Helloc everyone!! I'm back, much rejuvinated by a weekend of doing absolutely
nothing. Also in better spirits, having given my husband the hard sell
tactic(which involved, among other things, dragging about 3 years worth of
Grassroots Motorsports out of the closet) on the Sprite issue. I think he has
just given up, and decided if I want a little smiley face car, then a smiley
face car I shall have!! Anyway, I thought that I would give Deutsch a run for
his money in the rambling on about nothing pertinant category, and tell you
all a little about myself. This is purely for entertainment value, there will
be nothing useful here, so for those of you not interested, DELETE NOW, OR
FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE!!
My interest in cars started with my dad. He was very active in the national
drag racing scene from 1957 to the time of his death in 1970. I was going to
races even before I was born. I saw my first race when I was 6 months old. No
ear plugs or anything. It's a wonder I'm not deaf. After my dad passed away, I
didn't get to go to any more races, but I always liked to watch them on TV
with my grandpa. The turning point came when I was in high school. 17 years
old, and my parents were going to buy me my first car!! One day I was in the
parking lot at our school, when in pulled the most beautiful car I had ever
seen in my life. It was a 1961 Porsche 356 B Notchback Coupe, and driving it
was my future husband. I went home and told my stepfather that I had found the
kind of car that I wanted-a boy at school had one, and if he would come and
pick me up from school the next day, I would show it to him. Needless to say,
he laughed hysterically when he saw the car. (He restores 55-57 Chevys,and
thought I was quite mad) From that day on, I begged and pleaded for any small
car I saw.Healeys,MGs,Alfas,Opel GTs, even a battered E-Jag.(I thought he
might have a soft spot for this one, having owned one in high school-no such
luck) But my parents, being parents, bought me a 1975 Cutlass. Oh well, you
have to start somewhere. I didn't keep it for very long, it was just a
stepping stone to better and faster things. Over the years, these are some of
the cars I have shown and raced. When I say raced, I don't mean your garden
variety piece of crap street racer, these were all quality cars that were done
right.
1) 1966 Pontiac GTO, 389 Tri Power engine, 2 speed powerglide transmission.
This was a show car, I won many trophies with it.
2) 1970 Chevelle, 454 engine, 4 speed transmission. Show car, also pretty
zippy.
3) 1964 Plymouth Barracuda, 383 engine, 4 speed transmission. This was a
beautiful car, but more of a novelty than anything else, since no one ever
knew what it was when they saw it.
4) 1972 Oldsmobile 442, 455 engine, 4 speed auto trans. This was a race car,
pure and simple. It ran a 12.50 quarter mile in 1983, and was the fastest
street legal car anyone had ever seen. I have photos of it with the front
wheels about 2 feet off the ground. Guys used to threaten to beat me up, after
my car beat THEM up!!!
5) 1974 Plymouth Roadrunner, 383 engine, automatic transmission. This was also
a show car, it had a very rare red and black plaid interior, and beautiful
black paint with heavy, fine, gold metalflake in it. When the sun was on it,
it looked like it was glowing.
6) 1976 Camaro, 454 engine, 4 speed transmission. A racer, all the way. No
headlights, no interior, no nothin' but motor.
This was pretty much the end for awhile, it's hard to get dates when your car
can smoke your boyfriends'. I would always watch racing on TV, but drove a new
Buick Century(ugh), and everytime I saw a Porsche, I thought of that boy in
high school with the pretty silver 356. I was a hair stylist at the time, and
had cut his hair a few times, but had pretty much lost touch with him. Then a
mutual friend told me that she had seen him, and I should give him a call, so
I did. On our first date, we went to his house, and the first thing I said was
"So what's in the garage?". He said he knew then that we would get married. As
time went on, we found that we had even more in common, neither of us wanted
children, he loves cats(I had 3 at the time, he has since added one more), and
we both LOVE CARS!!!(and he doesn't care if I outdrive him occasionally) We
became active in several sports cars organizations, and then I learned of one
I hadn't heard of, through a guy at work. Champaign County Sports Car Club. We
went to a meeting. They were so nice!! Not at all like the Porsche Club
people, who didn't like me at all. (They thought my tattoos were strange.
Maybe they are, but don't tell me to my FACE!!!) I was so happy, because I had
made so many new friends, and one of them was a really nice guy named Barney.
He could walk faster, talk more, stay up later, and OUTDRIVE anyone I had ever
met. He doesn't know it, but he's one of my best friends in the world. Since
then, I have been to many autocrosses, a few rallys(I'm not too good of a
night navigator, I tend to get carsick), and the Chicago Historic Races, which
I swear to God, was more fun than my wedding and honeymoon put
together.(Nothing against my husband, but he can't compare to 917s and an old
Testarossa). At the Chicago Historics, I saw the cutest little car in the
whole world, an Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite. It just so happens that this car
was owned by Dave Jahimiak, so it was also smokin' fast. He was beating
Ferrari GTOs-on the straights!!!!! And that my friends, is how I happen to be
here talking with all of you, and searching for a Sprite to torture my poor
Porsche driving husband with. A few other things- I'm 34, live in Champaign,
Illinois, and we own a newly restored 1976 Malaga Red Porsche 914 2.0. If
anyone has any questions, comments, or insults, please feel free to let me
know. Now that you know me a bit better, perhaps we can have some interesting
conversations.
Sheree Wegeng
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