This is Paul Mullet, President of Hustler Turf Equipment. I’d like to thank everyone for your support of the Mow for Victory Tour and for making it an unforgettable experience fornot just Josh and Spike and Gloria, but all Hustler employees and dealers, the other sponsors, and countless people across America. It has truly been an honor to be involved in this event.

But, it is not over yet! Even though the tour itself has ended, we are running a contest amongst our dealers to encourage fund raising for the camp. This contest ends at midnight on August 31, 2005. So, if you are able to contribute to the camp please do so and help your local Hustler dealer earn a nice prize.

This is an authentic Super Z lawnmower. This Super Z has been custom-painted to resemble Richard Petty’s #43 Dodge NASCAR race car. The mower was used to promote the “Mow for Victory Tour.”

Auction will take place Thursday, June 17 at 7:00 pm thru 7:00 pm CST on Sunday, June 26, 2005. Bid early and bid often to get this very unique, collectible Richard Petty artifact.

Features:
• At 15 mph, the Hustler Super Z is the fastest production mower you can buy
• SmoothTrak™ steering system features zero-degree turning and an automatic park brake built into the steering levers
• 27-hp Kohler a/c engine with 60” deck
• Lifetime warranty on the leading edge of the deck and the tractor frame
• 14-gallon fuel capacity with built-in sight gauge

This auction is being conducted by the manufacturer and all factory warranties, manuals, etc. are included. Super Z will be shipped to the nearest Hustler dealer to be picked up by buyer. Buyer will be responsible for bid amount and local taxes (if applicable), only. Hustler will cover shipping costs.

If there are any questions, call Ken at 620-327-1321 or email kraney@excelhustler.com.

All money will go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC to help children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses attend summer camp free of charge.

 

May 28th, 2005 Partaking in a successful open house and press conference finale, the time had come fore the conclusion of the tour at the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Scoping out the details and also taking another tour of the camp on Friday with Holly Ferree, left us confident and prepared to conclude the run across America.

Saturday morning we all woke up with excitement in our walk, knowing this was the finale, but we also knew this meant the end of a long journey, which was sad to see end too.
 
Strapping up the gear one last time and unloading the Petty machine, we started our trek from Greensboro to Randleman (VJGC). Covering about twenty miles of pavement I made it to the gates of the camp with Spike and Gloria still backing me up in the truck. Going down the long stretch at the camp entrance I was overwhelmed at the administrator building with all the VJGC staff members. They all were clapping with cameras in hand while directing me where to “mow”.

    Taking a sharp turn I headed into the heart of the camp through the Victory Tunnel. As soon as I exited, there was another large group of supporters, some being the Hustler Turf Equipment crew and family, as well as all the camps counselors for the summer sessions. Besides the group of cheering fans was the feathered hat and sunglasses smiling towards me, Richard Petty. I did a circle where the main camps facilities are located and came rolling by everyone with a checkered flag awaiting my 20mph finish.

Once I stopped, Richard cut off the engine and immediately congratulated me on my mowing skills. Along with Richard, I had Fox channel 8 cut in to get some footage of me explaining my experiences cutting across the wide country on the Petty machine. After handling the press, all the counselors of the camp chanted and welcomed Spike, Gloria, and I with open arms and much love.

Ken Raney immediately gave a short opening speech summing up what we just accomplished at that moment, along with introducing us and opening up questions to the huge group.

With more of the same questions being asked, as we have had throughout the three month tour, I still was thrilled to answer them, but this time I had a smile plastered to my face while answering the questions, knowing we finally did it.

After answering questions we got another warm applause followed by getting to talk to some of the individuals that would be counseling throughout the entire summer with only one week break. I couldn’t help thanking them as well for what they undertake. So once we received a nice final applause and getting to steal some more of Richard Petty’s much demanded time, the tour was officially over, which probably hasn’t set in yet since this was my whole life for three months, taking the place of heavy college books.

Once things wrapped up at the camp we thanked everyone and Holly for getting the details together, then as soon as we made our way into the camp it was time to head back home to adjust to the regular routine.

With everything said and done now, I believe the tour was a complete success. We accomplished what we set out to do and personally I think more. Even though I took a break from school, this tour in itself was an education. I couldn’t have asked for a better pit crew, Spike and Gloria Hostetler, who were always there backing me up not only on the mower, but the entire trip as well. I gained a great set of friends with Spike and Gloria, as well as with all the great people we met along the way that went out of their way to support us and the cause. I would also like to applaud Hustler Turf Equipment and everyone on board there for their continual efforts, making this possible and trusting me enough to represent them and for their fine company. Also big thanks to everyone who followed Spike, Gloria, and I across the country on the web and your support.

In conclusion after we traveled the country we tallied up 2,500 miles of mowing time on the Petty machine. Throughout the entire journey the only problem encountered was a bloomed tire and ruined gas tank, so the Petty machine and I stayed on good terms throughout the jog across America, even though I was anxious to get back in the seat of a normal vehicle. Also I believe I broke double digits on the amount of autographs I dished out with my Sharpie marker, which I think officially ranks me up there with Richard Petty or near it at least. The tour was a blast and I came away from it with more than I could have imagined. If anyone has any questions about how to become a professional lawnmower driver or any other questions, please feel free to email me at color_blind46@hotmail.com .

May 26th, 2005 Waking up Thursday morning we unloaded the Petty machine to see how it would handle right outside the stomping grounds of Richard Petty’s place. With more pit crew along (Ken, Larry, and Fred) I was ready to make way to Central Carolina Farm & Mower dealership.

Arriving at Gary’s dealership we were greeted by him and his wife April, along with a few men from his crew. As soon as we planted the Petty machine for the open house a few people came in to check it out. The story remained the same throughout the morning and lunch time. Most of the people coming in had a good relationship with Victory Junction Gang Camp already, meaning they have been supporters since it was formed. Being in Richard’s back yard, we found a lot of support for the tour.

While all us Hustler Turf Equipment guys stayed busy with customers outside, April took charge on the show room floor with a table set up with tour merchandise, which we gave away for donations for the camp. Every person that came into the dealership, even if they ignored the tour stuff, April got their attention, along with some nice sized donations. By the end of the afternoon April got a fish bowl full of donations for the camp, while Gary and our big crew talked about the tour with the frequent crowds that stopped by.

By 2:30 we loaded up the equipment and thanked Gary and April for their help and support with the tour. So with a bowl full of donation money and some new and old support, we started our drive to Charlotte for another/final press conference.

After making our way to the Lowe’s Speedway we got some credentials and unloaded by the media center. Getting there early we got to watch a major press conference that took place before ours. We watched Rick, one of the Speed channels hosts, along with some major NASCAR drivers. It was celebrating the Truck Series and Craftsman still sponsoring it.

After they were done, we moved into position, beforehand though I got to meet with Rick from Speed , although I didn’t get any camera time with Speed network. As soon as I finished meeting with Rick, Richard Petty came in with his trademark smile. He approached me right away and remarked that I looked pretty good for going clear across America on a lawnmower. Shooting the breeze with Richard and the Hustler fellas for a few minutes, we got the conference underway. It was smooth and painless, since this was my third time to do the NASCAR press ordeal, I was now finally comfortable.

Sharing some stories and things we encountered along the trip, we concluded the press conference after getting some photos with Richard. He was his usual humble self and very appreciative to us. We thanked the media and more importantly Richard for coming out.
 
Before departing back to Greensboro, we got to stay and watch Kyle Petty and Jeff Green qualify for Sunday’s race. While most of us were watching the qualifying laps, Larry “lost” the keys to the rental van. To make a long story short, we found the keys in an obvious spot, so if you ever talk to Larry Holman just ask him if he has the keys.

 

May25th, 2005 Concluding our weekend and open house in Kernersville, Wednesday we made our way to Greensboro for our final open house of the tour. Arriving on Wednesday we met back up with some familiar faces from Kansas. Ken Raney and Fred Schmidt, as well as Larry Holman flew into N.C. to conclude the tour with us. Once we reconnected with the gang we decided to get a bite to eat with the owner of the dealership, Gary Hardee. We found a nice Brazilian steakhouse, Diablo, to eat with Gary and his nice wife April. Now this was my first time at a Brazilian steakhouse so I didn’t quit know what to expect.

First off we started with a unique salad bar with a variety of foods and sides that I could not pronounce. Then instead of ordering a meal the waiters told us to flip a little coin shaped pad by our plate to green of red to signify if we wanted food or not, of course we all flipped it to green, “go”.

Before we knew it a variety of platters with cuts of meat was brought out to us, all of which was cooked to perfection. After about three different meats came out I was satisfied, but they didn’t stop there. The restaurant ended up bringing out eight to ten different cuts of meat/chicken, which I couldn’t turn down.

Before to long everyone had flipped the green, “go”, to red, “stop”. I stayed strong though and tested out the taste of all their varieties of meat. After I thought I conquered the joint with my eating skills, the waiters began to bring out seconds, offering the variety of meats again. I was forced to fold and give up; I was already stuffed and officially considered a glutton.
By the time we left we walked out, while I did more of a waddle. We had a good talk with Gary and April at dinner with high hopes for the upcoming open house.

 

May 24th, 2005 Before starting the last week of the tour, Spike, Gloria, and I spent our final weekend in Kernersville, NC. We stayed at your usual hotel with your usual rooms, but this time we had some unusual hosts. We met with Sheryl and Mary, who both work for the hotel and took a great deal of interest in our tour. So much in fact, that they demanded some autographed tour t-shirts from us. They treated us like first class and attended to all of our needs.

While relaxing over the weekend we decided to take out the clubs and check out our golfing skills. With Gloria along as our caddy we were set for a day of driving, chipping, and putting. Even though our golfing skills may not be the best, the weather for the afternoon was, so that eased the frustration of our performance.

Tuesday morning we strapped up the gear for another open house in Kernersville at Farmers Feed and Seed. Driving the lawnmower from the hotel to the dealership we introduced the Petty machine to the town. Once we arrived we already had spectators waiting. We met with a group that just came out to see the lawnmowers and sign up for a chance to win one. A couple with the group was actually from the L.A. area and were in town visiting family, so we attracted some of our old West coast friends.

After hooking the group up with some Mow for Victory Tour hats and shirts we introduced ourselves to some of the Farmers Feed and Seed crew. We met Rex and Joe Idol, owners, along with Michelle and Christy, counter-sales. They of course took a gander at the mower then smiled and shook their heads in disbelief.

During the morning we connected back up with Eddie Wilson, along with more curious on lookers. Most were already aware of the camp so the questions were just about the Petty machine and our trek out here. We landed numerous prospects with Eddie attending to their needs, along with several donations. We even had one guy, Melvin Dawson, who stopped by to donate and who also mentioned he saw us on the Rick and Bubba Show. We talked with Melvin for awhile, along with his seven month old companion (dog) and enjoyed hearing about how he became a big Richard Petty fan.

Eating some subs for lunch we drew in some more attention to the tour, with the Petty machines that is, not the subs. After Eddie treated us to some grub, some off and on showers passed through during the afternoon, which in turn slowed down the crowed coming in.

With a nice show up in the morning and gaining some more green bills for the camp, the open house at Kernersville turned out pretty good, considering the frequent rain, which can always put a damper on things.

 

May 20th, 2005 Overcast and cool was the name of the game at the open house in Salisbury today. We found ourselves at OPE (Outdoor Power Equipment), where we met with Trish and Dick Starrett, owners of the dealership. We also gained another crew member ourselves, Eddie Wilson, North Carolina Sales Representative. Getting familiar with the people at the location we set-up the tour equipment and got out the gear for donations.

People scooted into the dealership off and on during early afternoon to take a look at the fancy mowers. Darren, one of the guys that worked at OPE, especially took interest in our tour and got the full story. After talking about mowers, he mentioned he used to race go-carts avidly before children came into the picture and he had to put the hobby aside. Darren was supportive of the tour and even donated some good money to get a signed Richard Petty hat and Hustler Z model replica.
 
Other than people coming in and showing interest, we also had Dick’s dog interested in our Petty machine, or should I say front tires of the mowers. Thor, the name he went by, had his favorite chew toy in his mouth the entire day, which just happened to be a leading tire off a lawnmower. He was more attached the tire than I was attached to the Petty machine that I’ve been riding for the past three months.

By early afternoon the crowd slimmed and Dick and Trish decided to take us by a miniature race track used to race go-carts. The track was small alright, when we got there it was sight to see, since I’m used to seeing where the big boys play. The track was put there by Bobby Labonte, NASCAR driver, so kids between 5 and 15 can get a jump start on their driving skills and become the next NASCAR star. What was also interesting was the track uses Hustler lawnmowers to mow the grounds around the track. Hustler Turf Equipment donated some lawnmowers to the Bobby Labonte track to show off yellow line and their longevity.

Gaining more insight on the track and thanking OPE crew for the open house; we loaded up and called it a day at Salisbury.

 

May 19th, 2005 Thursday we hooked up with Leon again to head to the Hickory open house that was just added to the tour a week before, like the Rutherfordton stop at Ace.

Arriving at Mt. View Home & Garden Center in the morning, we were welcomed by the fellas from the dealership. We introduced ourselves to Gene and Darrell Brittain, owners of Mt. View Home and Garden. They were pleased to set-up an open house, even though it was short notice.

Once we showed off the Petty machines to the dealership crew, we immediately began to introduce them to the customers rolling in.

The majority of the people who came by were already familiar with the camp and didn’t hesitate to give some money for the cause; in return we hooked them up with some tour merchandise.

With lunch time nearing catered food was brought in; guess what it was? You're right, BBQ and cole slaw, the same meal we had the previous couple of shows. Leon mentioned that BBQ and sweet tea is the big thing down in the Southeast, and each place has their own special recipe to give their BBQ an edge over the other, which this particular BBQ did have some flare to it.
 
Munching down, Spike, Leon, and I visited to random people about the tour, while they dished out the green.

At one point we met some nice southern boys that were brothers, Vic and Anthony Misenheimer. Both of them made their way to the open house just to see the Petty machines and contribute to the cause. Vic and Anthony already knew about us (tour crew) because they have been following us on the web. The two also were already familiar with the camp, and Vic actually has volunteered to aid the VJGC on numerous occasions.

As a matter of fact, he has ridden with Kyle Petty for 8 years on the charity ride, which is a motorcycle ride that goes clear across the country raising donations and awareness for the camp. Vic volunteers to help out with the ride and in return he gets to join the charity ride free of charge.

    Anthony has ridden a few times just joining the group midway through or so, because to join the Kyle Petty Charity Ride and cruise with these high profile guys is a steep price, but for a good cause. After talking with Vic and Anthony for a good amount of time, they both donated more than enough towards the camp, taking home a handful of tour supplies for them and their family.

By the end of the afternoon we loaded up our equipment to get ready for our next stop. Before leaving, Gene and Darrell donated a hefty amount for the camp, we thanked the Mt. View crew for their support and moved on out.

Leaving straight from Hickory we got on the outskirts of town and put the Petty machine back on the street for some road time. The ride was smooth and sweet. We got about 20 miles in before rush hour hit and the street we were traveling became chaotic, so we put the mower back in the trailer until we reached Salisbury.

 

May 18th, 2005 Wednesday morning we arrived at Ace Equipment in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Even though it wasn’t originally planned as an open house on our route, Larry and Leon Randle, North and South Carolina Representative, got it scheduled since we would be passing through the area with the lawnmower anyway.

