There is a heck of a battle raging in the Top Fuel ranks. It’s between The Fram, Bud, and Cat dragsters. We seem to be neck-and-neck fighting over the number four, five, and six spots in the top 10. This week, that battle continued as all three of us won our respective first-round match ups. The Fram and Bud dragsters squared off in round two. I cut a decent light and got out in front of Brandon, and had to pedal two or three times to get the Fram dragster to the finish line. I never saw Brandon until I pedaled for the third time just before crossing the 1000-foot mark.

Track conditions changed drastically between round one and two. If memory serves me correctly, there was about a 10-degree rise in temperature, and that changes the whole set-up of the car and how I have to drive it. There was lots of pedaling and tire smoke in that second round, great for the fans, but not so great from the cockpit!

As fate would have it, my teammate Tony and the Army car took out both Hot Rod and Brandon, bringing home yet another Wally.  Alan and Tony, hats off to ya!

Our big race of the year is this weekend; the Fram Autolite Nationals! We are ready to get this Fram dragster into the winner’s circle. The car is consistent and the boys are hungry, believe me! Tony and his crew want to sweep the western swing, and my boys want to win our primary sponsors race. This one’s going to leave a mark!

If I haven’t mentioned it before, keep your eyes and ears peeled for something really cool coming your way from Sandy and Randy Davis at Nordic Boats ... stay tuned!

Being a driver keeps me very busy on and off of the track, but this week has put me into overdrive! It’s the Fram/Autolite Nationals and the pace seems to be triple what it usually is. We kicked off Wednesday with a press conference in downtown San Francisco. Then we had a Children’s Speedway Charity event. Thursday is going to be a good time! We have a photo shoot to do then we have the customer races. That is when GMC brings out all kinds of toys to the race track and everybody gets a shot at the quarter-mile! How cool is that!

Tony Pedregon and myself will be out there teaching everybody how to stage the cars and then we’ll turn them loose on the quarter-mile. GM and Fram customers will race each other round-robin, just like we do on Sunday, and the winner will face either myself or Tony P. in the final. Again, how cool is that! You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a GMC Denali put a hole-shot on a Sierra 3500HD!

Friday, it’s back to the business of getting the Fram dragster qualified. With a great car, crew, and sponsor, I expect to put this Fram dragster in the winner’s circle where it belongs! We have a big event that includes dinner with the folks at Honeywell on Saturday night. It would be nice to show up as the no.1 qualifier too! (No pressure though...jeez!)

Like I have mentioned in the past, we have a great sponsor in Fram, and wonderful support from Don Schumacher Racing. Expectations are high, and they should be. We are up for this one, believe me. I am confident not only in my car and backing from the sponsors, but from the support of my crew. I honestly believe that I have one of the best crews out there. Let me tell you about a couple of the Fram boys: Mike Wingo, and Mike Vendely.

Mike Wingo has been with the Fram team for quite some time. He is primarily our cylinder head specialist. In addition to that, he drives the tow vehicle that pulls the Fram dragster out of the pits and into the staging lanes. Mike is a man of quiet confidence and focus. Extreme caution must be exercised maneuvering through the pits with a dragster in tow! Mike pulls the Fram dragster behind him while keeping a sharp eye out for other race cars as well as the many race fans who come out to see us race on the weekends.

In addition to that, Mike has the colossal responsibility of transporting the Fram dragster along with much of the equipment. It takes several semi trucks to move all of our gear from one event to the next. Mike handles this task with the same level of skill and professionalism as a super bowl quarterback! Can you imagine what it’s like to drive one of those big rigs knowing that the Fram dragster is in the back and dozens of people are depending on you to arrive safely at the next event? Mike handles his responsibilities on and off the track like a true professional. He has the ability to prioritize and get things done as needed. After all, priorities are what life is all about, isn’t it?

Mike has his priorities outside the dragstrip as well. He loves to spend time with his 17-year-old daughter, Shelby and his girlfriend, Laura. Shelby lives all the way up in the state of Delaware so it’s quite a haul to see each other. Mike is very proud of his daughter and wouldn’t trade his time with her for the world. They make the most of their time when they are together since he spends a lot of his days and weeks on the road with the Fram dragster team. In addition to spending quality time with Shelby and Laura, Mike likes to build sprint cars as well.

Mike’s steady and calm demeanor is comforting in a business that isn’t always as steady and consistent as it should be. I can always look in Mike’s direction and be assured in my mind that he is  concentrating on his job. His quiet confidence makes it easier for me to concentrate on my job in the driver’s seat. Thanks Mike, great job! Most teams would be fortunate to have a guy like Mike but we are lucky enough to have two great “Mikes.”

Mike Vendely is the guy who babies the Goodyears and makes sure that they are ready to go for each run. Keeping the tires in check is a crucial function. The tire pressure on the Fram dragster isn’t measured in pounds; it’s measured in tenths of a pound. So there is very little margin for error.  Not only does he take care of the tires, he checks and occasionally packs the chutes so that the Fram dragster stays out of the kitty litter.

Mike can also be seen helping out wherever an able and competent hand is needed. You have heard the phrase, “Jack of all trades and master of none?” That doesn’t apply to Mike Vendely, he has mastered many. He has to be a master of several specialties to be able to “float” from one area of the car to another. Mike has the ability to multi-task and doesn’t have the luxury of being able to concentrate on one thing at a time because he is needed to make sure that things aren’t inadvertently overlooked.

Mike is easy to spot in the staging lanes; he is the guy who makes the rear tires look small! When he checks the tire pressure, he looks like he can lift the car and take the tire off with one hand! (I wouldn’t mess with him...well, maybe a little...) Some people might think that he looks somewhat imposing but I know him as a “gentle giant.” I’m sure that he is a “pushover” where his daughter is concerned.

Mike has a 12-year-old daughter named Caitlyn and something tells me that she has her dad’s number! When Mike talks about her he grins that “proud daddy” smile and denies that she has him wrapped around her little finger. (I’ll bet you a set of rear tires that she can have ice cream whenever she wants it!) He loves to spend time with his daughter as any good dad would. It is difficult however, to spend as much time together as they would like to during the racing season. So just like Mike Wingo’s daughter Shelby, Caitlyn has to make the most out of the time that she gets to see her dad too. I’m not supposed to tell you this—but Mike is also an avid bird watcher. That’s right, he loves to check out birds! (He’s gonna kill me...)

The Fram dragster couldn’t get down the track—wait let me restate that—we couldn’t even get out of the pit without these guys doing their jobs. Mike Wingo on cylinder heads and Mike Vendely on tires and everything else! I am lucky to have the support of professionals like these guys. They are an intricate part of this team and have contributed enormously to the consistency and success that we have enjoyed so far this year. I want to deliver a heartfelt thank you to both of our “Mikes.” Thank you both for your support, you are very appreciated!

Now I have to figure out who to pick on next week. Two more lucky crew members will have their life secrets revealed right here on my blog. I’m going to see if I can find some juicy information about-—naaaah-— I’m not going to say who it’s going to be yet. I’m gonna let ‘em sweat!

See you in the winners circle!