“Everything flows” said old Heraclitus.  Heraclitus of Ephesus, otherwise known as Heraclitus the Obscure lived about 500 BC.

Heraclitus famous saying is pronounced, “panta rhea, ouden manei.”  The literal meaning is: everything changes and nothing remains.

Given this brief snippet of information, the most essential knowledge about this world and our life has been known for 2,518 years. The essential insight is that of impermanence.  Of course this is a hard truth, with difficulty we allow it to sink in.

I was reminded afresh of this lynch pin of reality while noodling around on the internet several days ago. I remembered a fine summer afternoon long ago.  I was sixteen.  I told my father a plausible story in order to gain an early release from the house on a Sunday afternoon.  I and a friend drove north toward Roxboro, until we came to the dirt road that lead to Person County Drag Strip.  The day was sunny and hot.  Clouds of dust swirled behind the vehicle as we approached the twin lanes of asphalt, the pit area filled with race cars, and a concession stand.  There was not much else.  I must mention the pine trees as the race facility was in the “back forty,” in the woods.

When we were close to the track, but not quite within sight you could hear it. There came a ascending mechanical-scream of racing engines launching a pair of cars at the starting line. That sound — like metal sheeting ripped by hurricane force winds. And then, followed the basso profundo powering-down roar of big block engines decelerating after flashing across the finish line. The sound rolled in waves off of tall pines that lined the track.  My pulse rate elevated.  This was another world.

I found a picture on the net of a car that I saw race on that day.  Hubert Platt’s Georgia Shaker was a Ford Falcon, altered wheel-base Factory Experimental drag car.  I saw many races on that afternoon. 1965 was the golden age of drag racing. The big three, as the American car manufactures were then called, were all selling muscle cars off the showroom floor.  Car dealers and then the factories would sponsor race teams.  Platt’s 427 single overhead cam car was distinctively a Ford product.  Chrysler manufactured their Hemi and Ford came out with the SOHC 427.  The cars were exclusively the work product of factory engineers.  It was up to Hubert Platt and others like him to add their quotient of ingenuity to make these competition designed machines reach the timing lights at the end of a quarter mile in ever quicker times.

For me it was a time that will never be forgotten.  Mechanical ingenuity, improvisation, nerves of steel, patience, attention to detail, courage in the face of failure, –got the job done.  I remember feeling the heat from the hot motor after the car was towed down the return road back into the pits, after a run.  You could smell the racing gas, hot oil, the acrid scent of burnt rubber as the driver and crew prepared the car for another pass.  I recall hearing the announcer making an appeal over the PA for anyone who had a spare Ford drive shaft to make available to the Falcon.  The racers freely helped one another out.

I came across a notice on the net that the old drag strip was up for auction in 2017.  I could not determine if there is a new owner or if the track will open again for this Easter to begin the 2018 season.

I also found an obituary from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution with the details of Hubert Platt’s death at age 83, in 2015.

Should you be interested, here is a short biography of Hubert Platt.