Jamie here, filling in for Dad while he is driving the rig to Las Vegas. I just got back from a couple days of testing in Bradenton, where we broke in our new Jerry Haas Pontiac GTO and tried some new engine combinations with Bill Jenkins. Since Dad ended up leaving from the shop on time Saturday afternoon, I must have done an excellent job of getting everything finished and loaded up right on schedule, which around here is important. (Dad is really big on schedules.)

Even though we had a couple of months to get ready for testing and Pomona, it seems to take us down to the last possible minute to get everything ready to go. This time was no exception. By the time we had ordered and received all of our parts, loaded up, and gotten everything else ready, we were down to the eleventh hour. But, nevertheless, by Saturday afternoon Dad and mom were on the road to sunny Bradenton. Al and I flew in later, and I'm sure Dad was already in bed snoring away.

Monday's wake-up call came way too soon because we got in late. By the time we landed, retrieved luggage, rented a car, and drove to the hotel it was after midnight, so 6 a.m. felt a lot more like 3 a.m. since it was dark and unfortunately very cold. It wasn't normal Florida and we were bundled up as we staggered out at 7 a.m.

It is always a good idea to get an early start on your first day of testing. Even though we had the car ready to race, I like to wait until I can assess the weather and track conditions before building transmissions and deciding on rear end gears. I also wanted to wait until Bill Jenkins and Jake got to the track to fine-tune our set-up. They were scheduled to arrive at 10:30 a.m. and I wanted to be ready to go when they got there. Little did we know they'd get delayed by weather in Philly and not arrive until after noon.

That, however, ended up being a positive because it was bright and sunny by then and we and the racetrack had started to warm up. By the time we made our first hit at 2:30 p.m. it was a 61 degrees and the track temperature was 94. Not bad. At the end of the first day we had run a best of 6.70 at only 185 mph. That is because Dad shut off before the 1,000-foot mark. To explain why that is -- Dad is really very careful with a new racecar. He likes to make sure he feels comfortable in the car, and that everything is working like it is suppose to, before going to the finish line. The last thing he wants to do is go through the finish line at 210 mph and suddenly notice something isn't right.

Testing can make for long, hard days because we are trying to make as many runs as possible while changing parts and combinations. Still, I have to say I was really happy with our first day with a new car. We finally got back to the room about 10:30 p.m. and believe me; no one had any trouble falling asleep.

Tuesday started the same as Monday -- way too early and very dark outside. This was going to be our last day of testing at sea-level conditions before Pomona and we really had some important things to learn before the day was through, so we headed out bright and early. By 10:30 a.m. we were already making runs and ended up getting four full passes in before Bill and Jake had to leave for the airport. We ran a 6.63, 6.61, 6.64, and 6.62 over the course of the day, and I felt the test session could be considered a huge success. We were really happy with the way the car was working. It's really nice when you see positive gains because that's not always the case.

We ran a lot of low 6.6s but the numbers weren't the impressive part; it was how the car acted and what we were learning about the engine components. Testing with Bill is different for us. My dad always wanted to "win testing" (it's the driver in him) while Bill just wants to learn something. Then he goes back home and analyzes the results and if he likes what he sees, will apply those ideas at the racetrack. He has really opened our eyes to a different approach and helped us learn how to get the most information out of a limited test session.

By Tuesday evening, with the last test run in the books and Bill and Jake on the road to the airport, it was time to get Dad on his way. All we had left to do was get the car ready to travel and put away everything we had brought out. With only an hour and a half until my mom and I had to leave for the airport we had a big task at hand. Dad, Mom, Al, and I worked together and got the entire trailer packed and ready to roll. Mom and I were just seven minutes behind schedule when we rolled out the gate on our way to Tampa. We ended up getting to the airport with plenty of time to spare and the place was virtually empty, so we had time to grab dinner before we took off.

I fly just about every week and I don't think I have ever been on an airplane as empty as this one was -- only 14 people on our flight. As much as I like room on the plane you know the airline took a huge beating on that flight.

I spent my time on the flight making my "to-do" lists for the next couple of days so I could be ready for the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown in Las Vegas. I did try to relax some by listening to my old iPod; I couldn't imagine traveling without it. We finally arrived in Baltimore, found my car and drove home. I dropped myself off at my house and gave mom my car so she could get home.

So, with only two days and a huge list of things to do, my time home has been very busy. I spent all day yesterday making phone calls and getting things together to be shipped out to Vegas. (My FedEx guy is really earning his money this week.) I was so worn out last night that I grabbed some Chinese food on the way home and Cynthy and I had a fun-filled night of Chinese food, American Idol, Bones, and of course some ice cream. (As long as it is low or non-fat it's good for you, right?) Cynthy is getting her second masters degree so she is going to school full time along with working a full-time job, so her days are as busy as mine. It was nice to have one last chance to hang out with her and be lazy before the whirlwind racing season starts up again. I can definitely tell you that while she is excited for the upcoming season, she isn't looking forward to me being gone for the next 10 days.

Well, there isn't that much more time left here at work today so I better get back to my lists. The last time I talked to my dad he was in Arizona and looking to be in Las Vegas by 9 o'clock tonight. My mom and I will fly out in the morning and be at the track by 11 a.m. and my plan is to make some runs tomorrow afternoon. I am sure my dad will check in next week and let you know how our Vegas testing went. Thanks for your support and for checking out our blog.