Rat poison`s first pull in the Netherlands

Jess and I arrived at the Amsterdam airport late Monday morning. We were warmly welcomed by our hosts, Helma Boer and Wim Dingerink.

We then were taken to Zwolle- hometown of the Dingerinks. We spent the day resting and getting familiar with our living space. In the evening Hans and Wim took us to pick up my new helmet from Motordesign; it turned out great. I want to say a big thank you for Kees for doing such an awesome job. After we were done there we ventured over to Kees brothers machine shop. Ben and Kees drive a V12 Mini Rod called the Vampire.

Our second day in Holland we visited the home of our sponsor, 123 Machinerhuur in Dronten. It was very impressive. Our next stop was to Post and Dros Machine shop (home of Simply Irresistible). The rest of the day we spent time sightseeing in a small town called Elbug. That is when we received the call we had been waiting for- the container was finally ready and on its way to Zwolle.

Later that evening we unloaded the Original Rat Poison and a `few` boxes of parts and tires. After all the hard work was done, we sat down with our friends and had a small celebration.

Wednesday was all work at the Dingerink shop. Wim and I spent the day getting Lambada 7 and the Original Rat Poison ready for competition. That evening we gathered with members from Team Double Screamin and Lambada for a nice dinner.?We then headed to the shop of Double Screamin for a small party. Thursday was also a busy day for us. We finished up the last work on the tractors and loaded the trailer for the trip to Rotterdam on Friday. Friday morning Helma, Wim, Jess and I headed for the Amsterdam airport to pick up our American friends; engine builder Brian Knox and two wheel drive puller Kyloe Knapp. They came to support us at Ahoy. After we picked the two up we took the train into downtown Amsteram. We acted like true tourists and took a boat ride through the canals of the city. We also went on foot and walked through the streets. Early that evening we met some of the team at Ahoy stadium and watched a few practice runs. Then we headed back to our hotel for a night of good times with our friends.

Saturday had finally arrived!? Everyone from Team Lambada and Double Screamin` set up our pit area at the event. The opening ceremony was exciting- full of fireworks and a laser show. The pulling started around 1 and lasted most of the day.? It was very exciting!? The Rat received first place in both sessions and team Lambada finished runner up both times. Bertus Boer and Double Screamin` also finished in first place in the 3.5 class. Willem Dingerink finished the night off with one more win from Lambada in the 4.5 class. It was an excellent start to a new season!



I truly enjoyed my stay in Holland and could not be happier with the way things turned out. Jess and I were treated like family and I cannot wait to come back. Everyone that was involved with the event at Ahoy was great. We made many friends and hopefully gained a few fans.

Phil Fairbanks