Day Four-Nitrous Express WishesMarch 7, 2002We bypassed the Red Bull girls this morning and started on our way, predicting massive slowing from the gale-force winds that plagued the Texas flatlands. No offense, Red Bull, but we had an entire RV full of the stuff and we can only drink so much without getting so hyped-up that we actually wanted to walk the rest of the route to the World Import Challenge. Somewhere along the line, we noticed the RV was doing a real fine Britney Spears impersonation and was swaying more than usual, so we decided we should check the tire pressure. Rather than waiting for us, the other Trekkers decided the "support vehicle" didn't need any support and drove ahead to Wichita Falls without us. We fumbled for a little bit as we tried to find a pressure gauge that would reach the inside wheels of our dually RV, and when we finally did we realized all of our tires were underinflated by at least 20 psi per wheel! After fixing the problem, we got back on the road and tried to close the gap between our fellow Trekkers and us. We finally caught up to them at the new Nitrous Express facility in Wichita Falls, about 30 minutes after they arrived and set up camp. Who says an RV filled with people and Red Bull can't do 90 mph on the freeway without a Nitrous Express single-fogger kit?
The folks at Nitrous Express were gracious enough to provide us with a real Texas lunch: meat, meat and more meat. This was a welcome departure from all the Mexican food we were gobbling along the way. As a side note, someone should start a petition that would allow you to use your American Express card to buy food at McDonald's; after so many days and nights of eating at sit-down restaurants, you start to crave a nine-piece Chicken McNugget pack and an order of Super-sized fries. Continuing on, we helped ourselves to copious amounts of meat and were rewarded with a brief tour of the facility. They also had a parking lot full of cars, including those from the Trek, and many locals and passersby paid a visit to check out all of the commotion. After more driving, more being left behind, and more catching up, we found ourselves in Irving, Texas, at Freeman Mazda, the last official stop before our arrival at the World Import Challenge in Houston.
The rush-hour traffic was a bitch to navigate in the RV, but we managed to make it with only one close call (with another, less-experienced RV driver). We pulled into the lot and found a space to kick up our respective heels while the party at Freeman Mazda got under way. More locals showed up and parked their cars any which way they wanted, giving the dealership the overall feeling of an import performance show. Prizes were given away while Gary and Car Audio and Electronics magazine editor Rodney Wills skated the big blue pole on the side of the dealership. I said they skated the pole, not smoked it.
That night was catch-up night-while the rest of the Trekkers went their separate ways, we decided to make a quick appearance at the Outback Steakhouse for a hefty restaurant and bar tab. We then made our way home and rested for the remainder of the evening while Jason and Rodney supported RADD by drinking barrels of beer in their hotel room. We're not sure what transpired after that, but Jason has told us that we will be working a lot closer with Car Audio and Electronics magazine to bring the best of the 12-volt tuning world. Hmm
High Point: True "laughing-gas" flatulence contest between Jason and Arnold (Jason won).