By Tom Young

Because of Covid, what was to be the Hemmings Motor News “Great Race 2020” was postponed two times and was finally rescheduled for June 19-27, 2021.

Our 1972 Mercury Cougar suffered an engine fire during the 2019 run in California on the Riverside to Lancaster run.  The engine had to be rebuilt and that was completed.  With Matt being the sole proprietor and employee of Yank’s Auto Body and Covid, the priority was business first.  Working in the shop and on #83 took its toll and Matt became ill during the eighteen-hour drive to the San Antonio, TX starting point and we could not make the start.

We had hoped to connect with the race in Kansas, but we discovered that while installing the rebuilt engine, we had damaged the torque converter and had to wait for a rebuilt one to arrive from Florida and then reinstall the engine.  We had also installed a new aluminum radiator with electric fans, and we did not realize that this would require a higher amp output generator.  Another delay.

In the end it was a case of too little, too late.  The old adages of the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, or don’t count your chickens before they hatch seem to apply.  We still have our car and there will be other East Coast events.  Maybe next time.