Greetings everyone, as we prepare for what is always the biggest, baddest, boldest, and most fabulous (okay, that one didn't start with a "b" but there's one in there) weekend of the year. There's nothing like Indy, in any form of measurement, so you not only have to be ready, both physically and mentally, but you also have to pace yourself. They don't call it "The Normal-Size Go" nor do they refer to it as "The Standard-Issue Go" or anything like that...

I think I'm ready. Pre-event press work? Check. Dry-cleaned uniforms ready to be packed? Check. New pair of track shoes to replace the pair I wore in Reading, which left me almost unable to walk? Check.  Form of payment for my current American Express bill? Check. (rim shot)

Oddly enough, Thursday is probably going to seem like a far more frantic day than Friday. My flight down to Indy is at around 10:00 tomorrow morning, and I'm due to land around 1:00. I'm going to try to hustle out to the track to pick up Tim and take him over to the John Force Racing shop in Brownsburg, because he's involved in the cool "Ford. Drive one" campaign this weekend, and for that he gets the privilege of driving one of the brand-new redesigned Ford Taurus sedans for the weekend. If the guys at JFR can't hold off delivering the car until about 2:15 (I'm waiting to hear on that subject right
now) I suspect Krista will be the hired driver in charge of getting Tim over there.

Then, right around 3:00, I'll head back down to the new Indy airport to pick up our newest crew member, Cole Nance. If you scroll through your memory banks, back to the Denver race, you might recall that I included a pic of Steve Chrisman's Top Fuel team, and a couple of his crew guys, because they were pitted directly in front of us, but cross- ways. Cole was one of those guys, and I told the story of how he contacted me a few years ago, asking all the right questions about how he could live out his dream and be a professional crew member. The difference between Cole and the other thousand or so guys who have asked me that sort of question is that Cole is the one who went out and did it, no matter the obstacles.

I put a few good words in for him with Tim, basically saying I wasn't able to vouch for his mechanical abilities (although Steve Chrisman obviously could) but I could easily and confidently vouch for his drive and determination, and for his attitude and ethics. I made sure Cole got to meet Tim in Sonoma, and we all left it at that.

With the crew situation on our team taking a hit during the Western Swing, and with people on our squad having to pick up extra jobs and duties, Tim must have thought about it quicker than I anticipated, because he just offered Cole a position for the rest of the year. I actually heard about it first from Cole's mom, who posted on her Facebook page about how proud of him she was. He's a good guy, with a huge amount of determination, so I'm thrilled to have him on-board with us. His life changes this week...

Friday, I'm sure we'll get up and head out to the track in the morning, but we only make one qualifying pass and it's not until around 7:00 in the evening. That's how Indy starts every year, with a very long day, and it's a fitting way to kick-off the whole huge thing...

I seem to be messing around with satellite images a lot lately (oh yeah, for those of you who did not contact me directly, the answers to the most recent geography quiz are at the bottom) and have stumbled upon a site called Bing.com, which really has some neat images. Their satellite view is really no different than the other sites, like Google Maps or Maquest, as you can see with this image of the tower and starting line area at Indy.

But... Here's what's really cool... Once you get fairly zoomed in on your target, you can click on a button marked "Bird's Eye View" and it switches to a much closer, and much sharper image. It's REALLY pretty neat stuff.

As you can see, these shots must be made from airplanes or helicopters, because they look like digital photos. What's the coolest part, though, is that you can click on little arrows next to the image and move around, seeing it from four different angles! How they managed this is beyond me, because it's really an enormous data base of images they have accumulated. It's one thing to have the closer and sharper views, but to make sure you have each one from four different angles is baffling.

Of course, I went and found our neighborhood and did the Bird's Eye View thing for our house, and it's so clear we're able to almost exactly pinpoint the day it was taken. It's early winter (ice on the pond but no hockey rink yet) and our new porch/patio project was caught about midway. The new patio and pergola are done, along with the fire pit, but the deck was only partially demolished at the time, to make way for the new porch. Oddly (sadly) no actual people are visible.

I'd love to have an inside contact at Bing, who could tip me off as to when they'll be shooting scenes like that. A guy could have quite a bit of fun if he knew where to be and when!

Back to the concept of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals...  I'm happy to see that the ND staff is all gearing up for daily updates and blogs.   Between the esteemed Mr. Burgess, and his talented staffers Kevin McKenna (K-Mac Daddy), Candida Benson (Can-dee-DA), Brad Littlefield (B-b-b-Bad Brad), and Kelly Wade (no nickname has stuck yet, but she's the smiling-est writer on the staff!) we're going to have lots to read about.

Phil, the main man, started his Indy blog off by mentioning that this will be his 27th straight U.S. Nationals, and he also mentioned a "Super Fan" by the name of Bill Nelson, who will be attending his 50th straight!!! Wow... Just when I start to feel like I've been around in this gig a long time, I realize I'm still a puppy in the big scheme of things.

My first Indy was 1992, when I was working for the guy who represented Chuck Etchells. I attended again in '93, and by '94 I was actually the General Manager of the Kansas City Attack indoor soccer team, but I swung through St. Louis to pick up my dad, and he and I went to the race, where we hung out with my Pro Stock buddy Lewis Worden, while cheering on the Ash & Worden team. That was a lot of fun, to hit the road with my old man again...

