

Ken Lowe
0411-699 535
www.kenlowe.com.au

 

The Big Wet

I have a couple of drag racing buddies that live in and around Dalby in Queensland who seemed to have had the worst of it pass, hopefully, and come out of it unscathed. Others in the same town were not so lucky.
There are plenty of other racers further up, Bundaberg, etc, so our thoughts are with all of those guys and gals as well, as the week progresses and the water levels continue to rise.

Damien Scully.

 

Ken and Damien; thanks for the updates. I know Sting couldn't even get out to get to the race. I'm getting updates daily from Shack, but the nasty stuff is below him.
I hope Debbie will be OK after her nasty crash yesterday.

 

Hey Bob
Looks like Debbie will be OK, she had a "little Sleep" after the crash but woke up in the Ambulance.
Lots of prayers sent and reports this morning suggest she is fine and waiting on test results, In Australia she always is "The First Lady of Drag Racing".

CYA
Geoff

 

Australian New Years Round 1 at Willowbank

The meeting at willowbank was looking at been a good meet, but the rain came in just as Andrew Cowin (in Top Fuel Dragster) was going into the water box at the start line and the meeting was abanded in the end as they were running out of time to dry the track, Pity. Gary Phillips had qualified number one in Top Alcohol.

 

Water water now that enough

I think I spoke too soon, big rain again today and the water came up to the step in the office. None of the shop went under but we moved all the race car trailers and trucks to higher ground. I cant leave work as the driveway has about a meter of water over it right now. This will teach me not to keep some food in the shop fridge. Cant walk out either as it goes under in all directions.
It has stopped raining right now... for now .... lets hope this is a trend. Much more and the shop will go under as well. So far I still have electrictiy and the net and nothing to do....
Ken "Water logged" Lowe
www.kenlowe.com.au

 

Ken; sorry to hear that. Hope it quits soon, I'm not into eating snakes (if I could catch one). As I've said many times: no matter how much salt and pepper you use, 4130 just has no flavor!
Are you still building cars, or just running the school?

Bob Meyer
Meyer Race Cars / San Diego
2010 Our 45th Anniversary

 

Water went down, for today.....

Hi Bob,
Water went down, for today, but they are forecasting rain all next week. Willowbank even cancelled the second round of the New Year series a week early because of the forecast. So far so good for us in Briz but up at Rocky they are still under and expect to be under for a week or so. That is a hell of a lot of water. Road is still cut south of Rocky thus no trucks are going north. All the surface coal mines are flooded and Queensland is losing 100 million dollars a day because of it. The say there are 250 ships all waiting to be loaded and the rail lines from the mines to the docks are all washed out. Crops destroyed food prices are taking off as well. Wheat crop is destroyed making the cost of bread in Europe go up 20% because of floods in our wheat belt. Queensland feeds a lot of people and Queensland is the world’s largest supplier of coal. I heard the price of electricity is going up in Japan because Queensland can’t get coal out. How fragile is our web…..

Building cars has taken a back seat right now, making a lot of engine hardware like you see here..
www.msdpromag.com and doing a lot of fuel system as well. Drag Race Schools are kinda like bananas…. They come in bunches… we do a few then it is quiet. Once I move to the new place which is only 5 kilometers from the track I will promote the Drag Race School a little harder. Will make the logistics so much easier. Next time you visit you will have a place to stay.

I swore I would never sit behind an engine again but I have been collecting parts for a FED. Slappy and I were talking at Roly’s wake and we like the idea of an injected nitro FED. His car is near done. Now if the local Nostalgia racers organization will wake up and put together a decent set of rules like points mags, tire size and engine location.. well then I won’t have an excuse not to get behind the engine.. again. And I know I am gonna wear oil again.
I have one car to build for a client but current work load is just too challenging. I don’t know if I just have more on my plate now or I am getting slower in my old age. ….. careful now…
My son and I took our school car out to Willowbank back early December after we put a fresh engine in and I made a few laps… what good fun. I went to the semi’s before some brain fade...
I refer to rule number ONE…. http://www.kenlowe.com.au/ken_says.htm and rule number 25….
Ken
www.kenlowe.com.au

 

bush tucker

Bob, Heard a good one yesterday.
Do ya know how to cook a galah?
First gather some wood and build a big fire.
Find some large rocks and put on the fire.
Get more wood for the fire.
Put the galah on.
The galah is ready to eat when the rocks melt.
Ken

 

Rule # 6 By Ken Lowe, & Me.

http://www.kenlowe.com.au/ken_says.htm
Ken, rule # 6, It took around 5 years for my brother to stop listening to this guy ( another fuel guru) in div one, you are sooooooright, just look at where he is now, one of the best alky crew chiefs in the country, Gene Terenzio Sr.

 

Update

Several racers have had water in their shops. Depth has varied.
As far as I know everyone has gotten their race cars out to safety.
I am OK. We are in the Logan River valley and all the BIG problems come from the water on the Brisbane River which is fed by the Toowoomba tablelands.
Most of you might have seen the flash flood that went through downtown Toowoomba on the news. I called many of the racers in Toowoomba and all had their race hardware safe. Rodney Hansen said it rained so hard you could not see the other side of the driveway. Flood is supposed to crest tomorrow at midday at ~ 20.5 meters. Several businesses I know aren’t low lying but will get half a meter through their place. The low lying places many are over the roof.
10 dead and 70 missing.

 

floods

Ken; glad to hear you're OK, many are not. I have not heard from Brackam or Sting, both are a worrry. I just heard RayDiff is under water and his home is close, but I don't know if the Nomad is at the shop or not.
Six inches in a half hour is very hard too imagine!

Bob Meyer
Meyer Race Cars / San Diego
2010 Our 45th Anniversary

 

Queensland water water water

Bob,
Two weeks ago I heard Ray's wagon is at the Hamm's out in Greenbank so it is OK. I spoke to Sting and he said he was good, but was blocked at the time. Downtown is still flooded and the suburbs off the Brisbane River are as well. Most of the phone calls yesterday found racers preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Queensland Raceway, the road course located just off the end of Willowbank braking area is underwater. I would send a photo if I knew how....
Ken Lowe
www.kenlowe.com.au

 

A few years ago Brackham bought up the road from Mullins. Mullins sold out to the council for the new road (and did quite well from it) and moved, if Bob still lives in the same place, I reckon he has wet feet.... and more.

 

How are some of you other Aussies doing? Were all praying for you. Keep the Faith, Its almost show time. I'm sure the ones were not hearing from don't have electricity.

 

most of the big water has gone down, in Queensland.
just cleaning up the mud and mess left...

 

i was lucky here , it flooded both sides of this area , we were spared.......thank god

 

I have heard from all the Sumner Industrial Park guys:
Brackam's old Romac building on Bullockhead St. went completely under, around the corner and somewhat uphill on Spine St., his last building before retirement had 6' deep in it, as did Les Winter's (promod)shop next door. But back down at Bullockhead, Ray Bernard's Diff Service (promod) was up to the ceiling, he got his car out, but everything else ruined.
Brackam's retirement home and shop got very lucky as he couldn't get the TAD out, but the water only started to rise downriver a mile from his house. Still no power there, and he had to drive 40 miles for food and fuel as the local mall went completely under and is almost totaled.