Friday, September 15, 2023
Tom was my Southold high school buddy . We spent time together cruising in his black Chrysler through the town’s of Southold and the metropolis of Greenport . Sometimes getting into mischief after a day of pulling in his lobster pots out of Long Island Sound.
Although there are many tales to tell one of the most hilarious one involved his stock car number 17 .
Almost every Saturday we would prepare the stock car for the Riverhead race track . Precisely at 5 pm we would attach the tractor tow chain to my 1950 dodge and off we would go after his mom would warn Tom to behave himself . Wishful thinking on Mom .
Arriving at the race track car unchanged Tom would do his thing on the track , around and around never boring to the crowd . To are surprised we actually placed third once winning $50.00 dollars. A lot of money at the time in 1966 . The cash windfall was spent wisely on adult beverages , millers beer and the rest on gas for the stock and tow car .
At 9 PM the track was closing and off we went back to Southold 1950 car towing his prized number 17 stock car. It must have been a sight to see a no muffler car towing a beat up stock car along the north road.
Very lound but not lound enough to wake up law enforcement at least that’s what we thought or as teenagers the thought never crossed our minds.
All was well until we arrived in mattituck the old dodge began to overheat and then stopped . Oh want to do ?10:00 pm stranded no one to call , diffidently not mom or papa Czelatka .
Tom as expected came up with a radical solution . Switch the cars and use the no license plate stock car to tow the old dodge and get us home safe and sound .
Off we went , oh no ! not at 50 mph but 60 plus . Zipping along making the turn onto Soundview Avenue .
Almost there and then .,, to be continued
“ Those Were The Days “
