LITCHFIELD, IL

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roddingandracing

Although I post images on my website of all the car shows we go to, sometimes I send extended coverage to HOT ROD HOT LINE. To visit their website, click on their logo above or to go directly to our images, go to hotrodhotline.com/leal-brothers.

Since the "lockdown", I've been posting some of my older event coverages. Below are images from my first Hot Rod Power Tour coverage. Back in 2013, the Power Tour was beginning in Dallas and stopping in Memphis on it's fourth of seven stops (+Texarkana, Little Rock). Since my wife has family in Memphis, I tried to talk her into going on a family trip the first four stops and she could then see her relatives. She said that this would be a perfect opportunity for my son and I to "bond" and spend quality time together. Off we went but also went to the fifth stop in   Birmingham  (Hoover). Now   if   you   notice,  all  the 

images are "copyrighted" by Hot Rod Hot Line because I had to "borrow" my images from our coverage on their website. My images were in an external hard drive not long after the trip and my computer was infected by Ransomware. The virus crypted my Power Tour folder and wanted me to buy the images back for $500. I checked the internet and saw where a large city Police Department was also infected and the FBI told them to go ahead and pay the requested "ransom" until they could investigate. What choice did I have?     

On my last two updates, I posted about a new racing series being televised on MAV-TV. The series is titled SUPER SEMI-TRUCK RACING and after a few viewings, I assumed it was only from Australia. I just recorded another event and it was from England. It was a race put on by the British Truck Racing Association and I've posted some images below along with a few from the Australian National Truck Racing Organisation. The trucks in either series are different makes and/or brands and as you can see, a lot different in appearance. 

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TRUCK RACING ORGANISATION

BRITISH TRUCK RACING ASSOCIATION

Okay, left to right.....CORVETTE SUMMER, MACH-5, BOYD-AIR; all taken at Houston area "Cruise Nights". Again left to right.....Kemah, Spring, Pearland.

Since there's no car shows going on during the pandemic, I'm saving a little money so I decided to buy a couple of racing t-shirts featuring a couple of well known Texas racers (right). I got the Piedmont NASCAR race car of Terry Labonte (prior to Kellogg's) and A.J. Foyt's four-time championship shirt with all four Indy winning vehicles. Luckily they come in my size!  

Not sure why I researched this. I think it was the Chevrolet commercial from a couple of years ago that was offering vehicles at "employee" discounts. Decided to check out a few more.

I've been retired for three years now so no employee discounts for me. I do qualify for senior discounts though! Anyway here are the top employee discounts available if your interested in a career change. The GAP (Old Navy, Banana Republic) offers employees a nice 50% discount on all merchandise. First day on the job at APPLE, you get 25% off all computer products and a $500 voucher on all upgrades. WHOLE FOODS has a 20% employee discount. BEST BUY sells their employees products at wholesale plus a small mark up. Employees at BARNES & NOBLE get a 30% discount on books and merchandise and 50% at the in-store Cafe (Starbucks). The CONTAINER STORE (luv this place!) has a 40% discount and a 50% discount on store brands. Even your furry friends get a break if you work at PETSMART with a 15% discount. Highest employee discount is received by the well dressed employees at the MEN'S WEARHOUSE.    

I was doing a little "spring cleaning" and came across this Richard Petty caricature vehicle. It was released as a RADICAL RIDE by Hot Wheels back in 1998. I was waiting on a Terry Labonte (Kellogg's) release but they ceased production after maybe ten vehicles so I bought, in my opinion, the next best thing. 

Two family facts.....My son hates dogs (calls them "mongrels") and I joke too much! Every time I go to a car show and see dogs, I take pictures and caption them towards my son's dislike. The image above was taken off my Facebook page and I told everyone "Now my son likes dogs". He gave me a "forced" smile. 

Finally got a little help to help deal with our current "lockdown". The much-anticipated NFL season started up this past weekend. I was watching the Sunday Night Matchup with the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Los Angeles Rams at their new SoFi Stadium (right). The $5 billion dollar stadium is only three miles from LAX Airport and had to be built 100'  under  ground   level   to  clear   aircraft   flight 

patterns. The stadium in now home to both the Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers. The stadium will host Wrestlemania 37 in March 2021, Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, the College Football Championship game in January 2023 and will be a major hub during the 2028 Summer Olympics.     

Although I watch football on Sundays and have done it ever since I can remember, I recently watched an NFL news show and heard something that I never knew. Only one quarterback in history has led his team to victory in a High School State Championship, a College National Championship and the Super Bowl and he did it in less than ten years! In 1960, Joe Namath led Beaver Halls High School to the Pennsylvania Class AA State Championship. In 1964, he led the University of Alabama (Crimson Tide) to the Collegiate National Championship. He topped off the "Triple Crown" by leading the New York Jets to a victory in the 1969 Super Bowl.  

Decided to do a little research to find out what position Joe Namath (above) held on the list of all-time greatest quarterbacks. I checked both NFL.com and the Bleacher Report and he wasn't on either list (Top 25). He was an "Honorable Mention" and the reason he didn't make the cut was his Interception Statistics which also count toward a quarterback's overall "Rating". He was the only quarterback mentioned and/or considered with more lifetime interceptions than touchdowns!  

Currently the country is at odds over people kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem. Check out this guy (left) while they were playing the National Anthem at a Goodguys event here in Texas a few years ago. 

With so much "bad" things going on in America, it's nice that people can still find humor. Thanks for that!

* DON'T LET AGE CHANGE YOU; CHANGE THE WAY YOU AGE. *