22 | August | 2012 | Engineered Performance

All Out Call Out (AOCO) is a heads up drag event held in Albuquerque, N.M and features some of the fastest cars in the area. This event was first started back in 2011 and this year on May 19th 2012 the second annual AOCO went off without a problem, bigger and better than last year. I was first approached by Alex Hanhardt of N.M Imports earlier in the year about this event and he wanted me to be a part of it. He explained the rules and regulations and the expected turn out. He sent me the website link to where I could see the buzz that was being generated and I was really impressed with how well Alex and his crew were organizing the event. After much talk back and forth over the phone I (EP Racing) decided to extend some gifts to help sponsor the event. I was eager to know how big this event was going to be so as the date was getting closer I thought to myself, “maybe I should take my wife and we both go out there to make a physical appearance”. Well the decision was made, my wife happy that she was going on a mini vacation and that our anniversary was around that time as well, so it was a win/win situation for us.

So I bought the plane tickets, scheduled off, packed our bags and off we went. Got to DFW airport and waited patiently to board. My wife and I talked about what New Mexico was/would be like. Of course we’d never been there so we truly didn’t know what to expect. Fast forward to 3 hours later. MARS…thats right folks, if you’ve never been to New Mexico and you are on your final approach to the airport all you can think about is the planet Mars. I joked with my wife about it and sent a text message to let him know we had landed and were going to get our rental and head his way. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (got some killer rates) which was really nice. We checked in and proceeded to N.M Imports to meet up with Alex for the first time. We hung around the shop some and then a black Z32 rolled up. At first I was thinking to myself, “who’s Z is this?”, then out pop Jeff Algarra or as we affectionately like to call him “Jeffe”. I also met Mike Taddoni who is the owner of Garage Built Rides and he was one of the big players to help get this event going. It was nice to finally meet these guys in person and talk shop and so forth. After about an hour or so of shooting the shit we all got together and went out to dinner and planned out the day of the event. Lots to do and lots to organize so we all discussed things, I offered to help as much as I could and we left dinner to rest up for the day ahead of us.

May 19th, dry heat, windy, about 87 degrees outside. It was warm but a good warm. The event started at N.M Imports for the Meet & Challenge preview. This was setup so that the racers could do their “call out” and meet the individuals they planned to race against. But remember, this was a heads up race so this was a first hand look for those that were participating to get a who’s who out there. My wife and I showed up to check out the buzz and see how many ppl were showing up. MASSIVE turn out! I couldn’t believe the amount of cars in this area. Made DFW, TX import scene look a bit weak in my opinion but none the less I could already tell this event was going to be really good. So I’m looking around and then start to see all these cars leave and head directly to the track, yep thats right…this All Out Call Out requires the racers to show up to the Meet & Challenge either by trailer or driving the car itself to the event but then they MUST drive the race car to the track from the meet. This was the rule to qualify to enter the race/event. I thought this was great because it put a level playing field for everyone. When’s the last time you saw a Z32 with huge Hoosier slicks hauling ass down the high way driving to the drag event? I surely haven’t as I’ve always seen them on a trailer. This is what set this event apart from all the rest. The fact it was a requirement made it that much more interesting to me.

So we leave the Meet & Challenge and head to the track. For being out in the middle of no where….literally, this place was really well maintained. It had a good feel and the racetrack was pretty clean. Don’t find that too often anymore. So people started rolling in, all sorts of Domestics and Imports, people from all over started showing up, it was turning out to be one hell of a show! Members of the AOCO organization were busy, with having ppl register and running practice sessions it was really a busy scene for them so I stepped up and handled the grill. Yea I know what you’re thinking, “why would you cook when you’re on your anniversary with your wife” well its simple really, these guys were beyond busy and I wanted to help out as best I could to give them a little break from running everything else. It was the least I could do. I was a cooking machine! I spent nearly 4 hours cooking but I had fun. I got to meet a lot of ppl and business owners in the area and saw some amazing cars! I didn’t get to see much of the racing but it was nice to just be a part of the crew not only for donating gifts and helping sponsor the event but to physically get in there and help them.

After the cooking was done and I had a chance to wind down for a little bit I decided to head back to the hotel. I was sun burnt, tired and exhausted from having a busy day but I had so much fun! My wife and I didn’t get back to the hotel till about 2AM! Yea LONG DAY! I thoroughly enjoyed myself that weekend spending it with good ppl and new friends and my amazing wife. I want to thank everyone from N.M Imports for their hospitality and making us feel at home. I look forward to next years AOCO and will absolutely make my second appearance in 2013. If you’ve never heard of AOCO definitely go check this even out. You won’t be disappointed.