I know I am very late on my blog update and for that I apologize. Since we had the Atlanta and Madison races back to back, I didn’t realize it had been so long since I’ve posted. You know the saying, “Time flies when you are having fun!” My Rush Racing team had a really good weekend in Atlanta although we went out third round. Getting the wins against Eddie and Matt were very exciting for us and we felt very confident going into the third round against Chip. We were unable to even attempt the race due to the throttle position sensor failing on me in the burn out. I was devastated. Steve Tartaglia has Chip’s bike running really well so I know it would have been a really tough race but I didn’t even get a chance to challenge him. They (Steve and Chip) saw that we were having trouble and graciously waited for me until George told me to kill the engine. It’s so nice to have competitors like that. Thanks for being such gentlemen you guys! I remember one time when I was racing against Matt Hines in the finals several years ago, he was having trouble getting his bike started and I was ready to stage but I wanted to wait for him. Rick Stewart, the starter, told me to go ahead and stage, which would have given me the win, but I chose to wait for Matt. He finally got it started and hurried up to the line, we raced and I lost. Some people were mad at me for not staging and leaving him so I could get the win, but who wants to win like that? I want to earn it. It means so much more when you do.

Before the Atlanta race, I attended the Champion’s dinner that Coca-Cola puts on annually. It is so awesome. All of the POWERade Champions are invited and we get to go to the World of Coca Cola. There was a presentation about next year’s Full Throttle sponsorship, and then we had dinner with the Coke and POWERade team. After dinner they gave us a gift certificate to shop in the Coca Cola store. I had a blast! They also set us up in the really, really, REALLY nice hotel for the night which looked more like a fancy contemporary apartment rather than a hotel room. It’s so cool to be a POWERade Champion!

This past weekend in Madison, was also a great weekend for me and my team. We had a wonderful support group rooting us on which consisted of our friends from Doc’s Harley Davidson in St. Louis, Cyclespot.com, Tucker Rocky, Rush Racing Products and Aussie Imports. They are all quickly becoming more like family to me. Everyone is so easy going and supportive and they make me want to win more than ever. On Thursday my team tagged along for my autograph session at Doc’s. I was in great company with quite a few stars from the NHRA. We had a line of fans wrapped around the building. I had a really good time meeting and talking with everyone that came out to support us. The fans in St. Louis and Madison are great.

George, Curtis and Michael, all did an outstanding job this weekend giving me a really competitive motorcycle to race. We had six great runs down the track and although we missed out on the trophy again, we learned a lot and gained more confidence and momentum to continue our quest to reach the winners circle. I am more optimistic than ever that this is going to be a great year for me. We are in the groove and having a blast. It’s just a matter of time until the stars are in line and we are enjoying victory after victory. Yes I am very confident. It’s a necessity in this sport. You gotta believe, you gotta have faith, and fortunately, my entire team and those that support me have plenty of both.

I am back at home now and will be spending my week working on my new website and online store. We have a lot of new apparel that I want you guys and gals, that haven’t made it out to the races yet, to have the opportunity to purchase. I am doing it myself so hopefully it won’t look to amateurish but I really wanted to help my team owners Karl and Kim Klement in every way that I can because they are so good to me. Many teams, including mine, depend on the support that you guys give us through our apparel sales along with sponsorship dollars to keep us in competition. So every little bit helps. Thank you to those who came over to our merchandise trailer at the races we’ve been to so far. Your support is truly appreciated. I’ll let you all know when I have launched the site and store so you can check it out.

Today I have a craving for Beignets.

For those who don’t know, a beignet (pronounced ben–YAY) is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. Beignets were brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. Originally, they were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. They are a specialty at the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans and go GREAT with coffee, and now I am going to give you a VERY simple recipe for making them. Not as good as the original but still great and very easy.

Ingredients
One can of Pillsbury (or your favorite) biscuits
vegetable oil
powdered sugar

In a heavy bottom pot (medium size) add 3 to 4 inches of veggie oil and heat over medium heat to 370 degrees. Takes about 15 minutes to heat oil. After oil reaches 370 degrees, open can of biscuits and drop 3 to 4 biscuits (one at a time) into oil to fry. Turn them once shortly after dropping them in. Fry about 2 minutes total or until they are lightly browned on both sides. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to your satisfaction. Let oil reheat before frying more and repeat steps. Serve hot with a fresh cup of coffee or a cold cup of milk. YUM YUM!!!!!!! Enjoy!

I am going to turn you guys into Cajuns sooner or later

Until next time...... God Bless!