This year's Sun Bowl marks the second time the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have played in El Paso. (The first was in 1970 against Texas Tech in the first Sun Bowl game that featured ranked teams.) But did you know that this football showcase will also be the second time the Ramblin Reck has made it out West?

It's the farthest west the Reck has ever been. At approximately 1,420 miles, it's a trip made for only the young and strong in spirit (and legs after sitting in the car for so long). For the 2011 Sun Bowl, the current Reck Driver and his successor will be making the trip. In preparation for this trip, I was able to discuss the 1970 Sun Bowl trip with the 1970 Reck Driver, Pat Hurley. Pat has become a good friend of mine over the past few years and was excited to tell me about the game.

The bowl game scenario was different back then as we might expect. Bowl games meant something and it was a privilege to get an invite. Pat told me that the Sun Bowl billed the matchup as "Tech vs. Tech" and there was excitement on campus tbe able to plays the ranked Red Raiders.

With all Ramblin' Reck stories come some sort of "heart attack" story. Pat's story with the Reck is one that was on the way to a photo-op. Let's see if I can give you guys the highlights without any pictures (Georgia Tech's archives are shut down until January 3rd due to some server heating issues).

- Money was needed for Ramblin' Reck transport to El Paso - Ramblin Reck Club sends out cold calls and letters.

- President of then small, now defunct airline company was a GT alum and offered to help support the trip's cause.

- Photo opportunity with the Ramblin' Reck and an airplane - WHERE IS THIS PICTURE?!

- While driving to the airport, the car overheated! While driving down the interstate - yes the interstate, times were different back then - Pat had to pull off to the side of the road and pour a gallon of water down the radiator cap. Take a second and imagine that for a second. Pretty sure Bird, myself. and 'ole DressHerInWhiteAndGold are all shaking with that.

Before trekking out to El Paso, Pat got a call from the Athletic Association at the time and got to fly on the team charter plane. The Reck actually got carried in a U-Haul by two other club members across the country.

The game itself for the Reck was uneventful which is always a good thing. Pat's favorite memories from the game waere the Reck chasing the Red Raider on his horse underneath the stadium tunnel (LOL) and being taken care of completely by the very hospitable Sun Bowl Committee. The current Driver's sentiments are identival about this year's committee.

The story of the Reck getting to El Paso was a successful one. Here's to the 2011 trip being just as successful.

Go Jackets!

Editor's Note: It's Homecoming Weekend at Georgia Tech and the Mini-500 kicks it off at 5pm at Peters Parking Deck. Bird wrote a great piece on the Mini-500 last year and here it is again to educate and inform. Who will be there tonight? It's my favorite event of homecoming so I'll surely be there. Who has raced in the past? What's your best story?

In 1969, Ramblin' Reck Club organized the first edition of what has become a Georgia Tech homecoming staple: the Mini 500 Tricycle Race. A 2009 Emmy-winning PSA further cemented the allure of the notorious race. The race requires men's teams to race 15 laps (5.4 miles) around Peters Parking Deck. Women's teams race two thirds the distance or only 10 laps (3.6 miles). The race is a grueling test of endurance and requires at most 4 riders and 3 pit crew members. The riders can substitute after each lap and as many times as they want throughout the race. The pit crew's responsibility is to quickly rotate the front tire at least 3 times before the race is over (only once per lap).

The race was originally run around Peters Park even after the construction of Peters Parking Deck was completed in 1984. The only change in the course location was in 1999-2001 when the race was held in the Alexander Memorial Coliseum Parking Lot. According to a 2002 Technique issue, the Mini 500 was moved to the AMC lot due to construction on Brittain Drive (the Eastern border of the race). The race was moved back to Peters in 2002 because it was harder during work hours for faculty members (who park at AMC) to move their cars than for students (who park around Peters).

I have selected some awesome rules excerpts from the Homecoming Handbook:

NO ALCOHOL WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE PIT AREA! Any team violating this rule will be immediately disqualified and will receive a one-year suspension from the Mini 500.

I only recall a few drunk teams from my Mini 500 observing days. Being drunk is a pretty big disadvantage. (But some still partake)

Any organization connected to spectators who are behaving in a disorderly or unsportsman-like manner, or who are causing danger to participants will be disqualified immediately.

