Wow, what a swift change in momentum for our team this past weekend in Vegas. We rolled into the parking lot with high hopes of cashing in on some momentum we had created in the past two events. But in the ever challenging world of fuel racing, we all know how quick we can be humbled. It’s kind of like playing poker: One minute you think you have something for them and then a couple of hands later you realize that sweet little gal dealing the cards just picked your pocket with that beautiful smile on her face.

Vegas did start off on a good note though. My marketing guru, Mark Scheierman, and I went straight from the airport to In-n-out Burger for some of that great food you always have to get when you are in Vegas. Strangely enough, it ended up being one of the highlights of my weekend. Then it was off to the Palms Casino for a driver autograph session with the NHRA race fans. Holy cow, I have never seen so many fans in one spot! They were out the door and around the corner patiently waiting to get in to see some of their favorite drivers.

I sat next to my former nemesis, Melanie Troxel, who seemed to have my number in Top Fuel the past couple of seasons. We had fun aggravating one another. In the off-season, I had previously passed a message along to her thru Tommy Johnson Sr. that I was very happy for her new ride opportunity and Tommy was like, "Really?" I said, "Yeah, at least she can’t beat me anymore on Sunday!" We all had a good laugh out of that. We ended up signing autographs for over three hours. I had a ton of fun meeting so many fans that had been cheering us on. I had no idea there were so many rooting for us. Sometimes you get so busy doing what you do, that you don’t realize what is developing before your very eyes. I am totally astonished that so many people share the same passion for this great sport as much as I do. Plus to have Shell V-Power and Team Vis Viva utilize me as their ambassador, still just blows me away.

As far as racing goes, it is quite evident we didn’t end up where we wanted to be on Sunday but as I have always reminded myself, it’s not where we start in life, it’s where we finish. Considering we are five races into the schedule, it’s not like we are in trouble. I remember a couple of seasons ago when Tony Schumacher was behind the eight ball for like the first six or seven races and then out of nowhere, their team came on like gang busters and ended up winning the championship. Moments in history like that motivate a guy like me. My thought is if they can do it, so can we and until they prove we can’t, I say we can! It isn’t over ’til the lady sings and I don’t hear any music yet so we will be fine.

In spite of our performance woes, I did manage to meet some good people over the course of the weekend. I met Sandra and Obie Harris from Shell V-Power. We had a blast hanging out. I really hoped Team Vis Viva could put a win in the books for all of us but it just wasn’t our weekend. Also, I had the pleasure of meeting Kariann from one of the new resorts in Vegas along with my friend Syd. I explained the demographics of NHRA POWERade drag racing to her and she was very impressed with what we as an organization have to offer. I look forward to exploring more marketing opportunities with them, as I believe our two organizations are a perfect match.

By the way, we tested on Monday in Vegas and fixed some clutch gremlins We also had the opportunity to take a step back and take a closer look at the tune up only to realize we had been very aggressive more often than not compared to the past couple of seasons. Sometimes it worked and obviously several times it didn’t. So we have developed a new baseline that ought to be a little more forgiving, especially considering we have the summer months coming up.

All of this being said, I can’t wait to get back to racing in Atlanta. Hopefully it’s not going to be too warm yet. Otherwise the nickname “Hotlanta” could prove to be as tricky as Vegas was. Anyway, everyone have a great week and look forward to seeing us back in our traditional Vis Viva colors next weekend.