At the Hustler dealership we met Ron Whiteside, asst. manager, and his brother Robert, vice president. Both guys were pleased we made the time to stop by with Petty machines and show them off, especially since it was a big NASCAR town.

Getting to know a few of the guys at Ace we started to get to know some random people coming to check out the commotion. The entire morning NASCAR fans pulled in and admired the handy work of the Petty mower. We filled everyone in on our journey thus far and in return most of the supporters donated to VJGC.

At lunch we had BBQ on the menu and the free food didn’t hurt the crowd that already was plentiful. While eating, I was interrupted by Mary and Chad, both from Channel 13 News. While Chad handled the camera, Mary asked me a few basic questions about the tour. Satisfying her curiosity, Mary and Chad headed out.

Right after the TV crew stopped by, the local newspaper came in. Angela Wyatt, photographer and reporter for the day from The Daily Courier, took notes and some shots with her high dollar camera for the story.

By early afternoon we received a good amount of attention and donations for the day. One of the gentlemen that stopped in was a big Richard Petty fan. I could tell he was a fanatic before meeting him, just because of what he pulled up in. He had a little Toyota truck painted up like Richards’ old racing theme colors and decals covering the truck from top to bottom. Avery Dimsdale was enthusiastic about our tour and was glad to hear we hooked up with Richard Petty to do this Mow for Victory Tour.

By early afternoon we thanked the crew at Ace Equipment for taking us on at the last minute. The open house was well worth the stop, we gained enormous amount of support and donations for the cause.

Straight from Rutherfordton we unloaded the Petty mower once again and decided to put on a few more miles. The roads were similar to the previous day, but with less traffic, at least for the first few miles. After covering about thirty miles of terrain we reached our next stop, Hickory.

 

May 17th, 2005 Waking up at the Dillard hotel, with the horses galloping outside of my window, it was time to leave the unique place. We started directly from Dillard heading north towards N.C. (Nortmh Carolina), the last state we will travel in this mowing extravaganza.

The weather up in the lush mountains was rough on the body, but the scenery was easy on the eyes. The entire way on the ride we were winding from left to right crawling up and down mountains. The traffic was pretty heavy, so it was as if we were playing the game snake, gaining length as we went on. Before too long we reached the border and crossed into North Carolina.

Although we were in a new state the vehicles still stayed long and strong. We were forced to pull over on the side of the road numerous times throughout the day, because of the long traffic we held up. I don’t understand why we would hold up traffic? Going on the winding roads it felt like I was cruising at a nice steady speed, I guess not.

We encountered a lot of small towns along the way with high class houses and private golf courses. I was tempted to go out and mow a strip on the immaculate golf courses to leave my mark, but I didn’t want to dirty up the Petty machine, so I withheld the urge. Stopping at a few of these towns, we gained some new supporters, as well as people who just laughed at me.
By lunch we stopped by a Dutch café to get some grub. It was some decent food with your average menu. After filling the mid-section we continued onward in the new state. As the afternoon grew older the traffic grew bigger. We made the decision to load the lawnmower outside of our goal for the day and trailer it the remaining few miles.

By early evening we arrived outside of Rutherfordton, where we had an open house scheduled the following morning.

 

May 16, 2005 Before getting comfortable on the road, Sunday we enjoyed a day at the drag strip. John Christopher hooked Larry, Spike, and I up with some nice seats at the Southern National races at the Atlanta Dragway. We found ourselves at the drag strip early Sunday morning to get used to our surroundings and check out the merchandise. As soon as we got there it was overcast with showers. The only thing we could do was to wait out the rain and see if the races would still be on.
 
While we waited we checked out the different booths and what they were selling, as well as the pit areas of the dragsters to see occasional work on their vehicles. After waiting a few hours we got motivated to do something and decided to see if I could get an interview with ESPN. John and Larry took charge taking us through some restricted access areas, where we did get in with some convincing and found a connection. We talked with a cameraman that told us to find and chat with Dave Reef. After pulling a few more strings we did eventually meet with Dave Reef, who was the broadcaster for the event on ESPN. He was very nice/personable guy and said he would see what he could do and get a hold of us if it came through, which unfortunately never happened.

Still waiting for the spit (rain) to cease, we watched the pit crews work on the top fuel dragsters. After seeing some monstrous engines being adjusted, I grew impatient wanting to see some action. Just as I was becoming impatient the rain started to stop and pit crews and the drivers began to fire up their engines to give them a test. On the outskirts of the track, where the pits where located, the atmosphere began to rumble and vibrate from the massive power that these dragsters possess.

At one point we got so close to a top fuel dragster, that we received a mouthful of the nitrous the dragster expelled. Let me tell you what, after a few seconds of inhaling the gas all of us started to cough with tears running out of our eyes. We got out of the area quick to recover. Once we did we knew the race was about to begin since all the drivers started to rev up their engines.

Once the race did finally get underway it was a sight to see, as well as feel. These cars or should I say machines, could get up and move baby. In a quarter mile the top fuel and funny cars could run it in between 4 and 5 seconds. They would reach the speed of 100mph in the first second. By the end of the quarter mile they would be up  to speeds past 300mph. The fastest top fuel I witnessed climbed up to 329mph by the finish line. Besides seeing the top fuel and funny cars run, we also watched the pro stock cars and bikes, which both ran about 200mph. Just as we were enjoying the races another front moved in and the rain poured down. At that point we saw some good races and decided to head back and watch the rest of the dragsters race in the comfort of Larry’s dry home.

Getting the speed out of our systems, Monday it was back on the highway going the amazing speed of 20mph (where’s the nitrous when you need it?).  Before heading back on the streets, Larry and Dottie took Spike and Gloria to the Cabbage Patch headquarters in Cleveland, where they actually make the dolls. Spike and Gloria said that there was a hospital within the Cabbage Patch building where a nurse delivers Cabbage Patch babies through a head of cabbage and they actually got to witness one being born. Even though it sounds quite interesting, a doll coming out of a head of cabbage, I stayed behind at Larry and Dottie’s house to catch up on some writing.

Throwing the cabbage aside we headed back to Georgia Power Sports and Equipment to start the journey back up. We thanked Larry and Dottie for taking us in for the weekend and showing us a good time. Before we knew it we had another police escort to take us out of town.  
As soon as we reached Helen (next town) we lost the police and headed on by ourselves. Before we made the stretch through town, we stopped to check out the unique city. Helen is a tourist town because every building within the limits has a Swedish theme to it, or at least that is how I would describe it. Even the fast food joints had the Swedish style, with the unique structure build and dull two colors of a light tan and dark brown. After doing a little shopping and Gloria coming out of the town with a new quilt, we were on our way.

Before too long we had to do some trailer action because the traffic was so heavy with no shoulder. So we made good time making a stop point for the night at the town of Dillard. We found the Dillard House and hotel not too far from the town up in the lush mountains. Larry recommended we stay there because of the atmosphere and the unbelievable food they serve.

It definitely was far from your average hotel, believe me I would know since I’ve been staying in hotels for the past two and a half months. The Dillard hotel was a secluded area up in the lush north Georgia mountains that included a pasture of horses grazing outside of our rooms, which you could enjoy the view from some rocking chairs. If being on your own rocking chair wasn’t close enough to the horses then you could take a step closer and go horseback riding.

Beside the horse stables was an animal zoo, that included a wide range of animals you would find on a farm, sorry no exotic animals. Getting familiar with the surroundings we decided to go get some home cooked food from the Dillard House. Since Larry recommended it and we decided to stay there for the night, it gave him an excuse to make the short trip up from Cleveland to join us at dinner.

We didn’t have to order at all, the waitress just began to bring out a variety of foods on different dishes. When they seated us, there were dishes of cantaloupe/honey dew, relish, cucumber/tomato salad, cold slaw, and strawberry jam on the table.  And then they started bringing the real food including; chicken, fried and baked, BBQ ribs, smothered steak, country ham, scalloped potatoes, collard greens, creamed corn, lima beans, cabbage casserole, creamed onions, fried okra, asparagus spears, corn bread, rolls, biscuits, acorn/squash soufflé, and for dessert your choice of chocolate pie, coconut pie, or strawberry cobble with ice cream. After the table was completely covered with a wide range of food we dug in like it was Thanksgiving meal.    It had to be one of the best, if not the best meals I’ve had on this trip, which is a lot to say since we eat out every night. By the end of it, food was still scattered on the table, but I didn’t have any more room to stuff it down. Larry said that if anyone wants to try out the Dillard House that he would take them there for a small fee.

Spike and Gloria visited Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia, and walked through the Cabbage Patch, where the dolls were being formed. They witnessed the birth of a little Cabbage Patch boy which was named by the audience. They met a young couple on their honeymoon who adopted a Cabbage Patch baby because the bride had wanted one since she was a little girl.

 

 

May 14, 2005 Saturday morning Spike, Gloria, and I woke up in the comfort of Larry and Dottie's home. Larry is Hustler Turf's Eastern Sales Manager. We enjoyed a nice full breakfast before heading to our first Saturday open house, which was in Cleveland (where Larry and Dottie reside). Before going straight to the dealership, we went to the county line, outside of Cleveland, to drive the lawnmower into the Georgia Power Sports and Equipment. Besides just Spike following me, we also had the Sheriff to guide us to the dealership. We met with Ricky, the local sheriff, who works part time for Georgia Power Sports and Equipment and the rest of his time enforcing the law.
 
Driving into Cleveland city limits traffic was heavy, but since we had flashing lights in front of us (sheriff) there was no need to stop. In fact some vehicles saw us coming by and pulled over on the side of the road, where ten to fifteen cars would line up at a time just to stop and wait for us to go by. In the heart of Cleveland we made a couple of rounds around the court house and the city buildings. The intersections were busy and we ran into red lights, but with Ricky in front of us we ignored the rules and became number one on the road. I felt as if I was the president making a grand entrance (not quite, but hey… I can dream).

After about seven miles of holding up traffic and making a big scene, we arrived at Georgia Power Sports and Equipment. There we met with James Allison, owner, and the fellas that worked for him. Everyone at the dealership was nice and lively, and we could tell they had been preparing for the open house for quite some time. Right when we pulled up there was a big group of unfamiliar faces welcoming us in, as well as a radio crew.

Once I met with the dealership crew, Bud Bartels pulled me aside to get a quick word over the radio about my adventure. He was very relaxed and having a good time with the interview that I didn’t even feel like I was talking over the air, but just talking with Bud. He came out from WCON 99.3 to get the down low on our tour.

Finishing up a little interview I went inside the dealership to look around. Right when I came in I was overwhelmed with more southern hospitality. Becky Allison, James wife, got me some sweet tea and made me feel right in place. As I was looking around at all the four wheelers they had to offer, as well as the endless line of Hustler lawnmowers, I bumped into Braden, James and Becky’s son, who is just over two. He was running around the whole day trying to drive anything and everything.

Braden would get up on, whether it is the Hustler lawnmower or a four-wheeler and try to turn it on and run it. He would have gotten every piece of equipment running if there wasn’t a key missing in them Becky said, because he drives them all the time out at their place. Well it just so happens they forgot to lock down one miniature four-wheeler and he revved the baby up and even took it forward before Becky caught him and scolded him. Braden just simply smiled and ran on to the next machine.

Before too long, lunch came around and we had barbeque at our disposal. It was so good that I had to go back for seconds and yes, thirds. While eating, Bud Bartels (radio broadcaster) interviewed Spike and Larry. He also interviewed some little cute twins, Jenna and Jessa, James and Becky’s twin girls. They both were about five and had enough energy for everyone combined at the show. I even found them on the Petty machine trying out two-way communication system.

During the afternoon some more excitement pulled in. Channel 32 WNEG came by to get a short story on the Mow for Victory Tour. I met with Heather Jensen, reporter, who asked me a few questions about the tour. After she got what she needed, she headed on to the next story.  
I however stuck around talking with some more people about the tour. Before too long we had a good portion of Larry’s and Dottie’s family come out to the open house to check out the lawnmower that Larry has been talking about. I met some of their grandchildren, children, brothers/ sisters, and even Dottie’s mother, Susie. I talked with Susie for awhile; she was very supportive of what we have been doing for the past two and a half months. I also met with Dottie’s Brother Leon Randle, who happens to be the North and South Carolina representative for Hustler Turf Equipment. He was excited for us to get into his territory next week and enjoy some open houses before the conclusion.

As the day winded down I met with one of the biggest Richard Petty fans, Dave Rothermel and his nice wife, Mitzie. They traveled down from South Carolina just to come and see the Petty machines. Dave actually isn’t a stranger to us; he was in our company’s monthly newsletter, The Grapevine, where there was an article about Dave and his memorabilia of Richard Petty. He has a complete room devoted to Richard Petty. His wife doesn’t share quite the same obsession, but she goes along with it as long as they go out to a movie once in awhile. It was a nice talk with the big fans and to see their excitement about the tour.

Later in the afternoon we started to pack up everything to head out and catch another stunt that dealt with the tour. Before we headed though, I ran into Fred Warthun, who drives a crotch rocket (motorcycle). He showed me a few tricks on the street where he attempted some wheelies, which he has down to a fine art.

With all the excitement and energy of the people at Cleveland’s open house, it was hard to go, but it had to end sometime. We thanked James and his crew for all the effort and time they put into the open house before we packed up and left.

Once we were on the road again we headed for the Lanier National Speedway, where we had planned some fun with Alex McKenzie who works for Lanier. Alex was the gentleman we ran into at the Fun Wheels open house and invited us to come down to the races and do a couple of laps on the Petty machines on the track during opening ceremonies.

Right when we got there we could tell it had rained a good amount, and sure enough we got a call from Alex saying the race had been cancelled a few minutes before we arrived. So my victory lap on the race track didn’t come through because of Mother Nature. I didn’t stay down about it too long though because everyone decided we should go out and get something to eat, and food always cheers me up. So with Spike, Gloria, John, Leon, Larry, Dottie, and her mother, Susie, went to a Japanese restaurant to see and enjoy some food cooked before our eyes.

 

May 13, 2005 Coming off a good open house the previous day, we came full throttle for the show at Terry’s Tool and Equipment Rental in Cumming today. The night before, we arrived in Cumming to drop off some Hustler units with John, as well as drop off the Petty machines by Terry’s dealership. As soon as we arrived late that evening Terry Nixon, part owner, and Nathan Miles, counter sales, welcomed us with open arms and a can full of excitement. Terry, as well as Nathan, said they have been following the tour closely on the internet and been enjoying the adventures we’ve encountered.
 
Before getting some rest for the open house at Terry’s the next afternoon, Terry took us to eat at a local country cooking restaurant to help us sleep, which it certainly did. So getting to Terry’s Tool and Equipment Rental early this morning we were greeted by Terry and Nathan once again, as well as some hot East coast weather. We also met with some of Terry’s crew, Jamie Bennett (service manager), Colley Jones (referred to as the Rocket Scientist), Mike Bell (part owner), and of course most important Debra Nixon (Terry’s wife) who came out for the day to operate the food.

Getting comfortable and meeting the friendly southerners, a few more came in during the morning to check out the Petty machines. The radio also made their way to the open house in the morning to get up for some good country listenin’ and to broadcast live to promote the tour. I introduced myself to Larry Wood and Rick Morris, broadcasters of Gold 104.3 Real Country. They were wired to the core and ready to get things underway for the show.

