Well, it has been a couple of weeks and the Fram team has gone a few rounds and we are headed for the Big Go feeling like things are coming together nicely. It was good to make it to the final round in Brainerd. The only problem was that we were up against our teammate, Tony Schumacher. The Fram team gave it a good solid run but right now, there is nothing tougher in drag racing than to beat Tony and the Army guys. Nonetheless, I am proud of my guys and wouldn’t trade them for any other team on the planet. We are looking forward to the countdown!

Speaking of forward, didn’t I tell you something was up at Nordic Boats? How about that cool Fram boat? You will be able to register to win it soon. Can you imagine toolin’ across the water in that puppy! It is going to be raffled off sometime in December. You will be able to see it up close and in-person (can a boat be “in-person?”) at the Fram display on the midway at the U.S. Nationals in Indy. It will also be appearing at the Carolina Nationals, Dallas, Vegas and finally, the World Finals in Pomona.

Sandy and Randy Davis put this Nordic Boat together so that fans can have an opportunity to own a fantastic toy! Fram, Nordic Boats, Prestone, Autolite, Bendix and Full Throttle want YOU to sign up for your shot to win this Fram dragster look-alike water toy. You have to see this up close to believe it! So, when you get to the races, stop by and see it and fill out the necessary information and maybe you will win...and take me for a ride!

In addition to winning enough rounds during the Western Swing to put the Fram dragster in the number four spot in the Countdown, my daughter, Courtney, was able to join us for the Seattle race. That was especially nice because we don’t have the opportunity to spend as much time together as we would like to. Being on the road all of the time tends to put a bit of a strain on the amount of time that I spend with my loved ones, so it was really nice to have her there with me!

I could have used that Fram Nordic Boat last week. After the Western Swing, Debi and I took off for a week in Cabo. It was nice to get away and unwind for a bit. Here’s a picture of me flexin’ by the pool ... try to control yourself. The weather and scenery there were amazing. The only thing wrong with the whole trip was that it just didn’t last long enough! But duty calls and after our vacation, we are back in Indy and getting ready to do battle this weekend in Reading.

As you know, I have been featuring two crew members in several of my recent blog entries. Today the Fram tell-all continues with two more victims...I mean...two more or my valuable crew members revealing their life secrets! This week, the lucky Fram boys are Brad Morrison and Jason Robertson. They are two of the guys who form the backbone of the Fram dragster team.

Brad Morrison (no relation to Jim...) has several responsibilities pertaining to the Fram dragster. Primarily responsible for the top left side of the engine (driver’s left), Brad begins his between-round duties by taking apart that side of the engine and is usually hard at work before the car even comes to a complete stop in the pit. It only takes a couple of minutes for Brad to have the blower and manifold off and left side valvetrain and cylinder heads removed and ready to be serviced. That is a big responsibility, but his duties don’t even begin to stop there.

Brad is the guy who performs repairs on the carbon fiber panels and rear wing when they are damaged on the track. When the Fram dragster is rocketing down the dragstrip at 300-plus mph, any little stone or, believe it or not, bugs, can become destructive projectiles and do a lot of damage to the car. Brad is the guy who inspects, identifies, and repairs the damage done to these panels. The rear wing and kickouts at the side of the car usually require the most attention as their primary function is down force and wind deflection. Sounds like enough to do doesn’t it? Nope, there’s more!

Brad is also responsible for inspections to the chassis. He checks the welds and the general condition of the frame between rounds, and performs an even more invasive inspection at the shop between events. In addition to these duties, Brad drives the Fram tow vehicle to each event, so he puts on as many miles as Mike Wingo does driving the 18 wheeler that hauls the Fram dragster. Sometimes I wonder how these guys find time to go to sleep!

Brad stays as busy during off weekends as he does when he is working. Brad’s love for drag racing has taken him into the drivers cockpit as well as the pits: he has earned his NHRA drivers license not only in Super Comp, but in the Top Alcohol Dragster as well. Tommy Johnson Jr. and I personally signed off on his runs to finalize his Alcohol Dragster licensing process. My only advice to you Brad, is to pull the parachute instead of rolling the dragster upside-down when you want to stop after a run...just kidding! Brad handles the Alcohol Dragster very well, and believe me, it is a beast to drive.

Brad loves to get on his snowmobile and ride like a madman during the Winter months and can be found on the water boating during the Summertime. Too bad he can’t sign up to win that Fram/Nordic boat (he’s an employee...not eligible!), if he won it, we would probably never see him again! While having the snow and water covered, Brad also enjoys the open road while cruising on his chopper—yes, I said chopper! I think that he probably listens to Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix, too....

