However, not many vehicles can boast of the accomplishment that occurred about 7 pm on the 10^th of December. Rodney rolled over 300,000 miles while rolling down the right lane of Bristol Dragway. Each year, Bristol allows cars onto the grounds to view thousands of Christmas (not holiday) lights decorating the complex.

Rodney reached a milestone on December the 10^th of 2006. Rodney is the name that my frequent travel companion Brian Wood and I have given to the Astro van in which I have criss-crossed the country for the last 5 years. We gave it that name because any time someone asked what I drive and I tell them an Astro they usually roll their eyes and give me that “I’m Sorry” look. Since the Astro gets no respect, it has earned that name.

However, not many vehicles can boast of the accomplishment that occurred about 7 pm on the 10^th of December. Rodney rolled over 300,000 miles while rolling down the right lane of Bristol Dragway. Each year, Bristol allows cars onto the grounds to view thousands of Christmas (not holiday) lights decorating the complex.

Knowing that the momentous occasion was near, I was able to time it so that the odometer rolled over the 300,000 mark as I drove down the right lane of the storied dragway. So that is why this column is named 300,000 miles, 1320 feet. Now, how cool is that?

300,000 miles is a long time to be in a vehicle and a lot of things have happened during that time so I thought I would try to recount some of them for you:

a d v e r t i s e m e n t

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Favorite phrase uttered:  “We’re here.”

Most hated phrase heard too often: “You missed your turn.”

Best smell: Just south of Toledo, OH. there is a bakery near the intersection of I-75 and I-80. On one of the many trips past that spot, it was 3am and I stopped for 10 minutes on the side of the road just to let the freshly cooked bread aroma drift through the open window. I think I gained 5 pounds just from the richness of the smell.

Worst smell: no comment

Most regretful comment: Driving west on I-40 on one trip, we encountered a huge traffic jam. Sitting almost stationary for 2 hours, I heard myself say, “If this is an accident, it better be a good one.” As it turned out, a tanker truck had struck the side of the mountain and burst into flames. 2 hours later as I slowly moved past the accident, the truck and driver were still ablaze. I still feel the sorrow of having made that comment.

Poignant moment: My father passed 3 years ago and I got the last hat that he wore. I wore that hat daily for 18 months while traveling and at the track. Again while on I-40 heading to Memphis, the hat was lying on the dash and the windows were open. A cross wind came through the windows and blew the hat out onto the median. I choose not to create a possible accident by stopping to retrieve it. I still miss that hat and my dad.

Most beautiful view: I have not driven the van through the western United States just because I don’t have time to drive and make all the events that I cover. So, most of my beautiful views are east of San Antonio. I think that is about as far as Rodney and I have driven westward. The most beautiful view is crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall. Driving up I-26 through North Carolina and into Tennessee on the way from Greer, South Carolina to Bristol has to be most eye-pleasing stretch of interstate that I have seen.

Worse Views: Detroit

Best Roads: Texas

Worse Roads: see worse views

Best thing to make the drives more pleasant: XM satellite radio. I don’t get tendonitis any more from twisting the knob looking for decent music. I can listen to the same smooth jazz or classical station from my driveway to any track and not hear a single screaming used car ad. Now that is a blessing.

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What does it take for an Astro to reach 300,000 miles? In this case:

Two transmissions.

Two alternators

One water pump

Two power window motors

One front windshield

One passenger window

One fuel pump

Six sets of Goodyears

Ten flat tires

Two catastrophic blowouts

Four batteries

Four sets of brake pads

One set of brake rotors

One A/C blower motor

15,112 gallons of gas

60 oil changes (every 5000 miles. I have always felt the 3000 mile deal was just an attempt to extract more money from car owners. Rodney seems to have helped me prove that.)

And the most phenomenal  thing…… the original spark plugs were changed at 294,000 miles and they looked great.

I play with numbers in my head while driving to keep me alert and avert some of the boredom, although some of the more intelligent conversation I have ever had were about 3am when I am traveling alone. Some of the numbers that I play with include calculating the gas mileage from point to point, distance traveled from such and such place or to the next stop, just any thing to keep alert.

With a calculator and more time to do some calculations, here are some interesting, to me any way, numbers accumulated over 300,000 miles:

15,112 gallons of gas at an average cost of $2.05 = $30,979.60

I have averaged going to 40 events per year for the last 5 years. To 30 of those events I have driven instead of flying. So over the last 5 years, that is approximately 150 flights that I didn’t cost the magazine.

150 x $300 average flight cost. = $45,000

10 events per year at least where I also carried other staff members instead of flying.

50 x $300 = $15,000

That also means I did not need a rental car for those events.

150 x $200 per weekend = $30,000

An average of one night a month sleeping in the van as opposed to a hotel room while traveling.  That is 60 nights.

60 nights x $80 = $4,800

An Astro doesn’t normally get much respect but after crunching a few numbers, I think Rodney should get a nice round of applause for sacrificing his life and saving enough money to help keep the magazine solvent since 2001.

See you on the road soon…… give Rodney a wave….he would appreciate it as he strives for 400,000.