As the radio crew was setting up, Debra fired up the smoker and grilled out some burgers and dogs. People showed up and lined up for free food. As I was eating I met more people and talked with them about the tour. I met one outgoing gal, Miss Cindy (Mike Bell’s wife), who gave me a hard time here and there about my lawnmower and me. Cindy was very supportive of our tour though; I would say she is a genuine Georgia peach full of southern hospitality.  
Talking with Cindy and some others, Rick and Larry pulled me away to do a live interview over the radio. They were a lot of fun kidding around with me, but still got out the word. Rick and Larry also interviewed Nathan and Terry from the dealership, as well as Larry Holman. Every time one of us got some air time it was for a long period of time and helped get awareness out about the camp and Hustler Turf Equipment.

Finishing up the broadcasting with Rick and Larry, I headed over to the local Polaris dealer in Cumming, where Jeff Whaley also had an open house for his Victory motorcycles. Jeff is good friends with Kyle Petty and has ridden his hog with Kyle on several occasions, so he helped push the tour at his place and hooked them up with some tour merchandise to give away to supporters. Jeff also had 101.5 Kicks radio station broadcasting from the Polaris dealership to attract attention.

Driving back to Terry’s Tool and Equipment Rental things had started to wind down. John Holman and John Christopher had sold a lot of raffle tickets for the four-wheeler they brought down, which eventually would be a drawing for the 4x4 later in summer. All the proceeds for the four-wheeler go to assist the Victory Junction Gang Camp. It was donated by Artic Cat, Georgia Power Sports & Equipment, and Hustler Turf Equipment. We also got a good amount of donations for the tour hats and t-shirts.

Before too long, Dottie Holman (Larry’s lovely wife) stopped by to deliver some signed Petty hats, along with getting acquainted with Spike, Gloria, and I because they would be taking us in for the weekend to get a break from the hotels.

 

May 12, 2005 After waking up in Marietta, suburb of Atlanta, we headed straight to Fun Wheels Outdoor Power Equipment, where our open house was scheduled. Arriving at the dealership we were welcomed by the crew of Fun Wheels. We met up with owners Ron and Patti Loveless, along with Matt Johnson, Jacob Clark, and Wes Brown, who all also worked at the dealership.

After meeting with everyone we hooked back up with John Christopher and Larry Holman to get things underway. We immediately knew it was going to be a great day by how much effort Fun Wheels put into advertising the whole deal and the amount of items they donated for purposes of raising donations for Victory Junction Gang.

Besides having the usual Mow for Victory Tour hats, t-shirts, and Hustler scale models for door prizes, which people receive if they donate, they also had a wide scale of other items. Ron and his guys donated some sweet electric bikes, which anyone could own if they donated a hefty amount. It was a win/win situation for the person(s) who contributed the money for the bike, because it was well under the sale price, which made it a deal in itself, but more importantly the money went for the camp. There were several people who took the electric bikes for a spin during the day, mostly us Hustler guys (on more that one occasion), and once they rode it and felt the ease of not having to pedal, the bike sold itself. So a lot of donation money came in from some of the units of the electric bikes being sold.

Another item Fun Wheels had was some Richard Petty NASCAR tickets. Ron got a hold of some unreachable tickets, usually not offered to the public, and had several available to raffle off. All you had to do was contribute a small donation, which automatically entered you in for the raffle to win the NASCAR tickets that were valued at $380 bucks. That attracted a lot of attention from the NASCAR fans that dropped in during the day. The fans didn’t hesitate to contribute a few bucks for the entry of the grand prize, which were the Petty tickets.

Those are examples of what Fun Wheels contributed for the open house, now all we needed was to get the crowd to come in. The way they did that was by having a live remote from a big country station in the area. Eagle 106.7 came out for a few hours during the open house to promote the cause and to also give away prizes of their own. They too gave away t-shirts, hats, tickets, and signed merchandise from various NASCAR drivers.  So with radio backing us up and getting the word out about our open house and all the prizes, we had no problem attracting attention to bring in the waves of people.

We got to meet numerous die-hard NASCAR fans and share our adventures about the lawnmower journey with them throughout the day. One of the fans we met was Peggy; she is a big Kyle Petty fan, as well as a fan of the camp. She mentioned to us that she volunteered to help out the children at Victory Junction Gang this summer during a camp session. It was great to meet with someone that had the same motives as us, to help out the children at the camp, but she would be doing it from a whole different standpoint.

As the day pressed on, so did the people. The crowd never lightened up, so when the lunch bell rang it just got more chaotic with people stopping in for the free food. Fun Wheels brought in some catered food from Cajun Heat Company. Although the food was free to the public it brought in numerous donations for the camp, so that tells you the southern food melted in your mouth.

While enjoying some good Cajun food an interesting character showed up at the dealership. He was a very outgoing individual that approached anyone at anytime with no fear. Once he ran into me he introduced himself as “John the Baptist”. I smiled and nodded and introduced myself as “Josh the Lawnmower Man”. It didn’t take long for him to start in on some interesting topics. First, it somewhat biblical talk then it transitioned into war. After putting in his two cents worth on each subject he would immediately move on to another topic or another person, He definitely added excitement to the day.

“John the Baptist” danced to the music being played by Eagle 106.7; along with contributing his own gifts to the prize give away, which were some stuffed animals and wigs. He would leave for a short period of time, then show back up out of the blue with these items to give away. After chit chatting with numerous people at the open house he left for a short period again. “John the Baptist” came back with a wig on his head and a stuffed lizard on both of his shoulders. He then proceeded to walk out into the busy street onto the median between traffic. He pulled out an American flag and waved it like he was the proudest American to the oncoming vehicles. “John the Baptist” also saluted every once in awhile just to show he was committed to what he was doing.

You might wonder what he was doing, but he actually was trying to bring in more people for our open house at Fun Wheels, although he might have gone about it the wrong way and might have scared some people away. I know he might have caught some people off guard, but his intentions were good and I do respect him for that. After “John the Baptist” continually tried to bring in people, he did finally give in and headed out for the day. I found out later from Matt, that he is a regular in the area.

The rest of the afternoon at the dealership was spent talking with more supporters and giving them the details of the tour. I got talking with the radio broadcasters and ended up meeting Alex McKenzie with Lanier National Speedway. After shooting the breeze for a while he invited us out to the speedway the upcoming Saturday evening to come see some stock cars race on the 3/8 mile track. Alex not only invited us out to see some races but to also be part of the festivities. He thought it would be great if we could drive the Petty mower around the track before the race then we could stick around for the rest of the evening raising more awareness for the camp and donations. We of course took him up on the offer and thanked him for his support.
 
Meeting a great deal of people and adding numerous supporters to list, the day winded down. We thanked Ron and his crew for going over the top for the open house and the amount of items they contributed. Before we headed out though, Spike took a spin on the electric bike again. After getting off, he whipped out his checkbook to contribute money for the camp and loaded up the electric bike. As we were loading, Ron rolled another electric bike up to our trailer and asked me if I liked them. Before I knew it, he offered and gave me the bike. I was taken off guard and very appreciative of his generosity. Once Larry Holman saw Spike, Gloria, and I had one he was pressured in, so he contributed and got one as well. So we headed out of Fun Wheels with the two Petty mowers and two electric bikes in the trailer.

 

May 11, 2005 Heading out from downtown Atlanta, Spike, Gloria, and I met with John Christopher, who works for the distributor: Southern Turf Equipment. We introduced ourselves to John outside of Atlanta in Covington, were we planned to stop by a dealership there so they could get a feel of the Petty fever. Although we didn’t have Covington planned on our route, it was in our path onto Marietta, so we decided to stop by to pay a visit at Monroe Power Equipment.

On the outskirts of Covington we unloaded the mower to mow our way to the dealership. John led the way, while Spike was on my tail shedding the Atlanta traffic. Before too long we were in the middle of Covington at the town square going by the courthouse. Just down the road we arrived at the dealership and met with Jerry Roseberry, the owner and some of his guys.  

Right after meeting with Jerry we were interrupted by Taylor Smith from Covington News. He got the goods on the tour, as well as SueAnn from the Newton Citizen. After talking with the two local papers, they requested that I to go around the town square once again to get a picture, because the first time I went by going to fast. I was pumped that someone thought I was actually going too fast.

Making another run at it and slowing down, the two media crews got their shot and headed out to their next story. I on the other hand went back to Jerry’s to show off the Petty machine. We set up our equipment and stuck around for a few hours.

A few people showed up here and there to come see the commotion at Monroe’s. Jerry even fired up some hotdogs for the afternoon for everyone to enjoy. Not only did he get some dogs to feed us, but also he gave Spike and Gloria a 25lb bag of some special grown onions. I thought that was a nice gesture, but you can keep that bag as far away from me as possible. The sight, smell, or taste of a fresh onion makes me hurl, but if you cook em’ then we can start talking business.

After spending a portion of the morning and some of the afternoon at Monroe’s, we thanked Jerry for letting us stop by and for the media coverage. We were off with John to our next stop, Marietta at Fun Wheels Power Equipment.

 

May 10, 2005 Before preparing for the next open house I got to watch some games at the ballpark over the weekend. Spike and Gloria headed home for a couple days, while I stayed behind in downtown Atlanta by the Braves stadium, Turner Field. Larry Holman hooked me up with some tickets (courtesy of Turner South) for the ball games on Saturday and Sunday. Both days the Braves put a pounding on the Houston Astros. Saturday they won by three or four and Sunday they won by sixteen, five of which were homers.

When Tuesday morning arrived I gathered my belongings and headed to the scheduled open house in Atlanta at Parkway Lawn and Garden. Before getting to the dealership I met up with Charles Knowles and his brother Gene Knowles (owners of Southern Turf Equipment) to get supplies for the afternoon.

Arriving at the open house I met back up with Spike and Larry Holman. I also introduced myself to Jerry Stubbs, owner of Parkway Lawn and Garden, and his son Steve, sales manager. We immediately set up some tents and a line of Hustler lawnmowers for the day, along with firing up the grill to fill up on some Ballpark Franks.

The morning offered us a mild crowd, but by lunch things picked up and the people came rolling in. We met a lot of new people and informed them of our trip across the US. One of the guys we met worked his own lawn service, but what was interesting was he used to play professional football. Talking with John Gilliam I found out he was the first one to score a touchdown for the New Orleans Saints on a kickoff return. He also played several years with Minnesota. For the duration of his career he played as a wide receiver from the late sixties to the mid seventies. He was good enough to be a pro bowler and also make it on John Maddens All Time Madden team.

I was pumped to meet a once big time football player and get to talk with him about some of his games when he used to play. One story he told me was when he played for Minnesota he wore one of  the helmets with a single bar and got his nose broken during the first half. He didn’t realize it was broken until half time, when the players got a warm bowl of soup. He apparently was eating directly from the bowl and when he dipped his nose in the warm soup and blood just rushed out, the reason was it was so cold outside that his nose was numb and apparently numb to the pain.

While we were serving up the dogs during the afternoon we had many other people come in to check out the tour and Hustler lawnmowers. One gentleman even purchased one. If the guys that came in weren’t in to check out any of our products or Parkway’s then it was to see Jerry’s souped up classic Chevy. It was once a wrecker that was completely restored and had the (sorry to say) John Deere theme. I’m not kidding; the entire car was yellow and green from the paint job to the upholstery. He even had a 352 under the hood just to add to the bells and whistles. The only adjustment he needs to make is changing the rest of the green to yellow and changing the Deere decals to Hustler then we would be talking.

For the remainder of the afternoon we awaited and talked with more newly added supporters and potential buyers. By the end of the day we went through all the Ballpark Franks and covered a lot of ground with people on the tour.

May 6, 2005 Friday morning before Spike and I headed to the dealership we met Dudley Gunter at the local TV station. There we ran up some stairs into a small building that had only two guys inside running the whole operation. We met with Max, anchor, and Jeremiah, co-anchor, of channel 33 in LaGrange. Dudley invited us to go on air with him to promote the tour and the Hustler product line.

At 6:30am we were up and running live on TV. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and an easy-going interview. Spike and I talked on and on about our tour and everything involved with it, while Dudley invited the town to come out and enjoy a day of meeting us and eating some brawts.

Midway through the interview we received phone calls from random people watching the station to ask questions or in some cases to just talk. Like I said before it was a really relaxed TV program, to give you an example: two guys, on separate occasions, called in and sang over the phone.

It was a lot of fun and great to experience a media group that handled their program as mellow as they did. In return Spike and I were comfortable and had a good time with Max and the all the callers who gave us support.

After being on the air for 45 minutes without a break, we finally wrapped things up at Channel 33. We thanked Max and Jeremiah for inviting us on their show before heading to Dudley’s Outdoors for our scheduled open house.

Once we arrived at Dudley’s, Ernie Pearce from Carrol Video Productions, was waiting to interview us. We gave him the goods about our journey and talked to him about NASCAR for a little bit before he had to go catch another story on his video camera.

All during the morning people stopped by to catch a glimpse of the Petty mowers. A big chunk of the supporters who stopped by said they watched us earlier in the day when we were on Channel 33. One of the gentlemen that actually called in and watched the program made time to stop by. Phillip, a very outgoing character, was extremely supportive of our tour and gave a hefty donation for the camp.

By lunchtime Dudley had a line of brats grilling, along with a line of people showing up. There was such a rush that Dudley had his mom and sister to lend a hand with all the people coming in for the grilled food. During lunch the local radio station dropped in to broadcast. After I introduced myself to Coleman, from Eagle 102, he got the story on the tour from Spike and I, along with interviewing Dudley and what his dealership has to offer.

Besides Dudley’s crew and family helping out at the open house, we also had some fellas from Southern Turf Equipment Distribution come out and lend a hand. Charles Knowles, territory sales manager, and Adam, sales representative, both came down from Atlanta to LaGrange to assist and get acquainted with us before we headed up their direction for our open house the next week.

By afternoon, when it finally died down, we thanked Dudley and his crew and family for their support/help with the tour. The open house at LaGrange was one of our best thus far and hopefully they continue to pick up now that we are officially in NASCAR country.

Before we headed out all the guys at Dudley’s Outdoors, including Dudley, tested out mobility of the Petty machine, once they did they didn’t want to stop. After we finally loaded up the machines and said our goodbyes we headed towards the big city of Atlanta for our upcoming show there.

 

May 5, 2005 From Opelika we moved onward towards Georgia. Our goal for the day was to make to LaGrange, GA. From Opelika to LaGrange was only about 50 miles, so the driving for the day would be short and sweet.  
After an hour of driving on highway 29 we entered into the town of Valley. We then headed on to our next destination on the tour and that is LaGrange.

Driving through Valley we got several people looking and reacting like usual, and we stopped to get a bite to eat before we entered into LaGrange.

After eating we took off. Before too long we crossed the state line into the peachy state of Georgia. The road was narrow and windy with no shoulder, so lines of traffic often crowded behind us. We were forced to pull over numerous times to let the vehicles pass and do what they needed to do.

 
While we were pulled over I noticed some more road kill. I figured since I talk about it from time to time I should share the lovely view of the deceased mammal. It was a pretty well preserved armadillo, so since it was in good shape and not too mangled, I thought it would be safe to share the image. Now you can see what I see from day to day, but you still don’t get to enjoy the strong sour aroma of the animal rotting.

