Wendover Hangover
Court Canfield, 09.24.2000

I'm just awaking from the 2nd nap of the day as I nurse this "Wendover Hangover".  Wendover, a town where a "high roller" is someone who owns their own cleaned out cottage cheese container filled  $7.00 worth of nickels and where the "Wall of Winners" features a lady who won $1,254.00, extracts a toll of it's own.  Tossing in the emotions, deadlines and activity of the last week exacerbates that.

I've just scanned the www.badweatherbikes.com site and am reading about the dreaded "factory support" (a blatant violation of the principles this effort was founded on), revised t-shirts, nitrous, 200MPH, and a host of  "horse before the cart" thoughts.  Excuse me for a moment while I catch my breath and spend the next few days sharing some thoughts of what's been done, what was special about it and how I hope it's preserved in Buell history.  There is so much to share.

I have to start by sharing that this evening's report will mark yet another record . . . a reliable Internet connection.  Over the past week, Henrik, Vickie and I sat huddled in the coveted  "New Orleans Brothel" suite.  With 3 laptops on the dining table, a host of authors came and went.  In the two to three hours following the last key stroke Henrik worked on photo galleries and I struggled looking for that "etched in the brain" modem handshake tone.  Sound easy, huh?   In NYC, Amsterdam or Sydney, perhaps, but with a 75' tall neon cowboy waving a revolver out the window and the leftovers of the Wendover High School Glee Band trying to do a Santana cover set, it was a challenge.  I'm thrilled with the results.  Without Henrik, you'd all been calling my Mom to see what the last postcard said.

Congrats Doctor !

Yesterday, as I eased the thoroughly thrashed Cruise America motor home back to Salt Lake City in gusting winds, I had the chance to debrief young Richard Nallin.  Again, there's TONS to share about some of the techniques he used and the thoughts that went through his mind from the moment Monty waved him off until he backed off the throttle.  There'll be time for all that.  What you need to know now is how well Buell and Team Elves were represented.

Young Nallin is a racing Champion.   Period.

The young man thinks, walks, talks and lives like a champion.  My most memorable impression is going to be of a new friend who is courteous, soft spoken, humble, focused and generally the type of person you look forward to spending 5 days with.  For the record, MANY racers are not like this.  Nallin is a true professional.

In the interest of insuring the good Doctor gets more than 5 hours sleep for the first time in a week, I'm going to close this evening by simply saying

. . THANK YOU.

Most of all . . a huge "Thank you" to the Elves, those marvelous and industrious people who for so long worked incredible hours at a time when pay was slim and conditions were poor, to breath life to the dream of the RR-1000. More than anything, to me, the last week has proven that a 13-year-old dream  of Erik and the Elves was right on target.

Stay tuned. . .

Court

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