I just checked out the NHRA website and noticed the countdown ticker to Pomona was set at 13 days. Whoa! Where have the days gone? Well, I can tell you, it has been wild and crazy around Jim Yates Racing as we have been getting everything ready to test and race.

The shop looks like a bomb went off but Jamie assures me that in a day everything will be back in order, neatly arranged in the tractor-trailer. You see, they took everything out of the entire rig, cleaned, sorted, and organized all of the stuff we had accumulated over the past year and are now in the process of putting the important stuff back in the trailer. As long as I have my racecar, my firesuit, and helmet, I'm a happy guy.

I know I am a great organizer and want to help them out, but Jamie decided I needed to focus my energies on continuing my search for sponsorship money for this year. (I think he really wants to keep me out of his way.) Unfortunately, the sponsorship search for Catch 22 Motorsports is not going the way we had planned, but we are still hopeful that something will be found soon.

In between phone calls in my never-ending search for funding, I have been busy getting plans made for our test session in Bradenton, Fla., as well as getting a last minute physical for my GMC Volvo tractor. Since Toni and I will once again be spending many hours in our tractor I want to make sure everything is in perfect working order. I've had the engine tuned up; the front end aligned, and will stop and get the oil changed at the local Speedco on the way out of town. I should then be good to go for 3,500-plus miles to Pomona via Las Vegas and Bradenton. Ok, so I am taking the long way around.

Like I mentioned before, there are 13 days before I pull to the starting line in Pomona. Rest assured that for us, there won't be three hours wasted between now and then. I have it all planned (imagine that): testing, driving, working, racing, and, oh, by the way, sleeping. The way I have it figured sleeping is the last thing on the priority list for the next couple of weeks. There is always a lot going on right before the first race of the year but testing our new Jerry Haas GTO is my top priority right now.

Toni and I are leaving Saturday afternoon for Bradenton where we will test our new GTO Monday and Tuesday. After loading up on Tuesday night, I am westbound once again with my sights set on Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which I want to reach by Friday. I have it calculated so I know I can make it!

Bill Jenkins is planning on arriving in Vegas Friday so we can make a few runs before the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown on Saturday. For those of you that aren't familiar with this race, it is a great opportunity for all of us Pro Stock guys to get together for a big race, complete with qualifying and eliminations. It is a great way to kick off our racing season. After the Pontiac Showdown our plan is to stay in Vegas and continue testing through Wednesday before heading over to Pomona. Bill, Jamie, and I have a lot of things we are planning on testing and Vegas is usually a great facility to get good, consistent test results.

Speaking of Bill Jenkins, everyone at Bill's shop is really excited about the progress that they have made over the winter months. In fact, Jamie is anxiously waiting for Charlie (who works at Bill's shop) to arrive here at our shop with one of the Jenkins Competition engines we are going to test with. Jamie will get the engine in the racecar and have everything ready to race when we roll our GTO in the trailer late Friday night. I am so excited to drop the clutch on my new GTO with the latest Jenkins horsepower under the hood that I can hardly sleep at night. Didn't I say that sleep was last on my priority list anyway?

Well, I have a few more sponsorship phone calls to make before venturing out to the shop to see if Jamie needs my help yet. (Not likely.) Toni is busy setting up all of the new log books and run sheets for the new season as well as adding to my never-ending Sam's Club supply list. My last job before pulling out of the shop will be to go to Sam's and stock the trailer with enough supplies to last us through Phoenix, without cluttering up Jamie's nice clean trailer, of course.

Testing ought to be exciting and I will try to get back with you some test results and pictures of my new GTO so keep checking back.