A few miles later we ran directly into Dudley’s Outdoors. We stopped and met with Dudley Gunter, the owner of the dealership. He was very helpful and excited about the upcoming open house (tomorrow). He even had some advertisements out front in his lot right by the highway to promote the Petty tour.

 

Apr 26, 2005 Open house time came again and Spike and I headed back to the dealership, Do It Best: Covington County Supply hardware store. Once we arrived Vance was already waiting for us, along with Dale Bachman, sales manager at B&B Distributing and also David Bachman’s brother, who was with us at Brandon. We also met back up with Venn.

After getting things organized for the open house, Gary Vandagrifft, the gentleman we met from Original Tractor Cabs, stopped by for a quick glance at our Petty machines that he’s been reading so much about. Gary also brought some extra supplies in his truck to replace some parts on the canopy his company furnished. After fixing up the canopy frame, Gary whipped out a new canvas cover that matched our Petty yellow. Now I would be cruising the streets with a little extra flair. Once we thanked Gary for his help, he was on his way heading west.

Showering the Petty machine with attention by giving it a new top, people started pulling in to check out the Petty mowers. The same mixed reactions developed from people finding out what exactly I was undertaking, either it being “you're crazy” reaction or “what a great opportunity” response, everyone did support us and wish us well on our small jog across the country.

By late morning the weather turned sour. A front moved in, which created a downpour of rain. With everyone stuck inside, Venn made the initiative to load us up and take us to lunch. We all enjoyed a nice buffet at a local diner called Speck’s. After Dale treated us to a fulfilling meal, we noticed the rain died out and the sun made its presence.

So with a full stomach, everyone became optimistic that the afternoon would attract more people, since the weather cleared. Sure enough, when we got back people were already out in the front of the dealership taking a close look at the Petty machines and the Hustler line. We got several prospects and supporters that we could add to the list.

By late afternoon, after the crowd died down, Spike and I loaded up. The open house at Collins turned out pretty good. With the advertising Venn did in the local paper and the great location they have on highway 49, it was hard not to attract attention.

Apr 25, 2005 Before starting a new week Spike, Gloria, Vance, and I had some free time over weekend. Saturday we all enjoyed a relaxing day doing a lot of nothing. Sunday we celebrated Gloria’s ?? B-day by going out to eat, which was something new for us. We also celebrated by playing some poker over the weekend, but I won’t bore you with the results of it.

When Monday morning rolled around it was time for some serious driving. I had the weekend to regroup my thoughts and focus. Once I was mentally sound, I was ready to take back on the stressful task of sitting back and driving 20mph. We launched on the outskirts of Jackson and headed South East towards our destination, Collins Mississippi. The morning started off brisk on windy two-lane highways. Although I didn’t have constant traffic crowding me, I did have a never-ending stretch of trees following throughout the day.

Just when I got comfortable on the road things turned a bit rough. Spike, Gloria, and I found ourselves back on a rough/windy country road. Dodging potholes and washboards for a while, we landed back on some smooth pavement shortly after.

By lunch we stopped in the small town of New Hebron. We grabbed some food in the only restaurant in town, Yesterday’s Café. The grub was as good as the name of the café.

Late afternoon we changed up highways, where we found more traffic. The response was heads turning, hands flying, and jaws dropping, which was nothing new. As we got on the outskirts of Collins, Spike notified me on the two-way radio that we had a truck and sheriff following us. The truck ended up being Venn Mathis, the manager of the dealership we had an open house at the next day. He surprised us, along with the sheriff, for a personal escort for the last few miles to the dealership. Once we arrived we met with Venn formally and some of his help. We thanked him for the escort and looked forward to the open house the next day.

Checking into the hotel we ran into another surprise. While Spike was finishing some details up at the front desk a stranger approached him and knew him by his first name. Spike of course was taken aback for a moment, but then the gentleman introduced himself as Gary Vandagrifft. He worked for Original Tractor Cabs, the company that supplied the canopy on the Petty machine. Gary knew all about the tour because he has been following the updates on the website, thus he already knew of us.

Once we all became acquainted with one another, Gary treated us to dinner. We enjoyed some nice food and learned more about each other. He just happened to be in the area for business like us, so it was coincidence that we ran into each other’s paths. After eating, Gary wished us well on the remaining of our tour.

 

Apr 22, 2005 Wrapping up a couple of days of mower driving, it was time for an open house. Before heading to the dealership on Friday, we enjoyed a day off in Jackson on Thursday. Now that Gloria was back, Spike and I got to quit struggling with laundry because she took it over again, which I’m thankful for because I have already messed up some of my clothing when I attempted my poor washing skills. So while I caught up on my journal entries Thursday, Gloria was busy doing the boys laundry. Even though she was stuck washing our dirty clothes again, she was glad she was healthy enough to rejoin Spike and I back on the road. Now she can help Spike navigate again and also catch up on her quilting while spotting me.

When Friday arrived, Spike and I rejoined Vance Truskett, where he would help us at some more open houses. We also hooked up with David Bachman, who is one of Mississippi’s sales representatives. From Jackson we all headed just outside of town into the suburb of Brandon. At Brandon we found Frederick’s Sales and Service dealership, where our open house was scheduled. Going inside the dealership we introduced ourselves to David Frederick, the president of Frederick’s, and his wife Rita. We also met up with Dwight Frederick, David’s dad, who used to run the business. He was an outgoing older gentleman that still helped out at the dealership.

After meeting some new faces, Vance gave Spike and I some new earphones for the headset on the Petty machine, which I mentioned we encountered a problem a couple of days ago. Spike took charge and degutted the headset and reinserted the new pair. After resoldering and putting the components back in its rightful place, the headset was good as new. So I was ready to rock n’ roll and mow some more grass.

Taking care of the minor problem left the rest of the morning and afternoon dedicated to the tour. Frederick’s was constantly having rushes of people stopping by. David Frederick was always tied up helping a customer with the Hustler line, along with David Bachman frequently showing how to operate a Hustler mower.

Vance, Spike, and I stayed busy by the Petty machines explaining the tour. When lunch came in, so did the crowd. While we were eating, a guy walked in decked out in Richard Petty wear. We immediately introduced ourselves to the fan of 43. He went by Ricky and grew up always supporting Richard Petty. Ricky mentioned he was a fireman and got the opportunity to actually work as one for a period of time in the pit area for NASCAR. Ricky signed up for the Petty mower in high hopes he would be drawn as the winner when the time comes. Then he spent the rest of the time outside admiring the petty colors on the mower. Once Ricky headed out, a few more Petty fans wondered in. They too signed up in a jiffy for the mower and were eager to donate for the cause. We even had the paper come out to see the commotion. Marcus Bowers, from RC News Weekly Reader, stopped by to get the story.

The entire day at the Brandon dealership stayed busy. We once again gained new supporters and prospects. But what was more exciting was that we finally ran into some dedicated Petty fans, so seeing their reaction to the lawnmower and tour was exciting.

By late afternoon nasty weather started brewing, so we made the move to pack up and call it a day after we thanked the Frederick crew.

 

Apr 19, 2005 We hitched up and left today from Magnolia, where we had arrived the previous night. Right before we got back on highway 82 East in Arkansas, we made a quick stop at another dealer we had locally in Magnolia. We got to Smith Lawn and Garden early Tuesday morning to meet with Mike Smith, the owner. He was glad to see us and eager to see the equipment we were driving. He took a quick look over the Petty machine and approved. After chatting with Mike briefly, we had to head out so we could put in a full days work.

On the outskirts of Magnolia we stopped at a fuel station to fill up the gas-guzzling mower. As we were filling up, a man pulled up in his truck to check out the bright colored machine. He of course asked the questions and we gave him the answers. After hooking him up with a Mow for Victory Tour hat and t-shirt, he vowed he would follow us on the web. So, yet another supporter we could add to the list.

Once we finally did get on highway 82 the traffic was thick and plentiful. I had a decent sized shoulder most of the time, but other times it was really narrow. When I ran into the places where the shoulder was thin it got pretty intense with the frequent semi’s that zoomed on by me. They got so close to me that not only could I feel the rush of air going by, but also if I stuck out my arm I could have literally touched the big rigs. I never did of course, in fear I would eventually get clipped or mangled, but I guess that could have made for a good journal entry and pictures if that happened. Most of the semis that went across my path were hauling lumber, fresh cut trees. The thought ran through my head multiple times that if one of the ropes holding the tons and tons of lumber would snap, sending multiple trees flying in my path. That would have also made for an exciting story, but I’ll stick to what I got.

As I mentioned about the multiple trucks with lumber, all along the way the side of the roads were packed with trees that never thinned. With the trees we would encounter a creek or a pond from time to time. We also ran across some pretty red/pink flowers in the ditch in certain areas, which I thought would be a good Mother’s Day gift, cheap (free) and got the point across. Knowing my luck though, they would be sacred flowers and would end up getting fined a thousand bucks. It’s the thought that counts.

As lunch neared, we arrived in the town of El Dorado. We stopped initially to find a Radio Shack, because one side of my headset (what I use to communicate with Spike and also get down to music) started to malfunction the previous day. When we struck out at the store on finding a solution, we saw a Cici’s Pizzeria nearby. We decided to take an early lunch and get our hunger out of the way.

While we were eating, the owner of the place or manager, started talking with Spike, Gloria, and I. Mike, the owner, mentioned he saw our trailer and went to the website right then and there at Cici’s. He was very supportive and glad we came in to give them business. As the conversation with Mike went into further detail, we told him of our little headset issue. Mike immediately lent his computer to us so we could get on the internet and see if a local dealer of the headset company, Starcom (one of the tours sponsors), was not anywhere nearby. Even though we didn’t have any luck, we were very appreciative of Mike’s help and hospitality.
The rest of the afternoon was smooth sailing. I got used to the frequent semis and hearing out of one ear. The scenery stayed green and filled with towering trees. The only thing that did change in the afternoon was the weather. It warmed up to a steaming eighty-five degrees. So I felt as if I was back in the desert once again and had to pop open the sunscreen. By late afternoon we covered 110 miles and stopped at a hotel in Lake Village at the East edge of Arkansas. We looked forward to crossing the border into Mississippi tomorrow.

Apr 18, 2005 Josh and Gloria and I hit the road again today to continue our Tour.  We first hauled the mower over the Texarkana, Arkansas, where we had interrupted our tour last week to go back to the Texas Motor Speedway.  On the way to Texarkana we stopped to visit a Hustler dealer in Mt. Vernon, Texas who is not on our tour agenda.  Don and Ginger Rose of PMI-Stoves-RVs-Lawnriders and their helpers Kay and Carl were so friendly we just had to visit on through lunch which Don & Ginger treated us to at the local hamburger joint.  We learned all kinds of information from Don from how to fly ultra-light planes which he teaches, to the values of hypnotism. By the time we got through Texarkana and started driving the mower we did not have time to reach our destination of Magnolia, Arkansas so we had to haul the mower some more.  In Magnolia we will visit another Hustler dealer not on our itinerary, Smith’s Lawn & Garden.  We will also look for a new headset for Josh since his is acting up and he can hardly hear me on the two-way.

I finally took some pictures of pretty flowers along the road in Arkansas.  Sorry I did not get any pictures of the bluebonnets in Texas.

Spike

Bright and early Monday morning all the guys and I woke up and finished packing up everything. We hit the road and Lonnie dropped me off outside of the Dallas Motor Speedway in Denton, where I hooked up with Spike and Gloria again. I thanked the fellas for the great time at the track and was sorry it had to come to an end.

Once I met with Spike and Gloria again they were in good spirits because they too had a fun time at the races. Gloria was getting healthy again and was glad she could rejoin Spike and I to continue the tour across America. Straight from Denton we planned on driving to Texarkana to pick up where we left off. Before we reached the border we made a stop at one of our dealerships, P.M.I in Mt. Vernon, to let them catch a glimpse of the Petty machine before we started driving later in the day.

At P.M.I Don Rose, the owner, and his wife Ginger welcomed us. They immediately wanted to see the Petty machine I had been driving all this time. They said they have been following the progress on the internet. As soon as I pulled it out of the trailer Don checked it out and was very curious. He even took it for a test run on the highway right next to his dealership to experience what I have been doing for the past couple of months.

Along with Don and his wife was the local newspaper from Mt. Vernon. The soft-spoken lady asked me a couple of questions about the tour and said she too has been following our progress on the website. She and Don took numerous photos of the mower. After she got what she needed, the newspaper gal headed out.

While we were chatting with Don and Ginger, Carl and his wife Kay showed up to see the excitement. Kay works for Don, so she knew we would be stopping by. Carl was a tall and energetic guy full of questions, as well as responses. Just as Kay and him were about to leave we hooked them up with some mow for victory t-shirts and hats. For some reason it just clicked to Carl that I was actually driving the lawnmower across America. He initially thought we just were hauling the lawnmower from place to place in the trailer. I guess the “Cutting Across America” theme sank in.

After Spike and I loaded up the Petty mower, Don and Ginger invited us to lunch so I wouldn’t be driving on an empty stomach. I of course never turn down food; no matter what time it is, so we accepted their offer.

Don and Ginger took us to a local café in Mt. Vernon, Hubbards. It was small joint with all fixings you ever wanted. We had a nice lunch with the couple and learned more about them. Spending more time than anticipated at the town, we had to say our goodbyes and we sped on into Texarkana.

Right on the outskirts of Texarkana it was time to get comfortable on the Hustler seat. I strapped up my gear and hit the throttle. Since it was already late afternoon, we would have a shorter day of driving. Along the way in Western Arkansas I noticed how green everything was and Spring was in full swing in this part of the country.

As the sun sat we drove into Magnolia, Arkansas. There we decided we better call her quits for the day. Even though we started off in the afternoon we still covered about fifty miles of terrain.

Josh

Apr 13, 2005 Today's open house at Trucks + (Trucks Plus) was a good break from driving by myself.  Kenney Gray, Oklahoma/Arkansas Hustler distributor was here.  Also Josh arrived from his R. & R. in Kansas.  He also brought his parents, Fred and Brenda, along.  When you hear Fred talking to potential customers and promoting the Hustler features, you know why the Hustler mowers are selling much faster than Josh and I are going across the U.S.  Josh got his mother on the Petty machine and turned her loose. The local radio station 95.9 (Power 95) broadcast live remote from the Trucks + location and Josh got some more air time.  As we were leaving the dealer, calling it a day, he was writing up the sale of a Hustler Fastrak. 
 
Tomorrow we head back to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a press conference with Richard Petty and the race car reporters.  Since there just happens to be a Busch race on Saturday and a NASCAR race on Sunday, we will hang around to watch the races. 

Spike

Trucks Plus is exactly where I found myself Wednesday morning. After enjoying a relaxing weekend at home and hanging out with my buddies at KSU and G-Town, it was back on the road. This time I brought the parents along, Fred and Brenda, to experience a couple days of the tour.
This particular open house was held in Texarkana at Trucks Plus. Once Fred (dad) and I arrived at the dealership, Mike Tullos (owner) came out to greet us, along with some of his men. Usually I have a hard time remembering names of the guys I meet at a open house, but luckily three of the four guys I met went by the name Mike, so the odds were good that I wouldn’t call them by the wrong name.
After meeting the Mikes, we found Spike cleaning up the Petty machines. Spike also enjoyed a weekend off at home. Since we were out of Texas now, actually right on the border (hence Texarkana), Vance Truskett wasn’t with us anymore. Instead Kenney Gray, from Sooner Distributor, came out to help us at the open house. I met Kenney earlier in the year when I traveled around going to some of the sales and service schools that he helped put on. Kenney also brought some equipment to assist with the tour.
When lunch came rolling around, Mike put hotdogs on the grill. As if the hotdogs weren’t enough, a radio station stopped by. Power 95.9 came out for a few hours to provide some live coverage of the tour. I got to chat with Wess and Tiffany, the radio broadcasters. Both Wess and Tiffany were very interested in the tour; Tiffany even made a donation to the camp.
Once things started winding down, the radio station loaded up and headed out, we did the same as well. The open house at Trucks Plus was another success. We had several people make it in to see our product and to learn more about our tour.

