I would like to welcome all my race fans and friends to my first official NHRA.com blog. I am really looking forward to sharing my crazy life, on and off the track, with everyone.
That being said, it would definitely be appropriate to start with my trip to Gainesville for my first Gatornationals experience. My Marketing guru, Mark Scheierman, and I flew into Jacksonville late Wednesday night. Boy, were we in for a surprise of “fun”-filled moments. Upon heading towards Gainesville, we turned onto Hwy 301. Mark being the veteran who had traveled here before was quick to warn me about the speed trap ahead.
Before we took on the infamous speed trap, we decided to stop at the Waffle House for a bite. That’s where it all gets interesting. We were enjoying our waffles when this guy decided to start heckling Mark and I. After “educating” this guy on how it was going to be, he decided to back off and pipe down. Our waitress immediately informed us that he had been doing this all night and that she had called the police. She asked us to stay until the police showed up because she and five other ladies didn’t want to be there alone with him and that they were glad we had come in. Wow, glad to be of service, right? So anyway, we hung out until the police showed up and arrested him.
That moment being behind us, we decided to head out to Gainesville. I was prepared for the “Big Hwy 301” … so I thought. I managed to make several speed changes as required and thought I was doing a great job. That is, until Mark and I got into deep conversation about the big race ahead of us, and sure enough, less than a half of a mile from our turn off, the “big blue lights” got us. I tried to impress him with the great deed we had just done at Waffle House, helping them out until they arrived, but it was to no avail. He was happy to add me to his list of violators.
At that moment, it wasn’t real funny but later on Thursday, I managed to find humor in the fact that I had just read a newspaper article in the Gainesville newspaper that mentioned how the Gatornationals infused over $66 million into the economy. It was at that moment, I realized I had done my part in helping them reach their goal. I couldn’t help but laugh.
On a lighter note, I did get the opportunity to visit Don Garlits’ drag racing museum. It was cool to go through there and see the evolution of drag racing right before my eyes. It’s amazing how many ideas “Big Daddy” came up with that helped change our sport for the better. “Big Daddy” has always been one of my biggest heroes in drag racing, right next to my dad of course. So it was really cool to see all of the innovations my drag racing hero among many others had brought to the world of drag racing all showcased under one roof.
As far as my first Gatornationals – man, was it action-packed. First off, I got to do an XM Satellite Radio interview. It was an honor to be included on that broadcast with such big names like Ashley Force, Larry Dixon, Jeg Coughlin, and Cruz Pedregon. That was really cool to be hanging out with the stars of our sport. Then on Saturday I picked up my first No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel which was the highlight of my weekend. I was very proud to represent Team Vis Viva as I made my way to the tower for my first press conference as the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel. Even though Sunday didn’t turn out that great on the track, we learned a lot and our sponsor, Vis Viva Living Force Energy, received excellent coverage throughout the weekend so that was really good for them. All of our execs from North Palm Beach, Fla., were out for the race and they had a blast.
On Sunday, I enjoyed kicking back with family and friends celebrating Easter with a Texas-style cookout. Life is definitely good. Heading into my Lone Star state of Texas, I am looking forward to having my family and friends join me at the races. Plus, we are going to be representing Shell V-Power for the next two races as part of our partnership with Del and Chuck Worsham and the CSK team. I’m excited to showcase our talents for Shell V-Power and Team Vis Viva. Wish us well in Texas this weekend!