Watch the Video
Saturday morning, July 25. The time has come to test drive the Pay it Forward car to check the motor, transmission and drive line. Mitch Ardoin was selected to drive the car for the first time, a high honor among his fellow club members.
The car rolls out of the shop and onto State Highway 155.
We then head to the back roads to avoid attention from local law enforcement.
Mitch (driving) and shotgun Bob Ground enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning drive. The motor runs great and the transmission shifts smoothly.
But wait! There's trouble ahead. A Smith County Sheriff's deputy stops Mitch during the drive.
The deputy checks the VIN numbers and asks for Mitch's license and insurance. The deputy is informed that there is no insurance.
Mitch is still smiling as a crowd begins to gather. Other club members are coming to see whats happening.
Then things turn serious when the officer tells Mitch that he is going to be ticketed for running a stop sign. Mitch has a CDL and cannot afford to have a ticket on this record. It could cost him his job. Mitch turned to his buddies for help and none was offered.
Then, after feeling bad about the whole incident, the deputy revealed to Mitch that he had been "punked" by his buddies and there would be no ticket issued. Mitch went home to change pants and the test drive was completely successful! The car is insured after all by one of our sponsors, American National Property & Casualty. View the video version of this epic saga by clicking on the link at the top of the page.
