First off, two members of the track's PR staff stopped by our pit Sunday to thank us for participating in the Inaugural event They gave us (and every other pro team) this really nice trophy as a memento. Now this wasn't any cheap little trophy like your kids get for participating in t-ball or soccer, this is one of the coolest things that any track has done for the racers and it now sits top dead center on Gilby's trophy case (okay, his bookcase) in his office. Sorry the picture is so crummy, I didn't have my good camera with me. Thanks Bruton!

Next up is one of the things I really like to do at the track, that's ride the wheelie bar when Gilby whacks the throttle during warm-ups. As you probably know, a lot of fuel teams have the driver hit the throttle once or twice to seat the clutch when warming up. The cars, due to rotational twist, have a tendency to sort of jump around on the Pro Jacks so all of the teams who do this have crew guys put some weight in the front and the rear of the chassis to make sure the car moves around less. 

Usually Jep, our clutch assistant and the best darn truck driver on the circuit (IMHO) does it but I always like to experience it once a weekend and being that this was the inaugural race at our home town track I felt compelled to do it for my legions of fans...LOL

Anyway it's the most surreal experience that any drag racing fan could do. You put on a gas mask and ear plugs, the car fires and you're now in a cloud of nitro fumes at the rear of the car. Once Kloeber signaled Gilby to start turning the tires I put my right foot on the wheelie bar where the three pieces of tubing come together. I then grabbed the rear chassis rails, lifted my left foot up and put all my weight on the bar. It's there you stay for a few seconds until the signal is given to Gilby to let it happen. Gilby pulls the brake, gives it a double pump and holds it with both hands and stomps on the throttle and Hang on Sloopy! Beats the heck out of any rollercoaster for sure.

Last but not least, in a previous blog I mentioned that NASCAR driver Mike Wallace will be getting his license next month in Gilby's car. Well Mike called me and said that it's the talk of the pits up in Dover, Del. where he's racing this weekend. They even mentioned it on the qualifying show today on SPEED TV. I'll have more details for you in up-coming blogs but there's plans in the work to make a TV show about Mike's experience, sort of a nitro reality show.

That's all for now, have a good weekend.

BB