Well I had an adventure that I will never forget. Have you ever sat in a room with two old time race car drivers who were best friends growing up but "all is free game" on the track?

David Gauldin and A.J. Utlaut are two of a kind. They grew up fishing and hunting together. I even got to see a picture of the two of them with David's brother, Charlie, holding a poll that had five large Spoonbill.

As the two friends reminisced about the old days of spending several hours working on their cars and racing, while working a full time job, I realized that friendships come in many different forms.

David told stories on A.J. and vice versa. And their nicknames for each other was nothing short of hilarious. I did promise them I would not disclose that information, which is probably a good idea.

Many track goers said that David and A.J. were taking turns each night in winning. After talking with them, that was definitely not the case. It was everybody out for themselves.

David said, "Most of the time, when you looked around, A.J. was right behind me."

Both guys voiced their opinions on what motor was the better one to race around the track. While A.J. was convinced it was a V-8, David was set in his ways that a six-cylinder was ruler.

David said, "I believe (the 6) has as much as the other engines do."

He continued, "You didn't need those long rods (that are in a V-8). Maybe to limp home on."

David has been feeling under the weather lately but after a day spent with A.J. you could see the fire rekindled in his eyes as memory lane made him feel a lot better.

David reminded A.J. that Charlie and he never really put any money into that six-cylinder engine. He slyly finished, "Because we didn't have any!"

"We ran the same block for several years," he proudly said.

David said that one night he thought about how much they make if they win a race. Back then, it came out to be a dollar per lap.

He said, there were numerous times he went to the pay-out booth and someone would ask, "Well how much did you win." He would reply, "Oh, about $3 and three or four 'I am sorry Charlie.'"

David said he had two big disappointments in his racing career.

The first was not winning the trophy in the 50-lap B-class at Sportsman's Speedway.

"I was very disappointed that I did not win the trophy that A and J got," he said.

The second was when he lost an "open-house" race at Sedalia. He started on the pole of the slow heat. He lead the first nine and 3/4 laps.

"I led that big, bad, fire breathing Pontiac," he said. Than the ring gear and pinion stripped out of the rear end of his car and "I had to pull off. I didn't even finish the race."

David explained how that particular group he raced with, "if they bumped you, it was an accident."

On that note, he remembered the time when A.J. put him into the infield at a race.

Someone bumped David and he spun on the white flag and he regained control and kept going.

Somehow he caught the white flag for the lappers. The next thing he knew someone hit him and sent him to the infield.

After the race, A.J. came up to him and said, "Sorry I put you in the infield but the race was over."

David wanted to run an extra lap on that afternoon race.

David's wife, Betsy, made an agreement with David when they moved to the house they live in now. David asked her to throw away all her bowling trophies and he would do the same with his racing trophies.

Betsy managed to hide one away. The trophy he still has is a small one from Capital Speedway for the fastest time. David laughed because he only ran once at that track.

David and A.J. were a blast to spend an afternoon with. I recommend anyone that is interested in racing and knows someone that has a history of stories waiting to be shared, to embrace it. They really are a treasure, and I know I have enjoyed everyone I have gotten to talk to. I look forward to meeting with more fascinating people.

Don't forget to check out David's story on our Web site at http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1296052.html.