I was still in KC in '95 and had to miss that event, which is really too bad because my boy Lewis Worden almost accomplished the unthinkable, making it all the way to the final round in Pro Stock before some guy named Warren Johnson took him out. You might have heard of him... Lewie's biggest day, and I wasn't there... Rats.

In '96, when I attended the race helping out my old British Funny Car buddy, Norman Wilding, I began my consecutive streak. From '97 to '08, I was with the Worsham team, and now in '09 I'm with Team Wilkerson. This will be my 14th consecutive Big Go, and my 17th in the last 18 years. I have a few memories, as you might imagine...

How about the 2000 race, when Frankie Pedregon was driving the CSK blue car and Del had recently crashed at the Norwalk match race when we punctured a tire. Del was in the Big Bud Shootout in '00, and as we looked forward to that we didn't realize we were about to have a Saturday to truly forget.

During the second qualifying session, Del punctured a tire at the finish line again, and although this time he didn't crash, it did destroy the body and it put us in a precarious spot because the Norwalk thing had cost us a body too, and we were running short of CSK lids to put on our chassis. After Del's deal, early in the session, the decision was made that he'd compete in the Bud Shootout with Frankie's blue CSK body on his car, and the blue team would sit out qualifying because they were solidly in the field. Frankie pulled up to make his run in that session, right at the back of the pack, and what happened? Of course, we blew it up, caught it on fire, and made toast out of the body Del was going to run the next day. That was a tough 20 minutes, let me tell ya.

Del immediately ran over to Jerry Toliver's pit, and bought a black body he had as a spare. We got to work on it that night, and at 2:00 a.m. we had printed and installed every decal we needed, creating a really cool and shiny black CSK car. It was gorgeous, but alas it didn't win, in either the Shootout or the race.

A year later, Frankie had also earned his way into the Bud Shootout, and with no fires, no crashes, and no broken bodies to contend with, he won the thing. That was a great Indy memory, including the part where we went to the Shootout Winner's Circle for pictures, right in front of the tower, with Top Fuel still running its final qualifying session. You are confronted with a choice at that time. You can either look cool and go deaf, or wear your ear muffs in all the photos...

Then, of course, 2005...

Hurricane Katrina was happening when we got to Indy, and there was a somber pall over everything. Most guys didn't even feel like racing, but it's what we do and we went on with the show. Del was in what was, by then, called the Skoal Showdown, and son of a gun if we didn't get on a hot streak and plow right through that deal. We really weren't having the sort of season we'd grown accustomed to, especially coming off five wins and a 2nd-place points finish the year before, so the Showdown thing really felt good, both emotionally and in everyone's wallet.

Monday was surreal. I had just started the blog, back then, so I got to write about it as it all happened. Well, not during the actual race on Monday, as I was far too busy (and nervous) to blog during the day, but at least I could update each night. Winning the first round was cool. Winning the next one was awesome. Winning the semifinal was unbelievable, and then waiting for the final round was, by far, the most stressful experience I've ever gone through at a race track.

I think most of the guys felt like I did, and it was absolutely hard to breathe! I'm not exaggerating and that's not a cliche'. It was physically difficult to breathe, and the moments before that final round moved in ultra-slow motion. To be faced with the chance to win the U.S. Nationals is exciting and stressful enough, but to be on the verge of doubling up, which signified an enormous amount of money for a team like ours, well that was just off the charts. As you know, we barely beat our old buddy Frankie Pedregon in the final, and all went suitably insane. It was CRAZY, and it was one of those moments where, as you're experiencing it, you're not really sure if it's real. I have the Wally right here in my office, so I know it was real.

Indy... I may just be a mere rookie, with my 17 trips to The Big Go, but I've got a ton of great memories...

And, I know a certain Mr. Burgess is already making plans for his initial pilgrimage to Steak 'N Shake. Yes, boys and girls, I did indeed do the Bird's Eye View shot of the Steak 'N Shake that's right near our hotel. I can practically taste the steakburger, with onion, pickle, and relish, right now... It's all good...

So let's have a great Indy, eh! Cole Nance starts his full-time racing career with Team Wilk (he's packed and loaded, since he won't be going home again until after Pomona), Tim and the guys are feeling good about the car, we're ready to take 'em on and do the best we can, and hopefully we can even move back up a spot or two in the Countdown, before it begins in Charlotte. Let's do it..

Finally, the answers to the most recent geography quiz:

1. Dealey Plaza in Dallas (site of the JFK assassination). That would be the infamous "grassy knoll" just above the winding road.

2. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

3. Mount Rushmore (parking lots in the lower right, visitor's center just up and to the left from there, and the monument itself is in the upper left corner, but it's hard to recognize looking straight down on the presidents).

4. Dodger Stadium.

5. Alcatraz Island. No place to spend your vacation!

6. San Francisco International Airport, right alongside San Francisco Bay.

7. The University of Notre Dame, home of the Fighting Irish.

8. Infineon Raceway at Sears Point.

9. Durham Athletic Field, the former home of the Durham Bulls and the site of filming for the classic movie "Bull Durham".

10. Woodbury, Minn. Large pond is the one in front of our house, and the little pond in the middle of the image is out back, aka the "Pond Cam" pond.

Great work, everyone!  It was obvious that a whole lot of you enjoyed that...

Let's go to Indy!!!!

Wilber, out!