As I ponder all the miles traveled and memorable experiences I ’ ve encountered in this vehicle , it is with mixed emotions that I announce that the famous DI Sprinter will be retired and replaced with a newer model in early 2018 .

As far as cargo vans go , the DI Sprinter is kind of iconic and very well-known around the track . People always seem amused when they learn that we actually acquired this beloved vehicle by way of an eBay transaction in late 2009 ! This particular Sprinter van was originally sold new at a dealership in New Jersey , when it was purchased by an upstate New York company who used it to haul drums of chemicals . After they retired it from their fleet , a car dealership acquired it and listed it online via eBay . After the auction had ended – with yours truly being the winning bidder – I flew to Albany , New York , and drove the Sprinter home to North Carolina , where it has resided ever since .

The motivation for us to acquire a high-roof cargo van was because we thought it would make a practical vehicle to haul a golf cart , pack boxes of magazines and t-shirts , and also “ get noticed ” as I travel the country in an earnest attempt to visit every single operational drag strip in America , and while I ’ ve no doubt pulled through the gates of many tracks , I ’ ve really only scratched the surface of what ’ s out there in this great land of ours .

Before the Sprinter visited a single track , though , the first place we took it was to Chuck Chapman ’ s paint shop , where Chuck sprayed the eye-catching design dreamed up by Eddie Hollon . Amazingly , Chuck lives only a few miles across town from me , so he was the obvious choice when it came time to

commission a world-class painter for the Sprinter , and he did an amazing job .

It made its debut a short time later at the Greensboro Coliseum during the annual Shriner ’ s Drag Racing and Hot Rod expo in January . My local Farmington Dragway was the first drag strip I took the Sprinter , while the first major trek I ever embarked upon began late on a Tuesday when I left for Baytown , Texas , for an ADRL race , as my wife stood at the door and waved me off when I began the 15-plus-hour journey . I remember thinking , “ OK , now this is a serious trip !” The Sprinter did fine and got me there and back in about seven days round trip .

Thankfully , it would be years before it ever broke down on me , but even then it was inevitable ... you simply can ’ t stay gone 170-plus days a year and not experience mechanical problems . As it turned out , the Sprinter had a bad habit of breaking serpentine belts , and would render me stranded until AAA could arrive with a roll back . Amazingly , I experienced only one flat tire in all the miles I drove it . Never did I encounter any serious engine trouble , and the original transmission and rear end are both still intact .

I ’ ve seen a whole lot of the country in that vehicle , and in stark contrast to cruising alongside the ocean , I ’ ve also driven it through downtown Brooklyn , New York , as I journeyed to visit my beloved Yankee relatives after an event at Englishtown

. I ’ ve saluted the Washington Monument from the interstate , and even humorously shouted “ Yo , Adrian !” as I slowly drove past the statue of Rocky Balboa , which is located a short distance from the famous “ Rocky Steps ” on Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia .

Best I can tell , I ’ ve driven that vehicle through 30 states ... and that repeatedly ! I ’ ve pondered a few dreams as the sun slipped out of sight while driving through Oklahoma and Kansas on warm summer nights with the windows rolled down . I even discovered my love of watching Greyhounds race in my travels a few years ago , when

I stopped in Cross Lanes , West Virginia , after seeing a sign on the interstate advertising Greyhound racing . The DI Sprinter finally began to show its age in 2015 , when it famously stranded me three times that year ! I seriously thought AAA was going to cancel my policy , and I strongly considered trading vehicles that year . I kept on driving it , though , and it ’ s actually been pretty reliable in the years that followed .

It ’ s amazing how many inquisitive looks and “ thumbs up ” I ’ ve gotten , and even people I met away from the track who wanted to subscribe to DI ! I ’ ve actually sold magazine subscriptions to people I ’ ve met at Waffle Houses , gas stations , motels and rest areas . I walked out of a McDonalds once and found a note left on the Sprinter from someone

wanting to renew their subscription !

My favorite unscripted subscription sale happened late one night when I was driving through Georgia and this guy pulls up beside me at a stop light . “ You going to Lights Out ?” he asked from his car . “ You know it !” I bellowed back . He told me he was headed there too , and said he would look me up because he wanted to subscribe . I said , “ Why wait ... let ’ s do it now !” We both started laughing as we pulled off the road and into a Burger King parking lot at 11 o ’ clock at night , where I signed him up for a 1-year subscription – and signed up his passenger ! I saw the guy in Orlando years later and he asked me if I remembered selling him a subscription late one night in Georgia . I excitedly replied , “ That was you !?” We had another good laugh about it and I was pleased to hear that he ’ s still enjoying the magazine .

I ’ ve truly gathered some fond memories in my travels , and all the while there was the DI Sprinter not too far away . It had 181,000 miles on it the first time I ever cranked it . At the conclusion of the 2017 season , the odometer showed just over 439,000 . On the very last race of the 2017 season , wouldn ’ t you know it ... the Sprinter stranded me in Florida . I was grounded four days while I awaited parts , but even then it wasn ’ t a complete disaster since the nice folks at LeBelle Dodge gave me the keys to an awesome loaner Ram truck , so I drove over to nearby Bonita Springs and watched some Greyhounds race – twice ! By the time all the parts had come in to fix the Sprinter , I had regrettably missed half the Snowbirds at Bradenton , but I did manage to arrive mid-day on Saturday to close out the 2017 race season . I came home and promptly put the DI Sprinter up for sale .

It ’ s been a good one , but she ’ s ready for greener pastures . Meanwhile , I ’ ll be ready to hit the ground running in late January , because there ’ s so many cross-country trips I still want to take , as well as intriguing drag strips I fully intend on exploring . Here ’ s to 2018 and all the wonderment that ’ s sure to follow . Hope to see you there ! DI