I have heard a distant rumbling about a fat lady clearing her throat so she can start singing. To tell you the truth, I don’t hear it that way. For all I know, she is taking her last breath, or choking on a sandwich! Can you imagine how the Super Bowl would have turned out last year if the Giants had gone into the contest thinking that they didn’t have a chance because they were up against the undefeated Patriots? Okay, let's be real, TS and his gang are enjoying a commanding lead, and they have earned every point of it, but the Fram team is pressing onward. The gold Wally is still up for grabs...even if it’s going to take a “Hail Mary” to win it; enough said.

Now for the final installment of “meet the crew.” They say that the best is always saved for last, not true here...hehehe... This guy is last because he is the newest guy on the crew. Ladies and gentleman, NHRA fans, and barnyard animals, I would like to introduce the Fram team’s newest member, Tyler Clouser. Tyler—stand up and take a bow, on second thought sit down and be quiet (as the crew yells “Sit down greenhorn!!”)

Tyler comes to the Fram team from Kokomo, Ind. I know, I know, only two things come from Kokomo... something about horns and other stuff.....why has this blog entry gone downhill so fast??

Tyler is our bottom end guy...that doesn’t sound right either, does it? Okay, Tyler is responsible for the pistons and rods. He is the guy who gets down and dirty underneath the car. Being the new guy on the crew, he not only has to do his job perfectly as all eyes are on him, he has to be very nice to the rest of the crew as it would be very easy to step on Tyler while he is underneath the car. He also drives one of the many eighteen-wheelers that it takes to haul the Fram team and gear from one event to the next.

Tyler is also the master “bearer of the beanie.” When he disappears underneath the car, he puts this thing on his head, I don’t quite know what it is, if it had a little propeller on top, it would make a more sense to me. But in any case, if you stop by the Fram pit and see a guy looking like a dark-haired Elroy Jetson, that is Tyler with a beanie on his head!

Tyler’s parents Kim and Carey, as well as his brother, Brian, are anxiously watching from Kokomo hoping that he will be part of a championship Top Fuel team. His girlfriend, Kelly, travels to many of the races as she works with Bill Simpson’s Impact Racing...with Kelly that close, Tyler behaves himself fairly well. Don’t worry Kelly, we are keeping him very busy and the team will be more than happy to administer the proper discipline if he gets out of line!

In his off time, Tyler, like many of the other guys on the crew, enjoys boating. Once again, NO TYLER, you aren’t eligible to with the Fram Nordic Boat either... He also likes to fish and jet ski. I wonder if he has tried to fish off of the jet ski...

Tyler, all kidding aside, welcome to the Fram team! Keep up the good work and I hope to have you with us for many seasons. Maybe you can do something about that beanie thing on your head though...we’ll talk about it in Virginia.

Speaking of Virginia, let's get to Richmond and kick it into high gear and be ready to shove a raisin bagel in the fat lady’s mouth if she starts to sing. Get ready, the quarterback is set to toss a bomb...

See you at the races!