Surprise!!!

Yeah, I know, it’s been over a month since our non-award winning, often ignored blog here on NHRA dot com has been updated, and yea I know that I promised that I’d blog from Florida but there really hasn’t been anything going on around here drag racing-related to type about so I took a month off.

Not really…In all actuality Gilby has been WFO at Truck Equipment Manufacturing Company working on all sorts of projects as TEMCO diversifies to keep afloat in this tough economy. Things are getting better every day and he’s keeping his head above water and thanks to all of you who have emailed your best wishes.

As far as racing is concerned we’re working real hard on getting Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters to continue their support of our team. Believe it or not, Rinnai has received literally dozens of proposals from other teams looking to take over our deal. I’ve always said “If getting sponsorship was easy, everyone would have one” and…”To get a sponsorship you’ve got to know somebody in a company who can write a check or somebody who can take you to him.” In this case we have a personal relationship with the Rinnai folks and if they do indeed decide to get more involved with drag racing it’s going to be with Terminator Motorsports so all you vultures out there, save your money and go after somebody else! LOL

In other news, Gilby and Jake ventured out to Las Vegas the same weekend as the NHRA Richmond race for the U.S. Open of Arenacross held at the MGM Grand Arena. Jake qualified for three classes -- 85cc, Super Mini and Schoolboy -- and came away with a fourth in 85, another fourth in Super Mini and a seventh in Schoolboy. The big story is that Jake passed 13 other riders in the first lap of the 85 class to move to the front until a bump from another rider knocked him out of the lead. The kid is so cool, after the race he quoted Jerry Newman, Gilby’s former crew chief when he returned to nitro racing in 1991, and said, “Win a few, lose a lot.”

Me, after the Charlotte race, I drove down to Florida for a little mini-vacation. Spent a few days in West Palm with our team chef “Captain Edzo,” hooked up with Paul Smith for a couple of beers and just took the edge off. It was just what this young boy needed to recharge the batteries. I’m a road warrior, don’t mind driving and the 10-hour trip both ways was good therapy as I spent the time just chilling. Thank to Sirius satellite radio, cell phones, and a GPS it was a great trip.

One last thing, as you might know I go to a lot of races with my long-time friend Dick Rosberg and his son Terry who run the Thriller Jet Dragster and live in nearby Rockingham, N.C. I tagged along with them a few weeks ago on a Thursday night for a two-run exhibition race they had at a nearby track. We arrived at the track early in the afternoon and the plan was to start the car up before the gates opened to make sure the new parts and changes Dick made to the engine worked.

Usual deal, we unload the car, fueled it up, and put the starter on the engine to get ready for the test. That’s when Dick and Terry told me to get into the car. I freaked out! I’ve been a fuel car for a warm-up twice but never in a Jet.  What a surreal experience. Dick is behind me running the controls, doing smoke and fire shows then burner pops while I sit in the cockpit hanging on for dear life. I’ve now taken another thing off of my “Bucket List” thanks to the Rosbergs…

That’s it for now, type at you sometime in the near future.