Josh

Apr 12, 2005 Today I avoided all nails and found another Hustler dealer in Carthage, TX.  Of course Anthony Bartlett from Dealer's Outdoor Supply pointed me to these dealer's.  Anderson Tractor in Carthage has only been a Hustler dealer for about two months and has already hustled up sales of seven Hustler mowers.  Owner G.W. Anderson and his son Kaine were glad to see the Petty mowers and brought the whole crew out for a photo session.  They want to use my photo for their website, expecting it to draw a lot of attention. 
 
I drove on to Texarkana for the open house tomorrow at Trucks Plus.  They are actually in Texarkana, Arkansas but if you are approaching their place from the east and your brakes give out, you will end up in Texarkana, Texas.  I am glad Josh will be here tomorrow as the local radio is going to be broadcasting live for two hours from Trucks Plus and Josh is the experienced media celebrity. 

Spike

 

Apr 8, 2005 Friday morning Vance and I hooked up with Anthony and unloaded all our equipment for the open house at Roadrunner Equipment. Once I got out the Petty machines, Robert and Gary couldn’t resist taking them for a spin. They both tested out the speed and once they got off they told me good luck.

Throughout the day we had small groups of people driving in to see the Hustler line and take a glimpse of the Petty machines. We got people from the city and the school interested in our mowers and also supporting the tour. Bullard’s mayor even made it out for the event to see what was going on.

By lunch, Robert made the initiative to take us all out for some genuine Mexican food. Once we had our fix on rice and beans, Robert took us on a short tour of small town Bullard. We learned some new interesting facts before heading back to the open house.

For the rest of the afternoon, a few heads showed up to learn of the tour. By mid-afternoon we decided to load up. It was a good show with several prospects coming from it. We thanked Robert and Gary for their time and having us. I also thanked Anthony for the help he gave us, this would be his last show with us, since his territory was strictly Texas and our open houses in the big state came to an end.

 

Apr 7, 2005 Finishing up the open house, Thursday was reserved for some mowing time. We departed McKinney and headed towards our next show at Bullard. I got back on the Petty machine and got comfortable, while Vance took the wheel as being my spotter. Spike headed home for the weekend to take a break, so Vance was now my go to guy.

All day we traveled on highway 69. Along the way we saw several fields just covered by bluebonnets, while the road was covered by a steady flow of traffic. Before the lunch bell rang, Vance and I found ourselves in Mineola, where we stopped for bite. We ate at Ranchero’s, a buffet, and got rejuvenated to finish the last stretch of driving for the afternoon.

Before we knew it, Vance and I drove into Tyler, TX, where the traffic was heavy, so we had to load up the mower and call it a day. After loading it up we had tallied up 61 miles for the day. The rest of the trip to Bullard was just about twenty miles. Once we got into Bullard we met up with Robert Graham, owner, and Gary Hill, sales manager, of Roadrunner Equipment. After getting to know the guys, we unhitched the tour trailer and waited for the open house the next day.

 

April 6, 2005 Concluding the open house at Denton, Wednesday morning we arrived at McKinney for our next show. At Landmark Equipment Mike Lyle, the owner, introduced us to some of his crew. We met with Bryan Bauldrey, the branch manager, and a few of the other guys. They started off the open house by bringing out and lining up their Hustler mowers. They wrapped the present with the Hustler line and we put the bow on with the Petty machines. Every now and then waves of people came rolling in learning about the tour. We even got a few interested in purchasing a Hustler machine.

At noon Landmark fired up the grill and offered juicy hotdogs and brawts. We filled up our midsections in a hurry, while chatting about our product to the people coming in for the free food. By mid-afternoon I cranked up the Petty mower to show off its speed to Landmarks service guys. They got all fired up about it and had to test it out for themselves. After a few of the guys took a spin on the mower and opened it up full throttle, they thought my job going across the country would be a blast, especially since I have the XM satellite radio to keep me company. We finished up the day talking with the Landmark fellas and talking business talk, which I’m starting to get a hang of. After thanking Landmark for the Petty party we were off to our next destination on the tour.

April 5,2005 Tuesday morning Spike and I hooked up with Vance Truskett and Anthony Bartlett again, and we all headed to the open house at Lawn Land. At the dealership, we introduced ourselves to John Grubbs, the sales manager, and showed him our Petty machines. We then met with Bobby, the owner.

People were in and out for the morning hours. We talked with a few of them and mentioned the tour. Even though it was moving a bit slow, Anthony and Vance landed a few prospects. Spike and I did get a couple of people interested in the tour also. One gentleman even knew about the camp and approached us with a generous donation. We were appreciative and gave him a genuine Mow for Victory Tour t-shirt.

For lunch Vance took us to a nearby Applebees, where we all stuffed ourselves before heading back to the open house. Back at the open house we received word that tires for the Petty machine were shipped to Lawn Land for us to pick up. We already had tires, but they were 26-inch size. The one’s shipped to us were the standard 24-inch size tire. Since our little gas tank mishap, engineering back at the plant, wanted to be on the safe side and not run into another bulging tire situation, which could ultimately ruin another custom painted gas tank. Putting on the new rear (24 inch) tires would clear up the clearance situation, but there is a downfall. With smaller tires on the back, that means lower speeds. So instead of running at 20mph, we’ll probably be running at 17mph (approximately). I don’t know how much of an affect that will have on our driving schedule, because it will take us longer from point A to point B.

By afternoon the open house had drawn to an end and we all thanked Lawn Land for their time. We immediately headed straight for McKinney, where our open house would be the next day.

April 1, 2005 Waking up in Waco, Vance, Spike, and I started heading for the dealer at Beechem Equipment in Marlin. Before we got out of town we made a pit stop at Lone Star 94, where we had a live radio broadcast lined up. At the country station, Lisa Raye, one of the radio hosts, greeted us with her big pretty Texas smile. She was a nice young lady who showed us around the broadcasting station. While she was leading us around, she pointed out that a couple of cats roam inside the station. They actually live there because that’s where the owner of the radio station, and the cats of course, decides to leave them. Lisa said if they're not busy shedding hair everywhere, they try putting them to work answering some phone calls.

Along with meeting Lisa, we met with the other radio host, David Hodges, who was also very personable. Both David and Lisa brought us in the little broadcasting room where they had all their microphones and gadgets set up. After listening to a little Faith Hill and Garth Brooks, they put me on a microphone. It was a short segment, but full of details concerning the tour. As soon as we were off the air, we were off to the open house.

Arriving in Marlin, just a few miles out of Waco, Danny Beechem, the owner, along with his wife, Julie, welcomed us. Right on their showroom floor they had Hustler lawnmowers set up with balloons accenting them. We pulled the Petty machines out to add to all the color.
Early in the morning till hotdog time, and into the afternoon, Beechem’s customers, along with just curious by-passers, found their way to the open house to take a look. To help with the good number of people showing up, Mike Mehaffey and Anthony Bartlett came down again from Dealer’s Outdoor Supply Distribution. This time they brought more help, Don Plagens, their service manager at the distributor.

Besides them showing up, another local paper came to the affair. Wanda Lambie, from Silver Dollar Press, was full of questions and taking numerous pictures of the pretty Petty mowers. By late afternoon, when the crowd died down, we declared the open house a success and loaded up the equipment, until tomorrow that is.

 

March 31, 2005 Just finishing an encouraging open house, Spike, Vance, and I were off to our next one. The next open house is at Marlin on Friday, so we were going to spend today traveling the road. Just like Spike wanted to take a spin on the Petty machine, Vance decided it was his turn to test out the cruising master. Since I gave up the lawnmower to Vance, he gave up his truck to me.

We left straight from Early, Texas and continued northeast towards Waco, where our hotel reservations were located. Along the way, Spike was doing his normal task, following the lawnmower and protecting the back, while I leaded in Vance’s truck knocking off oncoming traffic.

It wasn’t before too long that we arrived into Commanche (just north of Early) and stopped by Pate’s Hardware, which was another location Jimmy Pate acquired. We just jumped in to say hi and thanks again for the open house. While we were there though, the local newspaper showed up to take a few pictures and to ask some questions.

Straight from Commanche we went back on the highway to cut away at the trip for the day. When lunchtime arrived, we found ourselves in Hamilton, where the headquarters of Mike Mehaffey’s place was located (Dealer’s Outdoor Supply). We made a stop at a Dodge dealership in town, where Ben Brumbalow, the owner, and several others had a warm welcome for us, along with lunch. It’s been great seeing how all our dealers, as well as others, have aided and helped us on this tour thus far, which have made things so much smoother and more enjoyable. Once we were about to leave Ben’s place, Hamilton’s local paper showed up for a few shots and words from us. With a second paper interview down, we went back to what we only know best, driving.

Vance still remained strong in the cockpit of the lawnmower and I was enjoying his A.C. in the truck. By mid afternoon we had covered a good portion of highway and had no signs of slowing down, until we reached Valley Mills, where yet another dealership was located. Since we were going through the area we couldn’t help but stop by and let the fellas at BH Repair see the Petty machine. We got there in a jiffy once we entered the town and then we met with Billy Hollingsworth, the owner. Billy and his crew were very sociable and curious about our tour. We told them all they wanted to know, along with the what? You guessed it, the local newspaper. Vance, Spike, and I couldn’t believe we got interviewed with three completely separate papers in one day. We all were excited and encouraged, that this attention on the tour would continue to pick up momentum and reel in more supporters.

After making yet another detour in the day, we decided we better get moving again. And once again we were driving, but not for too long. Right outside of Waco we made the decision to drive through the small town of Crawford, home to ol’ G.W. (George W. Bush). The town’s size said it was a little over 700 people, and to think the top politician came from there. It started making me think I had a chance to do something influential and important like G.W., oh wait that is exactly what I’m doing now on this tour (bring it Bush). At Crawford we stopped only to get a drink at a local coffee shop, where Bush is a regular when he’s in the area. Straight from the president’s hometown, we finally drove and made it to Waco for the evening.

When it was all said and done, despite the stops, we went 109 miles for the day. I was surprised we made it that far and even more surprised that Vance stayed in the drivers seat of the mower all day. Vance said that it was a blast, just like getting out on his hog (motorcycle) and taking it for a spin, but not quite as fast. He took on some bugs like me and just had to swallow. Another thing Vance had to do, which I have not had the privilege yet, is dodging a flock of obese guineas in the middle of the road. While I was driving there was a pack of guineas on the side of the road. By the time I passed and Vance approached, the guineas were in the middle of his path, so he just used his horn (vocal chords) on the mower to scare them away, which sent them flying in every direction. Vance also mentioned how much road kill he witnessed and smelled during the day, which I think everyone should experience.

So it ended up being a nice day for me, since I got to take a break from the Petty machine. I thought Vance held up good for driving a full day and he still had a good attitude at the end of it. So I think he should be recruited as the back-up driver.

 

March 30, 2005 Arriving at Pate’s Hardware early Wednesday, we began our routine of setting up the equipment for the day. Before we could get that all squared away we had to take care of some business first. Spike, Vance, and I met up with Jimmy Pate, the owner, along with his sons, Jody (manager) and Jamy (salesman). They checked out our fine looking Petty machines after we unloaded them. Mike Mehaffey also joined us again, along with his sales representative, Anthony Bartlett.

Right after we arrived at the dealership, KXYL 96.9 radio station was broadcasting live from the location. They had a small RV with them that was decked out with their decals. Before I could gain my composure, KXYL pulled me over for a live interview. By this time I wasn’t too skittish and I was finally getting used to the media asking questions. The interview was short and sweet. I got the word out about the whole tour and camp, along with promoting our product line. The live broadcast immediately showed results. There were at least half a dozen people who came to the open house directly after the live interview, each one said they were listening to the show and wanted to check out all the commotion, along with signing up for a Petty blue and yellow lawnmower.

Once the interview was all said and done, Phil Watts, the owner of the radio station, along with several more, introduced himself to me. He was a nice down to earth guy that was easy to talk to. He was interested by the fact we were doing the whole bit on a lawnmower, and was very supportive of our efforts for Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Later in the morning the radio crew ended their broadcast and headed out, but KYXL’s own personal “Chuck Wagon” (smoked BBQ) took its’ place. Roy, an older gentleman, immediately fired up the smoker and began cooking some meat.

Meanwhile Vance, Spike, and I, along with the others, were constantly helping out the frequent visitors. Whether we were talking about the specs of the lawnmower or raising awareness of the camp, we all remained busy up until lunch, where we ate Roy’s good cooking. Even though we all ate a solid lunch, Phil Watts somehow persuaded us all to go out to eat at local BBQ, which was supposedly to die for. Phil was right and he treated us all to a fine southern BBQ meal at Spanky’s. I will say one word: “It was delicious!”

After declaring ourselves gluttons, the whole crew and I headed back to the show. Afternoon had arrived by the time we got back and the curiosity of the people had thinned, but not stopped. We still had many people in and out to learn more about our product and the tour. Just to give you an idea of the response we were having, several Hustler mowers were sold during that morning and afternoon.
Right as we began to load things up we ran into Silvester Jones, a.k.a. “Sils”. I knew right after meeting him he had something up his sleeve. Within a matter of minutes we found out exactly what it was - a rockin’ lawnmower like ours. He showed us his little riding lawnmower that was painted with a hot orange. On the side of his frame was text that read: “Grab A Gear and Go With Jesus”, along with #7 displaying.
I was taken aback by the whole deal because I knew he must have a fast lawnmower, meaning competition. Right when I was about to challenge him to a race, Sils said his stock Briggs and Stratton 14.5hp engine could reach speeds up to 45mph. “Good Night,” is exactly what I thought to myself, I would get obliterated by this man, since my top speed was 20mph, which I thought was humming for a lawnmower.

Sils of course demonstrated the speed of the orange machine. He put her in starting position and spun his tires pulling a good-sized wheelie in the air, as he made his way down the street. Sure enough, he was cruising a bit faster than I would or could ever go. Once Sils was done showing off his fine lawnmower, he mentioned this was a hobby of his (that is, whenever he can find time to enjoy after running his small engine repair shop) and that one day he would also like do drive his lawnmower for a charity cause. Sils also added that he enters racing contests in the nearby area that is specifically for modified lawnmowers. After chatting and seeing Sils skills, I didn’t feel so alone. I knew then and there that other people do have aspirations to drive lawnmowers like myself.

March 29, 2005 On the road again, is exactly where Spike and I found ourselves Tuesday morning. We unloaded the Petty machine and I got reacquainted with it after the short Easter break. After getting on the same page the lawnmower and I were out cruising the streets once again, with Spike backing us up.

