We have been really busy around here, but we have been busy doing the same old things we always do. When I last wrote we were getting ready to race Atlanta. We did a great job of qualifying in Atlanta but hurt an engine first round so that put a damper on our weekend. Luckily, Bill Jenkins had two guys there with the van and they had the engines back at Jenkins Competition by 8 a.m. Monday morning. The good news is we didn't hurt the engine too bad and everything was ready to go to St. Louis in a couple of days.

I had planned on driving from Atlanta to St. Louis Monday morning, but Toni and I ended up leaving Sunday night and driving the rig back to the shop. Even though we would only be home for 24 hours, I still had a chance to have a few meetings and make some important phone calls so it was worth the extra drive time. We left again on Tuesday afternoon and headed west to St. Louis where the threat of rain once again loomed on the horizon. Of course we were not disappointed. It rained all day Thursday and all day Friday, stopping long enough Friday evening for the Safety Safari to finally dry the race track once again. They ran the Pro Mods and the Pro Stock Bikes before - you guessed it - it started raining again. The Safety Safari continued to dry the track surface and finally had it ready to run, but the humidity was so high that the cars were dripping wet from the dew while just sitting in the staging lanes.

Several of the cars in the front of the line attempted to get down the track but only a few made decent runs. We weren't really too worried when our turn came to run as I have made many laps down the quarter mile in the dark with humid conditions and the NHRA does an exceptional job of prepping the racetrack for us. Well, our GTO left the starting line fairly well, and I felt like it was on a pretty good pass until about fourth gear when things really got interesting. The race car got loose, out of the groove, up on two wheels and it all happened so fast I barely had time to lift off of the throttle. The fact I didn't hit anything was not a result of my excellent driving skills but more likely the fact that God was looking over me. The good news is it stayed upright - barely! Well, I call it a crash even though I didn't hit anything. I will admit that my heart was beating pretty good by the time I coasted around the end of the race track. What a ride.

Well, I have to compliment Graham Light, the track officials, and NHRA. As soon as I pulled off of the race track they were walking the track, checking the surfaces and stopped the qualifying session for the night. They determined that because of the humidity, dampness, and temperature, it was too dangerous for us to continue to race. I know that had to have been a very difficult decision for everyone involved as well as a disappointment to the many fans that had waited in the rain all day. But, I also know that NHRA is very committed to the safety of their racers and I for one, respect them for making the right decision. Luckily, no one was hurt and no equipment was damaged so all in all it was a good day. Thankfully, Mother Nature cooperated for the remainder of the weekend and the fans were treated to a lot of great racing and awesome weather.

By now everyone knows the results of the race. We were excited about our No. 8 qualifying position and having lane choice for first round. However, our GTO seemed to have a mind of its own again on race day. Of course it couldn't have had anything to do with how Jamie and I set the car up! We had it tuned up to run low E.T. of the race, but the track obviously wasn't in the mood for it. Well, we finished racing, packed up, drove home, and started our shop routine once again.

Jon came home from Clemson Tuesday. He will be with us through the Bristol race before he has to return to school to start his next two summer sessions. He took his last final on Friday and received all of his grades yesterday. We are so proud of his efforts. Not only did he get a 3.5 GPA but he also made the Deans List -- way to go Jon-man. It seems like he is really enjoying his engineering classes because he can actually relate the class material to some of the situations we encounter with the race car. Well, for whatever reason, it is great he is excelling as he gets closer and closer to his graduation next May.

It seems like when we are home we are constantly working to get ready to go to the races again and sometimes don't really have time to do anything else. Well, this week we had a chance to do a little boating on the Occoquan and Potomac River with our good friends Carlton and Debbie Phillips of Prince William Marina. To give you an idea, the Occoquan River is a small river which joins the Potomac River just a short distance from Mount Vernon. Carlton had a new 55-foot Sea Ray Sundancer he wanted to try out so after working in the shop all day Tuesday, we met at the marina, jumped aboard and cruised to Timmy's Rivershore Restaurant for a quick bite to eat. It was a beautiful evening for cruising and I had a great time checking out all of the features of this new Sea Ray Sundancer. Of course I had to play with the cool electronics first.

It didn't take too long to get to Timmy's Rivershore where we docked the boat and headed inside for some great seafood. By the time we had finished eating, it was dark but that wasn't a concern as it is pretty safe to boat after dark on the river as long as you are careful. Besides, it gave us a chance to try the new underwater lights that Sea Ray installs on many of their boats now. Though the Potomac River isn't quite as clear as the Gulf of Mexico (imagine that), it still looked pretty neat. With the moon casting a beautiful light on the smooth water, we cruised back up the Potomac River to the Occoquan and back to Prince William Marina. I'm hoping that Carlton and Debbie will want to try out another boat before I leave to go to Bristol next week. I don't mind playing first mate when I get to experience all of these new Sea Ray boats.

Well, I better get this blog posted and get back out to the race shop. I am looking forward to a fun Mother's Day at home this weekend. Melissa is coming home, Jon is here, Jamie and Cynthy will be home, and Cynthy's parents, Glen and Peggy will be visiting as well so it should be a fun time for everyone. Usually Toni wants to go on a 40-mile bike ride on Mother's Day, (her crazy idea of a great Mother's Day) but hopefully, with everyone here, she will be too busy to remember that, at least I hope that is the case.