The best examples I recall of this were fraternities launching "human speed bumps" or teams dressed as pirates attacking serious racers. The human speed bumps were typically dudes rolled in large sheets of duct-taped foam with the words "Speed Bump" written on the foam. They would fall in the middle of the course and roll towards unsuspecting racers.

NO spare tricycle parts will be allowed in the pit area. Teams may not borrow or share parts with other teams, even if one team is no longer participating in the race...No welding equipment or power tools are allowed in the pit with the exception of battery operated screw drivers.

Every team is always looking for the slightest mechanical or strategic advantage. There are 30 rules for the Mini 500 that have been created, modified, and updated since 1969 for every situation presented to the Reck Clubbers refereeing the event.

RED TRICYCLES WILL NOT RACE.

To Hell with Georgia.

Make sure you check out the Mini 500 on the Friday before the Homecoming Game. This year's MIni 500 will take place at 5pm. However, if there's one event that you should see on Homecoming Weekend, it is the start of the Mini 500 Tricycle Race.

No, some student didn't figure out how to steal the "T" , rather it was a symbol from the administration to the Tech students that the practice of stealing T's around campus has crossed the line from "cute" to "problematic". Various T stealing has made its way onto other college campuses and has begun to cost the Institute thousands of dollars.

Give Tech students an inch and they'll take a mile. Regardless of the message, the understanding of what means to see the Tech Tower without it's T's makes this image eerie to look at.

We're obviously a little behind on this but you should still vote.

The best mascot in the world, Buzz, has been named a contender in the Capital One Mascot Challenge. The Mascot Challenge schedule can be viewed here.

Support Buzz on Facebook here!

With football season comes the Capital One Mascot Challenge. So, vote for Buzz to be the Capital One Bowl Mascot of the Year! Go to www.capitalonebowl.com/schedule or text "Buzz" to 78527 up to 249 times an hour!

There are regular season voting periods for 12 weeks. Then there are three rounds of playoffs starting November 21st. You can track Buzz's progress each Monday at noon.

And finally, the Mascot Intro video.

Buzz will battle 15 other mascots over the 2011 football season.

I received this scanned photo from a friend of mine and I thought I'd share it. Who doesn't love Georgia Tech?

Circa 1986

via v1.cache2.c.bigcache.googleapis.com

I just got word that Junior's Grill will be closing its doors on Thursday. This comes as a sad and sudden realization that one more tradition of Georgia Tech will be placed in the archives rather than lived by future freshman. Seriously, who had the best chicken tenders? Juniors!

So we all have two days to head to the top of the hill and grab a quick bite to eat at the diner that fed us (at least me) multiple times over, from the late night all nighters needing breakfast, to a Friday afternoon kicking the week off, Junior's gave me my food.

I once completed the "Junior's Sweep", where I had lunch and breakfast at the restaurant every day for a solid week. It was an expensive but worthwhile week.

RIP Juniors. Thanks for the memories, the meetings, the chicken tenders, Miss Anne, and Tommy.

Now if you excuse me I'm going to go grab some lunch.

So this is what we've got so far.

Last night, we were told the Ramblin' Reck driver took the car to Rocky Mountain Pizza, a restaurant nearby Tech campus. He left with 3 other people (one male and two females) later that night, on their way to get the Varsity for FOs before it closed. After turning left onto North Avenue, the driver (who, from what I understand, was distracted by the passenger in the cab), ran a red light at Williams St. and collided with a car that was turning left onto North Avenue.

The front end is considerably damaged. The axle, although visibly broken, was in good enough shape for the Reck to be pushed through campus back where it generally resides when not in use. The entire front of the Reck's body is damaged, so basically everything from the left door to all of the front end metal has to be replaced. The horn was destroyed as well as the front left light. Still waiting for a report on the engine.

So here's the deal. Since football season is so far away, there should be time to fix the Reck. If it is just metalwork, then everything should be ok. Let's hope that there is no real damage under the hood.

Due to the extent of the damages, those in charge of the car are considering ways to modify the Reck and turn it into a convertible.

Don't expect to hear from us for a while. We will be very, very busy for the next couple of days/weeks/months, to say the least as this blog's contributors only continue to prove their worth in knowledge and expertise when it comes to getting the Ramblin' Reck ready in record time.

Artists at the old Wachovia, which is now the new Wells Fargo on Tech Parkway, were putting the finishing touches on a mural of Atlanta this afternoon as I drove by. Check it out below.