We took off from San Angelo with Early, Texas as our destination. The majority of drive we took farmers market 765. It was slim of traffic and plentiful of nothing, although we did come across a lot of ranches with cattle, along with your occasional steers and beers. All along the way beer cans and bottles were guiding me along our route. The most common malt beverage I ran across was Bud Light, with the Silver Bullet next in line. It was a lot of excitement trying to distinguish what all the empty bottles and cans were.

Besides having fun with the roadside trash I ran into a considerable amount of road kill. Deer must be overpopulating down in this area, because I saw over a dozen rotting carcasses of the animal.
By late afternoon Spike and I completed the planned route for the day. While we were loading up on the side of the road a big dodge truck came idling next to us. It was an older gentleman that was just curious to what we were doing. It ends up that he drove by us earlier in our tour and again today, which was positive to hear that were slowing up drivers on more than one occasion.

Right after we talked with the older gentleman we met up with Jody Pate at Pate’s Hardware in Early, Texas. Spike and I left the trailer along with mowers there for the night, so we could get set up for the open house the following morning.

March 28, 2005 After concluding the media interviews and fixing the lawnmower, the next day Spike, Gloria, and I flew home for the Easter weekend. Before we boarded our flight, we watched Richard Petty give an interview Thursday morning on Fox and Friends. He was on national TV promoting the Mow for Victory Tour, along with Victory Junction Gang Camp. Larry Holman, eastern national sales manager from Georgia, was on the morning show with Richard, since he was a big part in coming up with the tour. Richard Petty did a fine job getting the word out about our tour, as well as Larry. Even though Spike or I didn’t get to be on the show in person, they did show some footage of me actually driving the lawnmower across America. So I did get a little more face time on the tube.

After watching the interview, we were off for our first break home to see some familiar faces. I got to hang out and relax with my family and old buddies at G-Town (Goessel), while Spike and Gloria celebrated Easter in Harper with family and friends.

Sunday afternoon arrived and Spike and I met back up to catch a flight to San Angelo, Texas, where we had our open house planned for Monday. Gloria could not make it back, due to being ill, so we’ll look forward to seeing her back with us once she gets better.

With a nice break behind us, Monday arrived. Spike and I regained our swagger and headed off to the open house at PHIC (Porter Henderson Implement Company). Once arriving we met up with Vance Truskett, a territory sales manager from Hustler Turf Equipment. I actually met Vance earlier in the year when we went to tour the Victory Junction Gang Camp and Petty Enterprises. Vance, along with Mike Mehaffey, owner of Dealer’s Outdoor Supply, which is one of our distributors, are joining and helping us at the open houses in Texas.

Once we got reacquainted with everyone at PHIC we set up the Petty machines and trailer as usual. While setting up, Nargis Norristani and Patrick Dove, both writers at San Angelo’s Standard-Times, approached Spike and I. They both got an interview from the two of us, asking the standard questions. After getting what they needed, Patrick took some photos and they were set for their story. So if you get the local paper, San Angelo’s Standard-Times, then you might come across us (good luck).

The rest of the morning and afternoon went smooth. We had more prospects in and out during the day and everyone there was thrilled about our expedition. Besides chatting with more strangers about the tour we also talked about it more in depth with Aaron Haire, Service Manager, and John Weardon, who actually is a sales manager at PHIC. Spike and I took Aaron out to lunch and got to go into more detail about the tour and the experience we’re having, along with getting to know him better. After we packed everything up and headed out, Spike and I reemphasized how important it is to keep not only the customers aware of our tour, but also our colleagues, which would be the dealerships supporting the tour.

 

March 23, 2005 Finishing up Tuesday, the lawnmower was in need of attention, so Wednesday morning that is exactly what Spike and I did. We went directly to the dealership in San Angelo, Porter House Implement Co., where we met up with John Weardon, the owner. He showed us around the place then took us to the shop, so we could put the sparkle back in the Petty mower.

Once we unloaded we met some more of the Porter House crew. They were more than helpful with getting us the supplies we needed to put the mower back in tip-top shape. In the shop Spike and I removed the gas tank from the cloned Petty machine, the back-up mower, so we could have a functional left gas tank on the one I am driving. We also removed the tire from the mower we have utilized and compared it to another one and discovered that it was bulging, which we didn’t think was the case when we free-eyed the tires the previous day. Lonnie Hamm told us that it was most likely what happened for the situation we described, when we talked to him on the day it occurred. Sure enough he was right and we got right on top of the problem.

We went ahead and changed out the bulging tire with a brand spanking new one. Once we tightened the new tire, along with the gas tank, the mower was almost back in mint condition. Next we just had to tweak with the canopy, which the wind used as a toothpick the beginning of the week. After we adjusted the canopy and Spike changed out the oil, the Petty machine was back to its’ rightful condition and ready for more riding on the open road.

Before we left the dealership, John mentioned that media wanted to come out later in the afternoon to get some TV coverage on the tour. We were thrilled about the news and relieved that we got the Petty machine makeover done in the morning, since this opportunity arrived.

After eating lunch, Spike, Gloria, and I got decked out with the tour wearables and I got back on the drivers seat, so I could drive into the dealership greeting the cameras. To my surprise, even before we reached the dealership, a cameraman was out on the side of the road shooting footage. Once I got into Porter House Implement there was two TV stations waiting, KSAN TV and KLST TV. Both men had cameras set up, as if they were going to interview someone (great…). Freddy, from KLST, local station in San Angelo, approached me first and set me up in front of the camera, along with hooking up a microphone on me. I was definitely out of my element and nervous. I was just expecting them to get the footage of me driving the mower, but that wasn’t the case.

As KLST was asking me questions I wasn’t nervous at all, and just telling him about the camp and our tour, the works. The reason I wasn’t nervous was because he never told me officially that he was rolling the camera while asking me all these questions. I was oblivious; I assumed he was just getting background information and then was going to ask me only a few questions “on the air”, so to say. Then all of sudden Freddy said, “Thanks, I got what I needed.” That is when it hit me he was filming the entire time, which I’m glad he never did tell me.

After getting interviewed by KLST, Jacob Rankin, from KSAN local station did the same procedure. This time I caught on and knew he was filming while asking me the questions, but since I got the hang of the first time, second time around was smooth too (thank goodness). Once Jacob got what he needed Spike and I talked to him for a short time afterwards. Ends up that he has came through our area because he was on a custom cutting crew, which we thought was interesting.

Later in the evening Spike, Gloria, and I kept our eyes peeled on the local news. Right after six-o-clock, on KSAN news, the Petty machine came rolling on, followed by a short segment of my interview. After viewing it I felt good and felt like I should retire while I’m still on top, but I guess the show must go on. We were going to watch for the KLST station to show a segment, but apparently we could not because they don’t air on cable. Either way we got on TV and hopefully the surrounding area viewed it. If so, that could really boost the tour by gaining more support.

March 22, 2005 "Don't Mess With Texas!" We messed with Texas all right, and it was our second day to challenge the state with the Petty machine. Both days we came out with battle wounds. The previous day of course, we encountered some hefty winds, which we found out in the morning (from the paper) that the gusts were up to 55 mph. We definitely could tell the wind was strong the day before, since it bent the canopy frame straight up.

Heading into the second day in Texas we wised up and took off part of the frame from the canopy, the part that bent, to prevent further damage from the wind. We then proceeded with our mowing expedition straight from the hotel and headed out for San Angelo.

The highway was our companion for the day. Since the shoulders on the highway were so wide, it served as a personal lane for Spike and I. Everything was smooth sailing for the morning. We took care of the wind issue, although now I did have the sun beating directly on me, and had a nice area to drive on. We were set for a great day of cutting across America.

Heading into late afternoon we were ten miles away from Big Spring, where we were going to call it quits. Spike was on my tail, like usual, blocking the vehicles that wanted to ram me, and I was mowing away, while jamming to the XM radio. All of a sudden I smelled gas while I was on the mower. I looked around the best I could, while driving, checking for any sign of a leak, but I didn't have any visual confirmation. After a couple more minutes of smelling the odor of gas I knew something was up. I immediately stopped and Spike and I took a closer look. Sure enough, there was a leak from the gas tank. There was a small puncture on the bottom of the tank.

Spike and I then took the initiative to remove the tire so we could ultimately take off the tank. After taking off numerous bolts we removed the tank and inspected it. There was a big area on the bottom of the Petty tank that was worn down, along with a small hole that was leaking gasoline. Apparently, from the looks of it, the tank was gradually being worn down for a while now and just today decided to finally give (puncture). We set the tank back on the mower, along with the tire and compared the clearance with the other side. There was only about a quarter of an inch on the side that was being worn and it looked as if the tank sagged a bit. While the other side of the Petty machine, the tank had about an inch of clearance from the tire and the tank sat more upright (parallel to the tire). We drew the conclusion that the worn spot, as well as the puncture, was due to the tire rubbing on the tank.

(Note for HQ: the fuel tanks used on the Petty mowers are prototype tanks. Also, the tires we are using are larger in diameter than our regular mowers. This was done for a better ride and increased speed. New, production tanks are now being painted to meet up with the machine shortly.)

(Note from HQ: It has been determined that the tire had gotten hot and it had expanded causing it to rub on the underside of the fuel tank. To remedy this, we will have to watch tire pressure and keep an eye on the gap between the tire and the fuel tank.)

After removing the damaged Petty part we put back on the tire and loaded it up for the day. We were short of our goal by ten miles, but still came out with eighty miles under our belt. With part of the canopy frame taken off, and now one gas tank removed, the Petty machine looked more like a ghetto machine.

 

March 18, 2005 Friday had finally arrived and we had one more day of shoulder cruising ahead of us before the weekend. After filling up with fuel, we headed out on the highway from Alamogordo to Roswell, the alien hometown.

Along the way we went through the Apache Indian Reservation area. The majority of the population there consisted of Indian decedents. After we were on the road for a while we decided to take a short break at a local station in the reservation area. The people in the convenience store were very curious to why a lawnmower was outside and why I was driving it. I, of course, gave them the full story and they gave their surprised reactions. When we were about to leave an older gentleman approached me and asked for my autograph. I smiled and said that I could do that. Once I scribbled my name on the back of his receipt I felt like a million bucks. It was my second autograph to give out since the tour began, I was on a roll.  

On our way out of the Apache Reservation we came across a lot of artwork drawn on cement rail guards. It was nothing like graffiti, it symbolized the Indians and what they stood for or did stand for at one point in time, at least that's how I interpreted it. Whatever it really was for or the significance of it, the drawings were very interesting.

Leaving the Apache Reservation, Spike decided to take the Petty machine for a spin and I took control of the truck. Spike drove for about twenty miles and enjoyed it. It was a different perspective for me seeing the back of the Petty lawnmower, instead of being in the driver's seat. Everything went smooth when Spike and I reversed roles, although there was one incident that could have been hazardous. While I was following Spike in the truck, vehicles were passing by like usual, until one little sports car mixed things up a bit. Before any of us knew it, a camaro went zooming by Spike, not on the left of him like other traffic, but on the right. The car went flying by, taking the shoulder and flew right by Spike nearly bumping him. Thankfully Spike was on the road at the time and not the shoulder, were I probably would have been. Although it was a close call, we all laughed about it after the fact.

Once we reached Ruidoso we decided to take our lunch break.   Spike, Gloria, and I stopped for lunch at K-Bob's Steakhouse to get some grub after the excitement. Besides the food being good we found some good-hearted people.

In the middle of eating, two ladies approached us and started talking about the Victory Junction Gang Camp. They knew all about it and didn't need us to explain. One of the ladies we met, actually has a friend that helps make the quilts that the children, who attend the camp, get to take home. After they heard how we were going about our fundraiser for the camp, driving a lawnmower, both women were thrilled. As I was putting a nice juicy piece of steak in my mouth, both women threw out generous donations for the camp on the table. Spike, Gloria, and I were in disbelief, because they approached us and started talking about the camp. Once we were done eating we took one of the ladies, Linda, out to show her the trailer and lawnmowers. After taking a closer look she said that this fundraiser we were doing did ring a bell. She ran across it in one of the NASCAR magazines. That was encouraging to hear because that means the word is getting out about the Mow for Victory Tour.

Just as I was getting ready to take over the driver's spot again on the lawnmower, another gentleman drives up to me in his car asking what we were doing. Ends up he recognized the Petty colors and is a huge Kyle Petty fan, not just because of his racing, but what he stands for as a person. I told him about the tour and he was excited. He whipped out his wallet and was more than happy to donate for the cause. Once we finally did leave Ruidoso, we were glad we stopped to eat in the small town, since we found or should I say, people found us and became new supporters.

Having our stomachs full and receiving a few more donations, we were pumped to get back on the road. We left Ruidoso and ended up having to trailer the lawnmower right out side of town, due to construction. Getting through the construction zone I went right back on the Hustler spring-loaded seat. Nearly completing our route for the day, I ran into some more bug problems. Yes, I have bugs. Small beetle-like insects drowned me later in the day, but I got used to it. I also got used to the skunk odor in the air, along with seeing some more road kill - three mangled skunks. By late afternoon we made it Roswell, were we would spend the weekend, with high hopes to see some extraterrestrial life.

March 17, 2005 Driving, mowing, cutting, call it what you will, but that's what this whole week has consisted of and there was no sign of us slowing down. After already covering over 260 miles the past three days, Thursday was going to be another full day.

Planning to get started early, we had a short delay due to a flat tire on the trailer. Spike had to take it in to the local Goodyear tire store in Deming, New Mexico, so we could continue our route. Ended up being a nail in the tire, probably picked it up from one of the off-road experiences we endured. Getting the tire patched we were ready for launch.

We left straight from Deming, seeing how much headway we could make towards Texas. Although we had a late start, I was optimistic that we could cover a lot of ground, since I have recently developed into a professional lawnmower driver. It's true, over the course of the past few weeks, the Petty machine and I have become one. It hasn't thrown too many curve balls at me recently, so I must be on its' good side. The only thing has been a surprise is the roads we've encountered thus far, today was smooth sailing, however.

The duration of the day was spent entirely on paved roads. We started out on highway 549 and stayed on it for approximately thirty-four miles. It was a long stretch that ran right along I-10. The view included mountains in the background and a lot of vehicles racing by on the interstate. Highway 549 however, was bare of traffic, for the exception of us. I must admit, getting used to all the scenic routes that were off road, made this route not quite as exciting.

Finishing on 549 we hit a service road that took us straight through Las Cruces, where we stopped and got a bite to eat. From there we continued on to highway 70. It was the first highway I traveled on thus far that was pretty busy. Semis were buzzing by me at seventy mph. While they were flying by, they carried a big rush of air towards me, forcing me towards the ditch at times. Now, that did get my blood pumping again. At one point, an SUV stopped a little ways ahead of me in the opposing lane. As soon as they stopped two windows came down with two ladies flashing me. No, not that type of flash; it was their cameras flashing at me.

Once the sun started setting we found ourselves going by the White Sands National Monument. Since we had to load up soon, we took the initiative to go check out the area. It was pretty interesting. We drove through for a little ways with the white sand dunes constantly engulfing us. Eventually we got out and took a closer look to make sure the white sand was actually sand and not snow. It almost seemed like an illusion with piles of white stuff and wind blowing over it, making it look almost identical to drifting snow. Sure enough, it was genuine sand. To make another check, Spike and I got the Petty machine out of the trailer and took it for a spin on the hardened sand roads, which we were traveling on with the truck and trailer. We wanted to take it on the actual sand dune area, but that was illegal and probably wouldn't be too good on the lawnmower.

