Well, we have had a few good weeks. We’re somewhat happy, but far from satisfied. Does that make sense? The car seems to be running very well. We have gotten down the track every time we came up to the line in Brainerd and made our best runs during eliminations. The guys are doing as good of a job as I have seen from any crew and they have been giving me a bad hot rod on race days. Our clinched spot in the Countdown shows that!

Most of my guys came from a Funny Car background, and to get a Top Fueler figured out the way they have is commendable to say the least. I couldn’t have asked for a better crew.

We have another week of racing at Reading, then with the “Big Mo” on our side, it will be on to the Big Go! This is really a good time to have things come together the way they are. We need a Wally though; my guys deserve it.

By the way, before I forget, I want everybody to go to the Fram Web site and sign up for the Nordic Boat drawing. Come on guys (and ladies), this is a drawing for a free Nordic Boat. What would keep you from entering! Okay, no more excuses. Just go to www.fram.com and you will see the icon on the right that says enter to win a boat...easy! Do it ... as soon as you read the rest of the blog. But don’t forget. Wouldn’t you kick yourself in the future if you would have been the one to win the boat, but YOU forgot to enter? Okay, I think you get it now!

My daughter, Courtney, came out from California and went to Brainerd with me. We had a good father/daughter time at the races. We even got a little t.v. time on NHRA Race Day while we were riding the scooter around the pits. This is her last bit of leisure time before she starts college (cha-ching cha-ching). She got to see dad win a couple of rounds and now she gets to crack open the books. The really heavy, thick, expensive books. I hope she doesn’t read this, it might scare her (cha-ching.....). I don’t understand this; why can I go into Barnes and Noble and get a huge hardcover book, 400 pages thick, for $10 in the bargain bin, but a textbook that is half the size is over $100? I don’t get it ... cha-ching ... (in case you haven’t figured it out, cha-ching is the sound of a cash register emptying my pocket).

Now, we are headed in separate directions. She is headed back to the west coast, and I am on my way to Reading. It’s nice to go into this race with our spot in the Countdown secure. Now, our next goal is to try to bump into the No. 4 spot. That will be tough to do because Brandon is the guy ahead of us. We are less than a round out of that position, with a lot of team competence and a little luck, it’s definitely within reach.

On the immediate family front, everybody is doing fine and keeping very busy as usual. Tony is off to Purdue, Connor has his nose in a book, Jake has his nose everywhere, Debi is navigating her way through whatever schedule she is working this week, and I am out the door too. Tori is prancing around as if she has been crowned the new Queen of Indianapolis, but still eats out of a bowl! We haven’t heard much from her long-distance boyfriend, Cyrus, for awhile. Something tells me that he’s up to something. Time will tell!

Now that you are semi-caught up on family stuff, it’s time to go racing. Okay don’t forget, go to the Fram site and register for the Nordic Boat. In case you didn’t get that, go to the Fram site and register for the Nordic Boat (I think they got it...). If you will be in Reading this weekend, please stop by and say hello. It’s always nice to see all of you folks in Reading! We’re ready, my guys are on top of it, and they have told me to tighten my belts and hang on, cause this dragster is going to go! As usual we’ll see you in the fast lane. It’s the one we choose!