TOP DEAD CENTER WHAT A LONG, STRANGE TRIP IT’S BEEN
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s I write this, I’ve kinda-sorta recovered from the second leg of the “Where in the world is Dan Leadbetter” tour. I barely caught my breath before we were thrust headlong into the SoCal VW Week (actually two weeks, but who’s counting). Man, SOOO much has happened since the last time we spoke: so many miles covered, SO many selfies taken, so many new friends, so many hotel rooms, and lastly, SOOOO much fun! Let’s dissect things a bit, shall we? The Southwest/Pacific Northwest The first leg of the tour was the shakedown leg, broken down into two parts as a kind of dry run for the 63-day second tour leg. I was off to Edgefinder in Arizona and the Bug Bloom show. Arizona was CRAZY! Apparently, I picked the same weekend that Taylor Swift chose to kick off her Eras tour. The people at Edgefinder put on the Bug Bloom, and it was an awesome show! I went back home for two days, then to Techtronics in Sheridan, Oregon, to do a tech story (Project Showrunner got a new cat-back exhaust, more on that elsewhere in this issue). Little did I know it was going to rain pretty much the whole way there and most of the way back! After a great stay with the folks at Techtronics, it was off to the Bug Barn in Grant’s Pass. Lots of folks came out to say hi and take selfies! Then to Chico, California, to Latenight Aircooled, to hang with Bryan Houston and the gang. They won the biggest turnout of the first leg of the tour with about 25 VWs coming out. It was a great time, for sure. The last stop on leg one was Bugformance in Sacramento, California. Always a treat getting to hang with these guys. Lots of fun and always a good time! The East Coast I was back home for less than a week when I set out at 3 a.m. for the next adventure. The second leg of the tour was AMAZING! I met so many people and had such a blast driving around, hitting all the shows, and checking out as many EMPI dealers as I could. Project Showrunner did awesomely, averaging 53.6 mpg at 85 mph. Aside
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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’23
from building a gaspowered, air-cooled Bug, I don’t think I’ll own anything but diesel from now on. But let’s look at the totals: Miles: 11,195 Gallons of diesel: 243.36 Gallons of sweet tea: Too many to mention (can you say diabetes?) Hotel rooms: 21 Number of selfies for contest: Countless New friends made: Countless Traffic accidents: 1 I got to see the Roswell UFO information center, the world’s biggest pistachio, the world’s largest pencil, the Jack Daniels distillery, and so many other things — I really could write a book. I learned a lot of things about myself. First, I REALLY like driving! Being behind the wheel, rocking my Spotify playlist, and letting cruise control take over is just soothing to my soul. Secondly, much like Joe Bob Briggs of The Last Drive-In fame, I absolutely LOVE Cracker Barrel restaurants. (I thought I might run into Joe Bob and Darcy, but it didn’t happen. Joe Bob, if you ever read this, let’s go to Cracker Barrel… my treat.) I made it my personal mission to spell out “JOE BOB” on the checkerboards in front of every Cracker Barrel I stopped at. Yeah, I’m a mutant.
Mike Yegar at Mid America Motorsports blessed me with a Meyers Manx model kit signed by Bruce Meyers.
ILLUSTRATION: RON PETRO
I met and got to know many amazing and generous people along the way. Lots of folks came out to see me and to say thanks for bringing VW Trends back; some even brought gifts. Lots of VW clubs brought me shirts and stickers. Alan Shankles custom-made a bunch of VW Trends socks (we’re working a deal so you can get some on our website). Mike Yegar at Mid America Motorsports blessed me with a Meyers Manx model kit, still shrink-wrapped! Bruce Meyers had signed the front and side of the box. I’ll most likely be buried with it. But the biggest thing I learned about myself is just how much I LOVE putting VW Trends together for you each issue! Seriously, it’s a labor of love, and I can’t even begin to tell you just how appreciative I am that you allow myself and the rest of the VWT team into your homes each quarter. Your support, emails, handshakes, post shares, hugs, and well-wishes are not taken for granted. I am super-clear that it’s really you, the constant reader and enthusiast, that allows us to do what we love. So, thank you, from the top, middle, and bottom of my heart. Thanks again to everyone that came out to see me on the second leg of the Where In The World Is Dan Leadbetter Tour. This trip was so successful, we’ll be doing it each year! You still have time to enter to win a lifetime subscription to VW Trends. Can’t find me to take a selfie? Go to vwtrendsmagazine. com and download and print the Dan Leadbetter mask to take a picture with (don’t forget the hashtags: #ifounddan, #vwtrendsmagazine, and #empi_inc). So enjoy this issue. As always, would love to hear your feedback! — Dan Leadbetter Publisher and Editor-in-Chief dan@vwtrendsmagazine.com
