I don’t suppose that I should be surprised. It just seems odd to me to see what I have always called a ‘garden tractor’ that prob’ly moves at a whoppin’ five or six miles per hour tops, bein’ designed to look like it’s goin’ a hunderd and ten.

In fact, I’ve never seen a ridin’ mower actually used as a ‘tractor’ in the traditional sense, pullin’ a little plow or little disk. I suppose there are some bein’ used for heaver tasks than mowin’, but they are mainly just big grass cutters.

I still like the old fashioned ridin’ machines that cut a wide swath and looks like it’s tractor namesake. Lots of engine and tires with a comfortable seat. All of it out in the open where you can see the workin’s. Who would wanna cover up a beauty like a Briggs and Straton?

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin'

CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

Sponsored by Metcalf Auto Supply

Dear Tom and Ray:

My son, who transports cars for a living, says that we should not put a car battery on the garage floor for more than a few moments while we’re moving it from one place to another. In other words, we should never store it on the garage floor. Why? He claims that it will discharge. He says it happens to them all the time. Now, I’m an electrical engineer. Nothing in my knowledge, training or experience tells me anything about cement garage floors being in any way, shape or form conductive, or in any way a cause of battery discharge. Which one of us is nuts? - Tom

RAY: Your son is. We’ve always been told not to leave car batteries on garage floors, too. But that’s so other mechanics won’t trip and crack their heads.

TOM: Cement is not conductive. You’re right about that. But any rechargeable battery - that’s left anywhere - eventually will lose its charge. Rechargeable batteries are particularly quick to discharge. Just like your cell phone’s battery runs down when it’s sitting on the kitchen counter overnight.

RAY: There are some people who have told us that this old myth comes from the days when battery casings were made out of wood. If the battery acid spilled out, it could make the wood wet, and create a conductive path to a moist cement floor. TOM: Another theory is that garage floors are simply colder than, say, workbenches. And, as every electrical engineer knows, chemcial reactions slow down in lower temperatures. So, while the battery might not be discharging on the cement floor, it might be cooling off, and be less able to pump out its power temporarily.

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Jeff Gordon Still a Wonder

CONCORD, N.C. -- Jeff Gordon, who will turn 38 in August, remains remarkably youthful.

It is, however, misleading, as apparent youth often is.

"I’ve always said, as a race-car driver, that you never stop learning ... ever," Gordon says.

Gordon is one of those athletes about whom the phrase "forever young" seems appropriate. His voice remains that of a teenager, still etched in wonder even as the words coming from his mouth evoke experience and maturity.

Earlier this season, Gordon won the 82nd race of his career. Only five drivers -- Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105), Bobby Allison (84), Darrell Waltrip (84) and Cale Yarborough (83) -- have won more. Only two, Petty and Dale Earnhardt, have won more than four championships.

Gordon won officially for the first time in the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29, 1994, almost 15 years ago.

"I was thrilled to get my first win here," he said of the track. "The first time I came down to Charlotte to drive a stock car was out in Rockingham at Buck Baker Driving School, and I remember driving by the speedway, wanting to see the speedway, and I was just blown away by this place. Then, getting a chance to drive a car here for the first time, I just fell in love with it from day one.

"It’s pretty ironic to me and blew me away that I got my first Cup win at this race track, especially in such a big event like the 600."

In retrospect, that victory was a prophecy. It foretold greatness. Truth is, it wasn’t that much of a surprise at the time. Gordon had already been declared a boy wonder, which is why, much to the chagrin of Ray Evernham (his crew chief at the time), fans and journalists began referring to him as Wonder Boy.

Gordon, who was born in Vallejo, Calif., but served his racer’s apprenticeship in Pittsboro, Ind., is now an aging superhero. It wouldn’t be surprising given his backaches -- after all, drivers hit a lot of walls -- if there weren’t a certain expectation that the once Wonder Boy is still "faster than a speeding locomotive and able to leap tall buildings at a single bound."

So Gordon grunts a little when he wakes up in the morning. He’s a family guy with a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter. The boy from the sprint cars who once seemed suspended in adolescence is now a man, fully formed, coping with all the obligations and commitments conferred by time.