When comparing the White Sands to the Imperial Sand Dunes they had their similarities and differences. For one thing both places were made up of sand dunes, but the White Sands dunes were a lot smaller than the Imperial ones. Also, the White Sands texture had a powdery feel to it, like flour. The Imperial Dunes was more course and grainy. Either way, both areas were unique in their own way and I was grateful to be able to experience both of them.

As the sun started to set, we headed out. We hauled the Petty machine about ten miles from the White Sands to Alamogordo , where we would pitch a tent (check into a hotel). Even though we did get a late start, we still almost covered a hundred miles of open road.

March 16, 2005 If we thought yesterday was an interesting journey, today almost topped it. Wednesday morning before we started the mowing again, we stopped by a local café/store, so we could get Internet access. While sending in my recent journal and pictures for the previous day, Steve Reno, working for Arizona Range News, approached me. Apparently he saw our trailer and talked with Spike and Gloria and gained details about the tour. Steve then came to me and asked me some basic questions, along with getting pictures of the Petty machines and the trailer. It was a surprise to us that we got media attention in this small town, but we were thrilled to have it.

Since we had a short delay from Wilcox, we were pressed on time for the day. We immediately started a few miles out of Wilcox and headed for New Mexico from the edge of Arizona. Once again we started out on paved roads, but only for a couple of miles. Before we knew it we were on windy dirt roads again, but this time we were climbing up a mountain.

We had no idea our planned route would take us up a mountain of all things. Spike, Gloria, and I receive the routes from Excel and go along with it for the most part, unless it's unbearable. Today was one of those days. If we knew before hand what we were getting ourselves into then we would have found a detour, but once we started on the road and up the mountain, there was no turning back.

The road going up the mountain, or should I say path, was very rough. I put the Petty machine to the test again. The road was narrow with pine trees surrounding us. The road continuously winded all the way up and the speed limit posted was either 15 mph or 20 mph, so at times I was speeding. At some areas Spike had a difficult time maneuvering the truck and trailer around the sharp turns. If he made one wrong move the trailer and truck could have plummeted down the side of the mountain. At one point we even had to cross through a creek that ran straight through the road. Luckily we made it through all right. It was quite the journey, though. I myself almost lost control and went off the edge because the road was so rugged; it just dragged me from side to side. Don't get me wrong though, I did have a blast on the mountain. It makes the day go by faster when you experience so much excitement. So, if we have more obstacles, like the ones we've already encountered, bring it on.

After almost thirty miles of mountain driving, we eventually found our way down the mountain and on to more level ground. We met up with pavement again and were very thankful for how smooth it was. The remainder of the day was spent on paved roads. Although, we didn't climb any more mountains, they were nestled around us.

Encountering long stretches of paved roads throughout the day, I was surprised how much traffic was on them, which was next to none. We were the kings and queen of the road. With almost no traffic, no sharp turns, or bad condition roads to worry about, the day did seem to be a bit duller, compared to the upbeat morning in the mountains. The smooth roads just didn't entail the same danger and energy like the previous areas we came across.

By late afternoon we crossed the border into New Mexico, heading Southeast. We started getting very close to the Mexico border, only about thirty miles away. You could definitely tell you were close to the border too, because of all the vehicles in the area marked "Border Patrol".

Although we had a late start in the morning, we covered exactly 98 miles of terrain. We ended up driving to dusk and found a hotel in Deming, New Mexico. I was glad to get to the hotel since it had been a long day of mowing in the mountains and across the border. I let down by giving my boys a holler back in Manhattan (Kansas State University).

March 15, 2005 Early Tuesday morning we filled up the truck with diesel and the lawnmower with unleaded. It was brisk out, lower fifties with a strong cool wind. I put on the warmer clothing with a stocking cap and gloves to get prepared for our journey. We were set; we got right outside of Tucson and unloaded the mower. Spike, Gloria, and I were ready to see what the land had to offer us this particular day.

The beginning of the trip was smooth. The first five to seven miles was paved road, but that ended quickly. We got out on Cascabel Road from the highway; it was another country road comparable to Ted Kipf, which we ran into in California, but this road had it's own unique characteristics.

Right from the start Cascabel offered us hills and sharp turns. The winding roads and hills became very familiar. We got used to the terrain in a hurry and had to endure it the entire day. It was a lot of fun for me because it offered steep hills, in which I could gain some good speed down. The turns also added excitement because they were dangerous. It was the unknown that kept it interesting. At any time while taking the sharp winding roads I could have met my fate with a speeding vehicle. Even though the road was dangerous, Spike and I were cautious. Although we worried about the curved roads, they weren't too severe because traffic on Cascabel was slim. Every once in awhile you would run into a vehicle along a curve. Luckily all of them stayed on their side and didn't drive too crazy when coming by me. The only thing I had to complain about was the cloud of dust they always spat on me.

By early afternoon we had gotten comfortable with Cascabel Road and everything it had to offer. Spike did mention the washboard roads were hard traveling with the truck and trailer; he could only go fifteen miles an hour in places were the washboards were really bad. I on the other hand could handle them pretty well. The Petty machine seemed to hold up good over the washboards, I just glided over them with ease and a little whiplash. The area we were traveling in was definitely desolate. We saw a few inhabitants here and there, but nothing major. Our surroundings were desert like, with mountains surrounding us and cacti always leading us on our adventure. At one point along Cascabel I made the initiative to stop at a little clearing on the road, by a ranch. Wow, were we in for a treat when we stopped.

Shortly after stopping, while I was stretching out my kinks, an older gentleman, Lee Helfrick, came walking from the opposite side of the road with his dog at his side. Lee was a rough-looking gentleman probably in his late thirties, which made me a little uneasy at first because I didn't know what his reaction would be to us. Spike and I greeted Lee; luckily he was friendly and helpful. We got talking about why we were out there and also why he was out there. He told us that he and his family (mom and dad) moved down there about ten years ago from Maryland. He also talked about how he loves his ranch out there and the great hiking the area offers. Lee said, "It's an excuse to keep in shape."

Soon after Lee's mother, Jean Helfrick, came out to greet us. She was a little ol' bitty woman with a lot of spunk. She came right up to me saying, "God bless child, praise Jesus, it's great you're out here, do you believe in Jesus, the son?" I couldn't help from smiling from the high energy this woman carried. I nodded and said yes to her, which then she grabbed my hand and proceeded to say some more blessings. She never slowed down and just kept talking to us about how great it was what we were doing and also a little more information about themselves.

From there, Lee took us over into their yard where he showed us the two fire department vehicles they used for the area. He said that there was a crew made up of ten guys, including him, which was all volunteers for the Cascabel Fire Dept. He had two big trucks, one that held 2000 gallons of water. Lee mentioned that they cover the entire Cascabel road and the surrounding area.

After spending nearly an hour at the Helfrick's ranch, which I initially just intended for a short break, we made some new friends and supporters. We gave them some t-shirts and info about the camp and they gave us hospitality along with a Cascabel Fire Dept. t-shirt, which Lee gave to me. Jean of course didn't want to leave me empty handed either. She ran back into the house and got a little hand-stitched sign with Jesus printed on it for Gloria and I.

After all the giving, Lee told us some good directions to where we were heading and said his farewell. Jean took a little more time and gave us more blessings and praises. She also apologized that her husband didn't come out to meet us. He was recovering from an accident. Ends up that a 1500 lb horse fell on him, breaking his leg in seven different spots. We told Jean we would keep him and them in our prayers. We finally said our goodbye, and parted from the infamous Cascabel (Helfrick's) Ranch.

About five miles later we finally made a turn off of Cascabel Road onto another country road that wasn't as hilly and didn't offer as many curves. We stayed on this road for the duration of our trip. Along the way we saw more ranches. As a matter of fact we drove right in the middle of the ranches. The ranches out in that area were wide open with no barriers along the dirt road. At one point I had chase a few cattle off the road with my raging lawnmower, with my canopy as my horns.

Spending nearly thirty miles on this particular road we finally made it to a town, the first one we encountered since Tucson. Spike, Gloria, and I got a hotel room in Wilcox, AZ and went to eat at a local place, Big Tex, that used a train caboose as their diner. It was some good old smoked meat. We all ate heavily for dinner making up for the lunch that we had to miss, since we didn't have any towns nearby in the afternoon.

March 14, 2005 Before Spike, Gloria, and I headed out for the week on the road, we made a short run to the Grand Canyon on Sunday. We arrived at the canyon early Sunday morning. Right off the bat we headed down a trail called "Bright Angel" that went into the canyon. I ended up leaving Spike and Gloria to go deeper into the canyon, since it was my first time at the canyon I wanted to take advantage of the time I did have. After a couple of hours I found myself near the bottom, about five miles down, into an area called "Indian Gardens." The hike down was relaxing and non-energy draining, but the trip up was a different story, tiring and strenuous. Although it was harder going up, I hiked faster on the way up than I did on the way down. By mid-afternoon I met back up with Spike and Gloria, where we proceeded to get a look from the "point", which showed the most of the canyon; it was breathtaking, if I must say so myself.  

After having a nice weekend at the Canyon we continued the cut across America. We started a few miles South of A&G Turf Equipment to avoid the heavy morning traffic. We started the drive making our way through Phoenix. Although we tried missing out on the traffic, it was still thick and plentiful. At one point through the city we had to wait for a train for at least fifteen to twenty minutes. It went back and forth a couple of times just to get a couple more carts. I believe I was moving faster in park than the train was, while getting the excess baggage.

Forty miles later we finally got out of the Phoenix area and headed onward towards New Mexico. The traffic never settled down along the way, but I took it by the horns and fought it. Getting near Florence we ran into some heavily traveled highways with little shoulder, so we were forced to trailer the lawnmower some. While we were driving, we stopped at a local gas station for a rest stop. After doing our duty we got back in the truck and started to pull out of the gas station to continue on. Before we knew it Spike and I realized something was missing, Gloria, oops that was close. Luckily we remembered her just in time, we all had a good laugh about it. Evening soon approached and we pulled into Tucson where we would take a load off for the night.

March 11, 2005 Friday morning rolled around and so did the open house at Peoria, Arizona. Spike and I did our usual routine and set up the Petty machines with the trailer at A&G Turf Equipment. Lonnie Hamm accompanied us again to assist in promoting the camp and our product. Now that we left the California area, we didn't get the privilege of Leo Ramos' company anymore.

Spike and I met up with Todd and Areland, the owners, early Friday morning to get acquainted. After chit chatting for a bit, they showed us their Super Z course they set up for people to test out with one of their Super Z units. It was a course in their driveway with a Z-shape to it, and the last stretch was a straight run for the finish line. I gave it a try and got nineteen seconds, I believe the best was fifteen seconds by Bill, a mechanic at A&G. If I could have used the Petty Super Z, instead of the stock Super Z, I would have smoked them.

Around lunchtime, we had a catered meal come in; it was some genuine Mexican food. A&G also had a big chocolate cake made up; it pictured a Super Z in the middle. Customers, plus prospects, started showing up by the dozens for the open house and feast. Spike, Lonnie, and I got to talk to the majority of the people there to tell them about Victory Junction Gang Camp and Hustler Turf Equipment. Most people were interested by the fact I was the only driver and of course we were going across the country on a lawnmower. A lot of the people also commented on the custom built canopy on the Petty machine. They all said that should be an accessory added to our product line; it would really come in handy, especially in that area.

After having a busy morning and afternoon the open house died out, and we packed up, getting ready to hit the road the following week

March 10, 2005 Being right outside of the dealership in Phoenix, Thursday called for a short drive on the lawnmower. We all got to sleep in a bit to be rejuvenated. Leaving around ten that morning we started the journey in the Cracker Barrel Restaurant parking lot. From there we entered the Goodyear traffic. The people in the area gave a curios look. Honks and waves filled the air, along with pedals floored to the medal, just because I'm going a little slower than the flow of traffic.

Midway through the drive in the city we turned on what we thought was the right road to the dealership. It ended up being the entrance to the Air Force base in Goodyear. Once we turned it was too late to turn around. The traffic going into the base was controlled by police officers, along with military men, all of which had their rifle wrapped around their shoulder. I was just wondering what in the world they would think once I reached the entry point, when you're supposed to whip out some form of identification to get in. I mowed my way up the man in the camouflage uniform with a hand on his gun and told him I got the wrong lawn, just need to turn around. He did his professional nod, and I was on my way. Spike and Gloria also came through with the truck and trailer and had to turn around too. While turning around, Spike told me on the two-way radio, saying, "I don't think this is the dealership."

Getting back on track we finally made it to our destination, A&G Turf Equipment. There we met up with the owner, Todd, along with some of his help. After filling them in on our trip and the other days of driving we went to wash all the equipment for the open house the next day. Concluding the clean job, we went back to the dealership to leave our trailer and the Petty machines. We were ready to get another open house started to get the word out about the tour.

March 9, 2005 Traveling through Southern California and crossing the border into Arizona on Tuesday, we continued our adventure that Wednesday morning from Yuma. The weather was splendid once again, so I had no problem getting back on the lawnmower. Now that we were in Arizona the scenery did seem to change a bit. The mountains were not as massive; they were smaller scale and a lot rockier. We did stay on busier paved roads in the morning with mild traffic.

By late morning we got out in the middle of nowhere. At one point on our route we had to take a detour due to severe flooding from a river, in fact it was over flowing the street. In the area we were starting to get into there were mountains, but not like California where they seemed to thrive. The thing I was surprised about, as well as Spike and Gloria, was the amount of agriculture we encountered. Later morning and early afternoon we were in farm country (doesn't just exist in Kansas). There was nothing but fields and fields of different crops, along with stationed workers in them. We came across vineyards, orange fields, and fields that contained heads of lettuce.

Along the fields were numerous semi trucks and pickups traveling. They all were hauling the produce from the field, which several workers were picking out or pulling up from the ground. I didn't like traveling in these areas too much, due to the big equipment traveling all around and amongst me. The semi trucks and trucks were constantly zooming by me picking up loose dirt from the fields, which just completely obliterated me in a haze of dust. I also had to fight off insects from the fields, which resembled or was a gnat.

I was glad when early afternoon came and we stopped for lunch to take a break. The place we stopped at was still in the middle of nowhere. We actually stopped at a cold storage plant for the lettuce that was being produced in the nearby fields; it was called "Texas Hill". It was a huge building where they store the lettuce at and they also would ship from there. Even though that was the basis of the building, there was a little part in the front that served Mexican food. So we gave it a shot, since we didn't know when we would reach more civilization again.

The Mexican food there was superb. While we were in there we encountered two older couples that looked familiar. They approached us when they were leaving the café and told us they were climbing some of the nearby mountain areas. Then it hit us that we saw them up on a small mountain while driving by with all our gear. They were so intrigued by what we were doing and were happy to get to meet us. The two couples even donated to the camp. We talked a little longer and found out the flooded area we encountered earlier that day was due to massive amount of rain. The river there was flowing when we saw it, but they said it has been 29 years since there has been any water in that riverbed. At the same place we also had a younger gentleman who couldn't believe what we were doing and picked up a camp envelope to donate. It was hard to believe we were in this desolate area and picking up this much attention, which was great.  

Before we left we were unsure of our route so we asked a young guy there who said he would be more than happy to help us. He started explaining the best way to go. He then proceeded to draw a map for us. He didn't know the names of the roads, but he said he knew were they were located. After about spending twenty minutes with him, we had a napkin from with about 100 lines going every direction, all of which didn't have any names by them. We sat with confusion and thanked him for his outstanding directions.

