I have about 10 minutes to get this blog done. I need to head over to the doctor for my license physical, drive back out to Pomona to clean the motorhome, then hook everything up so I can get over to Fontana and pit before they close. I will be racing the Blackbird in the SCEDA races this weekend, and may also double enter in Top Comp. I just finished servicing the MADCAP motor (love when everything looks good and the valves are dead-on) and installing the now mandatory engine diaper. I’m getting really good with diaper installation, as I’ve had ten months of constant practice!

As many of you may already know, we have a new major sponsor with Valvoline this year. MTS will also remain on board, and I am so pleased with both of my sponsors. I’m a diehard Valvoline guy, so promoting all of their products won’t be work at all. In fact, Jason and I just changed the oil in my pickup truck a couple of nights ago. I just wheel him under the car with an oil filter wrench and a hammer, and let him go to town. He apparently was pissed at me for not letting him pour the oil into the engine, and we had a couple of tears together in the garage. Please note that Jenna snapped this picture of Jason and me in a completely spontaneous moment. NEVER would I shamelessly promote my sponsors or utilize my son in such a way! Plus, Jason likes to chew on the Valvoline bottles (after they’re empty), so I can tell he’s a Valvoline man as well.

I finally broke down and bought a new wetsuit last week. Friend Rich Camou, who drives one of Tom Bayer’s rental cars at many races and will also be running this weekend, met Jenna and I at the surf shop by his house. So far that’s the closest that Jason has been to the beach, but we’ll get him there soon. My old suit lasted 12 years, but it’s starting to leak and the water’s too cold for my skinny butt to brave much longer. Now that I have a new suit, the surf has died down so I am still waiting to test it.

My new crew chiefs will be Tommy Delago (formerly of Bob Gilbertson’s Autolite car) and Rick Cassel (from Toliver’s Rockstar ride). I know both of these gentlemen but am looking forward to really establishing solid relationships with them and all of the crew. I haven’t met any of the team yet, so I think for the Phoenix test we may all need to wear nametags. Pomona is less than three weeks away .... can you believe it?

I sincerely appreciate all of you (I think we’re up to 11) readers who follow my blog, so I decided to give you a sneak-peak of our new hot rod. Enjoy.

Stay tuned ...