We had some downtime this last weekend, so I figured it was time to do some spring cleaning. I cleaned out my garage, swept the sidewalk, vacuumed my car, planted some flowers, and … yeah right, I did none of that. Knowing me, those will be more like fall projects by the time I get to it. Instead of doing all that boring stuff, I packed my bags and caught a plane to Dallas. I decided it was a good time to visit my “Texas family.” I got to head south out of the cold weather and stay with my good friends Steve and Risa Douglas of Midlothian, Texas. I met them in 2006 when I did a promotion for POWERade at the Texas Motorplex before our race. I raced them down the quarter-mile in Pontiacs. Then we got to talking, and we’ve kept in contact and been friends ever since.

While I was there, Risa and Steve’s favorite band, Flynnville Train, was also in town. They are a band with a “driving country sound” from Indiana that was signed by Toby Keith’s record label, Show Dog Nashville. Being from a small town in Northern California, I am definitely a country music fan. I got to hang out with the lead vocalist, Brian Flynn, and the lead guitarist, Brant Flynn. We all went to a barbeque at their agent’s house. They happened to love drag racing, so we talked a lot about that. They each race their street cars when they aren’t busy touring. I was fortunate enough that they were willing to sing some tunes for us. Brant carries a great tune on the guitar while his brother Brian sings. I also got to watch some of their live concerts recorded from last year. They are really good, and I’m definitely going to go watch them live sometime soon.

We went out to the Texas Motorplex on Monday to check it out. Arthur, the track manager, was kind enough to let us wander around. I talked to Brian and Brant about some bracket racing tips they might not have known, and they told me some things about playing the guitar that I definitely didn’t know. I wore my new autographed Toby Keith hat that they gave me.

After our visit to the track, Risa and Steve cooked a great meal at their house for all of us. We had steak and mahimahi while we listened to the new songs that Flynnville Train is working on for their next album. It’s cool that we got a sneak preview. I thought they were great and can’t wait until I can get the whole album and put it on my IPod. Fortunately for NHRA Drag Racing, there is some talk of them writing a song about our sport, which would be awesome.

Overall, it was awesome that Risa and Steve invited me over. I really like staying with them. They do seem like family to me. We stayed pretty busy, especially with shopping. We went to their Cowboy Church on Sunday morning, which I really enjoyed. Also, Risa is really encouraging me to get racing merchandise available for purchase again. I realize I don’t have anything for fans to buy right now, and a lot of people have been asking. Risa has actually designed and produced a couple prototypes. She came up with some really nice looking shirts. Hopefully we will be able to sell them soon. At Kalitta Motorsports, we have been really focused on our racing program, which obviously has to come first. As time and resources allow, we will get our merchandise program up and running again, and fans will be able to purchase items on our Team Kalitta Web site.

I flew back to Michigan on Tuesday afternoon. I got back just in time for a new kickboxing class. It really kicked my butt. My arms are almost too sore to lift my coffee cup this morning. I’ll be so strong I won’t have to use parachutes. That’s a joke — I’m completely kidding. Right now, I’m doing some laundry and getting packed for our Vegas race this weekend. I will go to the shop and use my practice Tree one last time before I leave. Also, PR Todd has me busy doing lots of stuff. I’ve already had two interviews this week with radio and newspaper. I have some more scheduled this week. I will be at the autograph session on Thursday night at the Palms Hotel and Casino and then back in my dragster on Friday. I’m really excited for this race. I can’t wait! I just know good things are in store for our team. Wish us luck!