Dumbest newbie thing,you did at the drag strip.....

I was just a kid with a low,low buck 63 plymouth fury drag car.Anybody remember the bleach box and putting down your own water?Those days we did a dry hop after the burn out. The car had been down the track dozens of times.I never had a nut on the steering wheel shaft.....Dry hop and the steering wheel pops off in my hands damn near taking out the tree.Slammed the wheel back on.Starter ran up to the car,I was wiping my hands on my shirt like the wheel slipped out of my hands.Whew,, thought I was gonna get thrown out.A guy in the pits gave me a 1/2'' lug nut as the shaft is 1/2 fine thread,was still on the car 2 owners later.