Third Annual Mid America Capri Gathering

(08/28/2004)

Story By Bob (aka DrBob)

    I spent Friday night just lounging in the Jacuzzi in my hotel room. It was hard to get to sleep. I got up around 6 and looked out the window of the hotel room and saw another Capri "under cover". I got out and looked around the building and saw one more "under cover". In fact, the only cars under car covers were the three Capri's at the hotel.

    I saw how few cars there were at the hotel and got a little worried about the turnout. It rained all night (it seemed), but it stopped soon after I got up. When I looked out my window, the sun was peaking out and, Kyle had the cover off of his blue Capri and was wiping it down. I yelled out to him from the window to clean mine also. He didn't...bastard....LOL

    When I went out to wipe mine down, I saw George (Hey George, it's me, is that you?). It was good to see him again this year. We all checked out of the hotel and drove to the race track.

    We waited and waited and no one showed up to let us in. I had to chase someone down. lol. I got the sign up sheet, signed it, put it on Georges roof, and I went on the track for a couple laps. The track was bone dry and , words cannot describe the joy I felt throwing my baby into the corners. I got off the track and went back to George, and his wife and Kyle, and his father. After a few minutes the cars started showing up. First it was a trickle, then all of a sudden it was like the dam burst and Capri's were bursting out all over. Honking and waving from the highway.

    I have to tell you folks, the sight of all of the cars coming in like that was so absolutely, incredibly cool, and I may be understating it a bit. I handed out the "Bags Of Crap" to everyone who came. Thanks again to George for supplying this years buttons again.

    Little by little people ventured out on the track. You could hear the roar of Capri muscle (LOL) going around the track. People would run a few laps and then come back off the track, with HUGE shit eating grins permanently plastered on their faces. To stand at the top of the track and watch Capri's "Roar" past was a sight to behold.

    After an hour of on and off again running, we all got our Australian Flags that were in the "Bag of Crap" and put them on our antenna's. All of us then got on the track for some pictures. We lined up on the high banks and got some of the most outstanding pictures. After a while, we started to just cruise around the track. Sixteen Capri's whizzing (and wheezing) around the track made for some dramatic video tape. Pictures followed up in the infield.

    Next we backed our cars up a high banked corner. After expert directions from John (cough, cough), we were all able to get our cars lined up. I know that Russ, I and a few others were worried about letting off on the brake. To get an idea of how high the bank is, you could smell clutches smoke trying to backup. I put my car in reverse and it rolled forward at 10 mph. I had to gun it to back it up.

    After final track pictures, we headed out. Now I have to admit I did start us down the wrong road. After a turn around we started back. OH by the way I told people to gas up before the track, but a few didn't. No one listens to me.

    We got separated a few times, but would pull over to the side of the road and wait for everyone else to catch up. On one of those stops, I got a call from a friend in Freeport telling me it was pouring rain. So we had everyone put their tops up (bummer). Sure enough it started to rain shortly after. After another stop I pulled on this small side road and a kid in a Capri pulled up next to me and expressed an interest in my car. By then Capri's started arriving by the bucket load. I told him to look behind him and in front of him and heard him exclaim "Holy Shit, Cool" We invited him to join us for the drive to Freeport and the picnic. He came.

    We made it into Freeport, rain still coming down, and went to the grocery store for grillins. Some of us were in the entrance of the store talking when we saw another Capri show up. It was a woman with two kids and two dogs with her. We invited them to join us, and I don't know who was more excited, the kids at being invited to join us or me at seeing another join up.

    After finally getting to the park, I had a friend of mine with a barbeque grill already going at the park. Now the park we went to in Freeport is called Krape (as in drape) Park. I myself have traveled the world and have been to many parks, and I struggle to find a more beautiful park than Krape Park. We had a nice spot at the top of the waterfalls, in a beautiful stone plavillion.

    The grillin's were good and the conversation was even better. It was fun having the chance to talk to everyone. Meeting them face to face after talking to them via the internet.

    I had a great time. I also know that it looks as if everyone will be back next year for the 4th Annual Mid-America Capri gathering. or "The Mac-G"

    It is really too bad that people didn't make the trip. We really missed Mark Hendricks and Al Kroska, two of the originals. and Rob and Nadine who was stuck at some stupid wedding. Hey Rob, tell us, which would be more fun: Watching some poor guy get sentenced to life -or- running around in a Capri on a real NASCAR track? Oh well, we know where some peoples priorities are......lol

    In case anyone was wondering, the "Bags Of Crap" consisted of

1 "Design your own body kit" kit
1 "Smiley face Frisbee" (for the Frisbee golf game at the park)
2 "Smiley face Big Balls" (for throwing at one another)
2 "Smiley face super balls" (He whose balls were bluest of all, would win
the door prize)
1 "2x3" Australian flag patch"
1 "8x12" Australian antenna flag"
1 "lei" Ya, every one got Lei'd
3 "Warning: protected by attack kangaroo" stickers
1 "official 3rd annual Mid-America Capri Gathering Button.
2 "million dollars"
1 "deck of " Iraq's most wanted" playing cards

Some of the Frisbee's and Big Balls were personally designed and signed by me.

Next year .....T-shirts