RUNAWAY SILVER STREAK

By John McKee

The race story from Ontario is well done by Richard Pollock but I just want to languish a bit on one moment in the race or post race for both Paul Springer and myself. I was thinking of a title for my story and came up with three. The first one was used and is "Runaway Silver Streak". In the movie "Silver Streak" with Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor and Ned Beatty the train becomes pilotless and crashes into the train station in Chicago. This is definitely fitting.
The second title was "Wing Attack Plan R". "Dr. Strangelove Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb" is one of my favorite movies and in the movie the American bombers in the sky got the go code. Attack the Ruskies with the nukes! In Slim Pickens plane they opened the orders that they were suppose to if they got the go code and the plan was "Wing Attack Plan R". The Americans gave the Ruskies the location of all the planes so they could be shot down and avoid all out nuclear war. All the planes were downed but Slim's plane. He flew in low over the plains and under the radar and eventhough the plane took some hits they were able to get the plane to the target zone and drop the bomb. Slim Pickens rode the bomb down wearing his cowboy hat. Now that made for quite a crash and was pre planned so this scenario didn't fit our race. Paul absolutely didn't plan this attack. This title wouldn't work but was fun thinking about it.
The third was "Blassie Crashes Pencil Neck Geek". If you remember the 60s and every Wednesday night wrestling was on Channel 5 or KTLA from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Freddie Blassie was a favorite bad guy and the best time of the whole show were the locker room interviews. When Freddie was interviewed he was always threatening "Pencil Neck Geeks". Now I pretty much have a pencil neck but Paul isn't a bad guy and he never threatens anyone. Actually Paul is one of nicest guys on our circuit so this title doesn't work either but was fun reminiscing.
Now you see I am left with # 1 and that does fill the bill. In the sprint for the line John Rubcic was able to hold off Loren Stephens with Michael Fleming coming in 3rd and I was looking to roll in for 4th. It was one of those defensive sprints that you don't have everything into it but wanted to go just fast enough to hold your position. I miscalculated and Paul was giving it everything he had. Thrashing his bike around and then throwing it at the finish. Paul got me by inches and that was that. I relaxed and stopped pedaling and started freewheeling and wham. "You ain't eatin' ham if you ain't eatin' Wham!" Cary Grant finally came up with a slogan for a product he was advertising in "Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House". The ham had some pop to it so he named it Wham.
Well Paul definitely has some pop to him. He was like a human torpedo barreling toward the first rider on his right. Unfortunately for me but good for everyone else was it was me, myself, and I! Wham! and Bam! I have scraps on the left side and right side of my body. My ribs are sore but my butt took the worst of the crash. Its the only place left on me with a little meat. It gave me a little cushion and bounce. Thank you, butt!
Paul took the worst of the spill and has a cat 3 shoulder separation. Paul has been riding really well this year. He will be back soon. I am sure of that.
Thanks to the EMT team at Ontario and my teammate Wilson Crider. Wilson helped me off the course and checked my bike out. He also took the photos you are looking at. The EMT team carefully patched myself and Paul up. Nice job!
Good job by Bruce Steele who was right behind me and was able to not run over me. Thanks, Bruce.