Just when I thought that Brad couldn’t possibly have any more time for work and play, I found out that he is an avid golfer. No handicap was reported so I can only assume that he is a scratch golfer. That assumption was confirmed as I received a report that Brad was in fact, seen scratching himself on the golf course... (Did I really say that?) Okay, anyway...

Like the rest of us, Brad loves his family. His father, Lloyd and mother, Linda, are proud of their son as any parents would be. He also has a brother, Brian, whom he affectionately refers to as “Squirrel.” I only wish that I had been able to talk to Brian to see what Brad’s nickname was as a kid. If I find out, I will let you know. Brad has a girlfriend ... sorry ladies, he’s taken ... her name is Melisa and if she’s lucky, Brad will spend lots of time on the road! All kidding aside Brad, I’m glad to have you on my team—most of the time.

While Brad handles the left side of the engine, somebody has to be on other side. The man on the right side of the power plant is Jason Robertson. Just like Brad, Jason can be found taking apart the right side of the Fram dragster’s engine, often before the car comes to a stop when returning to the pit after a run down the track.

Jason also has the colossal responsibility of building the Fram dragster’s engines. He works full-time at DSR in Indy and can be found there putting together the power plants that have put the Fram dragster solidly into the top ten in the POWERade points chase. Have you noticed that we don’t grenade many engines? That’s Jason's good work! (Now we’ll blow up three at the next event, I just know it....)

Jason not only builds our engines, he has one of the coolest jobs that a crew dog could have in professional drag racing. He is the guy that you see riding through the pits and staging lanes in the driver’s seat of the Fram dragster. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard fans say, “Gee, I wonder how you get a cool job like that?” Frankly, I don’t know; they won’t even let me drive the car anywhere but down the quarter-mile! Anyway, when you see him in the seat at the races, wave and yell out “Hey Jason!” and see if you can get him to wave back. Better yet, if you see him in the pits, ask him for his autograph-, and maybe try to get a picture with him—he won’t know what to do! (I hope he doesn’t read this....)

Jason is also the first guy that I see when I get out of the Fram dragster after a run, so not only does he help me strap in before the Fram dragster makes a pass, he is right there to take care of things at the top end. I have a lot of gear to take off after a run; if I had to take care of all of that stuff, I would never make it over to the ESPN 2 guys for an interview. Jason makes sure that everything is taken care of, from where to stop the car, to tracking all of my gear so that nothing gets lost. You would be surprised how confusing it gets down there after having made a 300-mph run! He also provides me with information like my E.T. and what qualifying position we occupy, or who we have to race in the next round. Jason makes it easier for me to concentrate on what I have to do at both ends of the race track.

Jason is originally from Jackson, Texas, but now lives near Indy like most of the guys on the team. Like Brad, Jason enjoys golf and although he plays as often as he can, he says, and I quote, “I suck at it!” Jason and Brad can be seen scratching at a local golf course near you... (That’s twice...) In addition to scratching and golfing, Jason loves anything to do with water sports. Wait, let me rephrase that, he loves to swim, boat and anything else that has to do with being in the water. He also loves to get away when he can and hunt. He didn’t say what he likes to hunt, just that he likes to go into the woods and shoot things that move. Oh, he likes fishing too; offshore and coastal fishing, throw the hook in the water and something swimming will bite it.....and viola!...dinner! I prefer to just open a menu and ... well, some people like to do things the hard way!

Jason is happily married to his young bride, Brandi (Please don’t start singing that song, okay?) and no, she doesn’t wear a braided chain, made of finest silver from the north of Spain ... I knew this would happen. (If that doesn’t make sense to you, don’t try to figure it out.) Jason, unlike most married men, has no problem remembering his wedding anniversary as he is certain that they were married “sometime around the second Las Vegas race in 2004.” Proud father to his son, Jaxon (no, that isn’t a typo, it is spelled with an “x”) who celebrates his birthday on May 7, Jason firmly states that Jaxon doesn’t have to grow up to be a Top Fuel driver; he says that he can drive any drag racing car that he wants! Jason loves being a husband and dad even more than he loves to work on the Fram dragster.

All kidding aside, Brad and Jason are two very important elements that make up the Fram top fuel drag racing team. Just like the guys that I have written about in the past, we couldn’t compete at our current level without these guys doing their jobs as professionally as they do. Brad and Jason, I want to express my personal thanks to you both for making the team a more colorful and professional place to be. It is a pleasure to have you both on the Fram top fuel dragster team.

Next week, two more team members will be butchered ... uh ... featured in the crew appreciation section of my blog. Stay tuned...

Now onward to Reading for a softball game and a drag race. See you at the races!