All turned out good, we found our way and got out of the fields of various crops and onto a service road that was paved but bumpy. That then took us to Old 80, where we had a stretch of forty miles. That was all nice and smooth with very little traffic. Along the way we saw cactus growing every direction. I myself saw a roadrunner, gecko, and some sort of rat, all of which were alive this time. The only road kill I encountered this time was a coyote, which was already decaying.

Again on this stretch, like the fields earlier in the day, I fought with the gnat like insects. By dusk they were getting thicker and I started inhaling them and swallowing them occasionally. Who would think something so small could cause so much discomfort. I was about ready to gas the wretched things, but I kept the harmony. Around seven we had traveled about a hundred miles and reached the end of our route. We ended up finding a hotel in Goodyear, right outside of Phoenix.

March 8, 2005 Waking up Tuesday morning I was getting prepared for another day of lawnmower driving. Spike, Gloria, and I gathered our stuff to head out. As we were loading our belongings we noticed something about the truck. The drivers' side window was down. Now the problem with that was it had been down since the night before. We completely forgot to shut the window.

The previous evening we got done eating and I assisted Spike hooking up the trailer. He had the window down so he could hear me say what direction and when to stop. That all went perfect, but then we finished hooking up the trailer we walked away from the truck, locking it with our keyless entry remote, neglecting to put the window up (you know what comes next). We ended up finding a footprint on the drivers seat along with some papers from the glove compartment thrown around that morning. We knew right away someone got in it. All that was missing though was some shirts and they were not any of ours, they were Lonnie Hamm's. Lonnie forgot some of his shirts in Palm Desert and we planned to take them to give them back when we met up with Lonnie at Phoenix for the open house, but that plan is shot now. The only other item we came up with that was missing was one of the two-way radios, which are used for our communication while I'm on the lawnmower. We got another set of the two-way radios and called Lonnie with the news. He just laughed and said, "If that's the worse that happens, then we're in good shape".

After having a surprising and stressful morning we finally got the lawnmower revved up. As we got out of Palm Desert we started encountering a lot of fertile land that was being utilized for agriculture. Most of the way out of Palm Desert we had palm trees leading us and it led us right past the Salton Sea. We stopped to take a closer look and found out just how salty it was. When you stepped outside your could instantly smell the sea, it smelled really strong and sour. We also could tell how salty it was from the rocks by the Salton Sea. The rocks all had a white film on them, which was salt that dried over time.

Leaving the Salton Sea we continued our route. After encountering a few small towns we started entering more of a desert type region. Sage bush, along with wild flowers covered the land. The aroma coming from the flowers while I was driving was amazing. I couldn't get enough of it, but before I knew it I began sneezing. This area that contained these wild flowers was also land that was utilized for bomb testing. We saw numerous signs warning citizens to stay out of the area because of government testing bombs. After numerous miles of flower and bomb land, sand dunes came in sight.

I was pumped up when I saw the sand dunes from a distance, because I have never seen anything like it in my life. All of a sudden the bushes and flowers just stopped and sand began. That is when we entered the Imperial Sand Dunes. The dunes resembled mountain ranges, except they were mountain ranges of pure sand. From a distance the dunes also resembled mounds of tasty caramel because of the deep color of the sand and the glow they seemed to have, also the way the wind was shaping the mounds of sand made them smooth and creamy. But maybe that is just me. While we were traveling through this sandy area we saw several dune buggies and quads racing around. I was tempted to take out the Petty machine on the sand to see how it handled. I mean after all it was painted like a NASCAR, had a souped-up engine, and of course it was endorsed by Richard Petty himself, which automatically made it a racing machine. Resisting the urge, I stayed on course.

Reaching the end of the Imperial Sand Dunes we made our next turn on the route, Ted Kifp Road. Ask Spike and Gloria about this road, it in itself was an adventure. The beginning of the road didn't seem too bad, but that changed. The road, or should I say off road, was similar to a country road, but since it was directly after the sand dunes it contained a lot of sand. The whole way on this road I was dodging sand piles and rough spots. Then on top of that there were sand bars we had to deal with every thirty to forty yards.   Every sand bar you could tell was washed in, because there would be a little outlet (path) right by it. So I would literally be going from side to side on this so called "road" dodging what I could then slow down immediately and try to slowly make my way through the thick sand that pivoted the mower the opposite way from where I trying to turn it.  

Just when we think it couldn't get any worse, halfway through, at a sand bar area, it was flooded except for just enough space for the lawnmower. So I made it through just fine going slow, Spike on the other hand had a little more difficulty with the wide truck and trailer. I thought for sure he would have to reverse it all the way back to the beginning of this "road", but he kept his momentum going and somehow made it through. In all we had to pass through three flooded areas. Luckily and safely we finally made it through all eighteen and a half miles of this road, or what I would say "creek bed". Spike and Gloria were glad it was over and made the comment that going 20 mph was almost too fast, even for them. I on the other hand thought it was a rush and recommended we should give it a second shot to see if we could make it through any faster.

  I know the engineers back at home didn't plan for the lawnmower to go through anything like this, but it did and shows how strong it was to withstand a serious beating. Reaching the end, a highway patrol and a ranger showed up to see how we were doing. We told them about the camp and everything we were doing. Both men were interested in our trip, but even more surprised that we made it through that road because the weekend before they got five inches of rain, which caused all the sand bar mess and flooding. Oh, and by the way we never encountered any other vehicles on that road, which we were on for nearly two hours.

Since nightfall came right when got done with Ted Kifp Road, we had to trailer the mower the last few miles across the border into Yuma, AZ where we got some well-deserved rest.

March 4, 2005 Friday morning we found ourselves back at H&H Powerhouse to officially begin the lawnmower journey. I strapped on my gear and put the Petty machine to full throttle, and we were off. I must say I got a taste of everything the first day on the lawnmower.

Early in the morning I had to hold my own in the Riverside traffic, although Spike and Gloria did have my back (literally). All the people in their vehicles stared like there was no tomorrow. The reactions throughout the day varied. The most common reaction I got was the blank stare, looking at me with curiosity. Others smiled and honked giving me support. I was just a guy on a lawnmower trying to fit in with the others, even though I was going a little slower (20 mph). But believe it or not, I did beat a few cars off the line when the light turned green. I tore those vehicles up, for the first few yards that is.

Just when I was getting comfortable stopping and going at the busy intersections, a wreck happened. I was stopped at a red light with Spike and Gloria directly behind me with the truck and trailer. Before we knew it, in the lane next to us, a Riverside Police car ran straight into another vehicle, which was stopped for the red light. Now we were the ones staring! Help soon came and the police officer was pulled out. He seemed dazed and confused at the time. His car on the other hand was in worse shape. Its’ entire front end was caved into the windshield.
After all the excitement, we were back on our way and I was more confident than ever that I was safe. The weather was holding up pretty good, until late morning when it became overcast and we had to pullover so I could pull out the parka. A matter of minutes after getting the warm coat on, the rain showed it’s face. So we stopped again and I got to test out the rain suit. From there on it was smooth sailing, other than getting pelted in the face by the rain.
Reaching the end of town, the weather returned to sunshine. There we started traveling on more desolate roads. I had to dodge potholes and road kill. The road kill I ran across was some flattened squirrels, rabbits, and an opossum, which was fresh so I got a good whiff of him. Before we knew it, we reached a freeway and had to stop to load and haul the lawnmower for a couple of miles. While stopped, a highway patrolman came by and knew that we were coming through, so he helped us with our route.

As the day rolled on, we rolled into our destination for the day, Palm Desert. Arriving there we met up with Lonnie Hamm and his wife Donna. With him was some news media from a local Fox affiliate. They got some footage of me doing what I do best, driving a lawnmower.

March 3, 2005 Going to our fourth consecutive open house, we ended up at H&H Power House in Riverside California. Dan Hicks, the owner, had three tents ready for us to put our equipment under, since the weather was a bit overcast. Beryl Hicks, Dan’s dad, was there for the morning helping set up all the tubs of drinks and boxes of pizza for everyone to enjoy. When Spike and I talked with Beryl he was very opinionated on NASCAR. He’s followed NASCAR since he’s been my age, and even remembers watching Richard Petty’s dad racing.

At the open house, homeowner’s and contractors stopped by non-stop throughout the day. We got the word out about the camp again, and came away with a lot of new prospects for our product. Lonnie Hamm and Leo Ramos were still with us, helping talk about the camp and the specs on the machines. By the end of the day we felt good about the turnout and pulled the open house to a close. Even though we were done, Dan was nice enough to invite us to stay to kickback and relax.

March 2, 2005 Entering our sixth day in California, we made our way to Yorba Linda to B&M Lawn and Garden Center. Mark Paquet, the owner, and Robin Miller, the sales manager, welcomed us with a fresh box of doughnuts. Mark has been a dealer with us for about a year and a half, and has done well with the product line.
At Yorba Linda, we once again set up our equipment. After setting up, Mark and his crew added some finishing touches. The area in front of his store was festooned with balloons, along with three painted windows promoting Victory Junction Gang and Hustler Turf Equipment. I have to tip my hat to B&M Lawn and Garden Center for the effort they put in decorating and advertising the tour.

People hearing about the tour through the paper and also customers, started rolling in throughout the day. We talked to them about the purpose of what we are doing and why. Everyone seemed to be interested. One guy in particular was fascinated by the autograph from Richard Petty on our lawnmowers. From there he went on to tell us about all the autographs he has collected over the years. I think it is safe to say signatures from famous people float his boat. Others were pumped up about our sweepstakes to win an autographed Petty lawnmower. They said that mowing would become a fun chore for them instead of an obligation.

March 1, 2005 The next day after Joe’s, we went directly to our next mark on the map, Oxnard California. We got to Power Equipment Center to meet up with Marty Kunic, the owner. He’s been there many years doing electrical work on cars and just recently (this past year) got involved with selling the Hustler line, which has really boosted his store. At Marty’s we set up the Petty lawnmowers, along with four other Hustler models for display. During the morning we got some decent attention for the tour from the people in the Oxnard area.

As the day slowed, Marty hooked us up with some Oxnard strawberries, which were handpicked that very day. Let me tell you, they were the juiciest and sweetest strawberries I’ve ever tasted and I bet the others would tell you the same. I guess that’s why Oxnard is labeled the strawberry capital of the world.

Now as you might have already realized, I have not said too much about driving the lawnmower itself. That’s because I cannot until Friday. The reason being, the area in California that we were at for the first of the week, we’re not allowed, due to safety regulations. All the roads in the area are heavily traveled, so we’ve instead hauled the Petty machines in a trailer and fought the L.A. traffic.

February 27, 2005 Although I didn’t get to meet up with Richard Petty again, I did get to come watch the main event at the California Speedway, Nextel Cup series Auto Club 500. Getting to park our vehicle and walk to our seats in the grandstand was half of the experience of the race. The place was packed with NASCAR fans and media. Even Arnold Swarzenager and Magic Johnson showed up for the big event.

After the national anthem, Arnold waved the green flag, and we were underway. Overall the race was pretty exciting and had a close finish, but still could have used a few more wrecks. Greg Biffle, number 16 ended up taking race and driving into Victory Lane. Kurt Busch, number 97, and Greg Biffle had a battle on the last lap towards the finish line. Everyone in the stands were up on their feet waiting in anticipation, as was I, to see who came out in front. Kyle Petty ended up taking eighteenth place, which was pretty good considering his pole position was thirty-ninth. Jeff Green, also part of the Petty Enterprises (driving car number 43), ended up taking twenty-sixth place.

Saturday was my first actual race to watch, but Sunday was my first day to experience the mass of the crowd. If you don’t like being surrounded by thousands of people, then I would advise you to stay home and watch the race. I on the other hand, thought it was interesting to see the different variety of fans out there and how die hard they are. We (Spike and Gloria, and myself) even met a few new faces and informed them of our little trip across America and what it was all about. Everyone we talked to seemed really interested, and said they would keep in touch with our journey on the website.

February 26, 2005 Getting an early start, we made our way to California Speedway for the press conference with the King, Richard Petty. Along for the press conference were Ken Raney, Lonnie Hamm, Spike and Gloria Hostetler, and myself. Lonnie and I drove the two Petty mowers through the garage area, (where all cars and crew are located) making our way to the media center. Along the way we stole the attention of everyone looking at the nascars to looking at our Petty machines. It was exciting and overwhelming that we were receiving that much attention.

Before the press conference, we got to meet up with Richard Petty and talk with him. I was surprised how personable he was. We all just sat around talking with him like he knew us. The press conference itself went really well and smooth. Around twenty media members showed up for the event. Everyone was really laid back and the atmosphere was relaxed. I was a bit nervous though, being my first press conference and having Richard Petty sitting just to the left of me, was a little intimidating, but after the questions got underway the tension lightened. I thought it was funny, one of the media members asked Richard if he was going to be driving the lawn mower at any time along the way, he just laughed and said, “I’ll go out and sit on one of em’ for ya".

After the press was done asking questions we went outside and got to take pictures with Richard and the Super Z’s. Both Petty machines were autographed by Richard, so when I lack motivation driving the lawnmower I can just look down at that signature for inspiration. After shooting some photos with Richard, he headed out, along with a crowd around him, and I came back down from cloud nine.

Later that afternoon we all watched the qualifying laps for the Nextel Cup series Auto Club 500 and then followed that with the Busch Series Stater Bros. 300 Race. That was the first NASCAR race I’ve gotten to see. I must say it was an experience. We had great seats on a place called the terrace, which sat right above all the pit crews. So we got to see not only all the action on the track, but up close and personal viewing of the pits. The noise of the cars and fans made the atmosphere exciting.

February 25, 2005 The day had finally arrived when I headed out to California to start the big tour. Ken and I arrived in Ontario, California early afternoon. It was my first time to visit the big state of California. My first impression was I thought it was beautiful. Ken and I walked outside from the airport with sixty-degree weather at our feet, which was awesome to have in February, considering the cold weather Kansas offers us at this time. There were mountains in the background, which were snow capped, along with green rolling hills. It made me anxious to get on the lawnmower and start driving to see more of the state.

After scouting out the area and finding our hotel, Ken and I made our way to California Speedway. It was a sight to see once we arrived, because of the big two-mile track and grandstands that seat almost a hundred thousand people. And to top it off, the mountains were right behind the track.

Ken and I ended up inside the track, the infield, and met up with Katie. She was helping us set up the press conference and all the other small details for the next morning with Richard Petty.

February 22, 2005 Send-Off Party at Excel Industries, Inc. The whole company, along with a number of Mow for Victory Tour sponsors and the news media turned out for a “bon voyage” celebration at Hustler Turf Equipment headquarters.
Paul Mullet, president of Excel had a few words to share, including the company pledge to match Excel employee donations up to $10,000.00 to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Ken Raney, advertising manager, then presented a short video from Victory Junction Gang Camp. After that, thank yous and introductions were made. And finally the chase crew, Spike and Gloria Hostetler and cross-country mower driver, Josh Schmidt were introduced to the crowd.

The Petty Super Zs were loaded up and the truck and trailer drove off into the sunset headed toward Fontana, California, and the California Speedway.

Employees and guests were treated to refreshments and each received the spiffy Mow for Victory Tour tee-shirt as a memento of the occasion.