Taking a Sick Day

When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do with my day. Those are the best road trip days – when you don’t have a set agenda and can just cruise. Well, I did have one thing scheduled…but it was early. That meant I got out out of the house early and had plenty of time for the road!

I started my day at Meadow Gold Mack’s in Tulsa, where I had a wonderful conversation with Kelli and Bob Phillips. They’ve been in broadcasting in Texas for decades; earlier this year, they launched a new show that has a wider focus. We talked about how I got into Route 66, the upcoming Centennial, and more. To my friends Croc Lile and Dr. T. Lindsay Baker, we talked about you, too!

It was a beautiful day, so I loaded my trunk full of Trip Guides and headed east. Today was the day that Edelbrock’s Sick 66 drag-and-drive cruise would enter Oklahoma. Sick the Magazine organized an event where 300 racers drag race their car at a track, then drive that same car to the next racetrack. It started near Springfield, Missouri and heads all the way to Albuquerque before diverting south to Roswell, New Mexico for the finale.

I’d never heard of a drag-and-drive but found it fascinating that these high-performance vehicles would have to also drive 1,300 miles along the most famous road in the world. I wasn’t sure how it would all work in reality, so I just kept on Historic Route 66 as I drove towards Kansas and figured I’d recognize them when I saw them. I stopped for lunch at the Hi-Way Cafe, one of their scheduled photo checkpoints. In order to ensure that racers stayed the course, they were required to stop at pre-determined places and take photos of their car. I had a great lunch and visit with the owner, Beth Hilburn, who is also on the Oklahoma Route 66 Association board. I also had a nice visit with her kids Madelyn and Zachary, the latter having recently completed our Explorer’s Club challenges! He loved the stickers we sent him.

Still no race cars, so I continued east. I finally saw my first racers when I arrived at the next Sick 66 checkpoint, Afton’s Crosstar Flag and Tag Museum. It’s not really a museum per se, but a wonderful roadside attraction from the mind of Al Childs. Over the past few years, he’s expanded from a shoe tree and a few sculptures to a sprawling complex of classic cars, vintage signs, and tons of custom decor. Much like the Sandhills Curiosity Shop on the opposite side of the state…nothing is for sale. It’s a remarkable stop and a wonderful introduction to Oklahoma for the Sick 66ers!

While Al was showing me the newest additions to his space, he pulled out a stack of license plates. He collects plates not by the year they were made, but if the tag number itself contains a year. He asked me when I was born and I told him 1981…so he pulled out the plates that had 1981 in them to show me. I looked at them appreciatively…and then gasped. The only Oklahoma plate he had in the stack (made in 1975) was tag RM-1981. My initials! I excitedly told him this and then Al did something I did not expect: he gave it to me. What a treasure! I’m going to put this on my office wall so that every conference call I have showcases this tremendous gift.

The cars were coming regularly now, most of them towing a small trailer for luggage and parts. Some cars had slick tires mounted on the hood or trunk. Most cars were vintage and more than a few had a delightful, authentic patina. Some cars weren’t part of the race but were race fans along for the cruise. I handed out stickers and welcomed them all to the Sooner State. After about half an hour, I hopped back in the Mustang and continued into Kansas.

The Brush Creek Bridge in Baxter Springs was another checkpoint, one that was pretty crowded with racers when I arrived. It’s always a popular photo op so I wasn’t surprised that people were taking a little more time to get just the right shot of their ride. I didn’t stay long, because I knew my next stop would probably be the busiest…and I was right. Gearhead Curios in Galena was MOBBED! Everyone was having a great time, but none more so than owner Aaron Perry. It was my first time seeing his new Muffler Man statue in person … and it looks wonderful! Before I left, the sweeper truck from Sick the Mag showed up and I got to meet a few of the organizers.

Before I turned around and headed for home, I went into Joplin to photograph their two Will Rogers Highway granite markers. Until recently, I had no idea they had two of the iconic granite monuments; others exist in Kansas and Oklahoma. The very first one was built in Vinita in 1999. You can read more about them and the history of Route 66’s tie to Oklahoma’s Favorite Son here.

Happy with my day’s journey, I hopped onto the superslab and set a course for Tulsa. I made one more stop, though. The Blue Whale in Catoosa was the final racer checkpoint for the day and I wanted to see if any cars were still out and about. Sure enough, when I arrived at about 5:00 PM, the gravel lot was full of drag-and-drive racers and admirers. I took a few photos, said hello to a few folks, and finally called it a day.

Tomorrow, Sunday, Tulsa Raceway Park starts drag races at 9:00 AM, after which the drivers head to Oklahoma City. No race on Monday morning; everyone just heads to Amarillo. For a full schedule and list of checkpoints, go to https://www.sickthemagazine.com/sick-66.

So if you see some super-cool souped up cars heading down Historic Route 66 with little trailers behind, give them a wave and wish them luck!