Greetings, blog readers! LP here again with the scoop from Lincolnton, but let me get you caught up on the past few days. Doug and I flew home from Memphis on Sunday evening after making it to the finals. We didn’t win the race, but we did move up to fifth in points. You never want to go into the final round and not take home the Wally, but scooting up another two spots in the Countdown lessens the frustration a bit.

Today, Doug and I had lunch at the Speedway Club over at the roundy-round track in Concord with Tom Cotter. Tom is a public relations guru, and we did a little brainstorming. Actually, I took notes and absorbed as much as I could from him. Not only is he full of wonderful ideas, he is also a published author. Have any of you ever found a jewel of a car hidden in a barn? Odds are, some of you probably have, or at least dreamed about it. I know I have! A ’64 ½ Ford Mustang convertible would be my preferred find, but I’m getting off track.

Tom’s newest book, The Hemi in the Barn, a follow up to The Cobra in the Barn, has just been published. I haven’t had the chance to do anything but thumb through it as of yet, but I can already say it’s a must read. It tells stories of folks finding hidden treasures in the form of automobiles. Yes, the cars are cool, but the real fun comes from the stories behind them.

While we were at lunch, Doug had the chance to talk with Humpy Wheeler, the president of the Speedway. Now I know you have all heard the rumors about a dragstrip being built in Charlotte. Let’s just say we will be as happy as anyone when it finally happens. Nothing like racing at a track 40 minutes from home!

We also met some other great people, including Wanda Edwards Miller, Vice President of the Speedway Club, and Jerry Gappens, the Senior VP of Events and Marketing for the Speedway. I have a feeling we will be spending more and more time at the Speedway Club…

Well, it’s off to Dallas, actually, Ennis, Texas, this weekend. Doug holds the track record for an amazing 4.441 second pass there in October 2005, which is still one of the quickest elapsed times in NHRA history. Wowzers! I don’t know if we will see any times like that this weekend, but one thing is for certain. This Snap-on Tools team is on a roll, and we plan on keeping it up!

Until next time, be good,

LP