It is hard to believe that the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing season is finally over. It seems like just yesterday we were debuting our brand new Wiley X GXP in Pomona, and here we are -- another exciting year of drag racing already in the history books. Hi everyone; Toni here, filling in for Jim's blog while he is driving his final leg of his trip home from the West Coast. I just talked to him a short time ago and he should be back here at the shop within the next hour or so. I know that he will sure be glad to get home and sleep in his own bed, even if it is only for a couple of days, but more on that later.

We have certainly had a very busy and interesting couple of weeks. We had stayed in Vegas after the race, to attend the SEMA Show and we were going to stay there through the weekend, but decided at the last minute that we would much rather come home to spend some time with Jamie, Cynthy and baby Ryan. Though we were only home for a few days, it was well worth it and we had so much fun playing with our new grandson. He is such a good baby and is doing so well. It is exciting to watch him grow and change every day.

As I said, we were only home for a few days and then it was back to Vegas on Sunday night to do a Monday promo for Wiley X at Nellis AFB. As usual it was a great promo with lots of troops, families and children enjoying our Wiley X GXP, getting autographs and asking lots of questions. Many of the people that we met had actually been in attendance at the AC Delco Nationals so we all had lots of fun stories to tell.

Well, after the completion of the Nellis AFB promo it was westbound once again to Fort Irwin to display our GXP for the troops and families at a Tuesday promo. What an awesome facility Ft. Irwin was! Wow! When we turned off of Interstate 15 to head 30 miles down a single road which takes you to the Army base, I was a little skeptical. As it turned out, it was one of the nicest bases that we have been to. I learned that this is the base where the troops come to train for their tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is an actual city built in the desert which is a replica of Iraq and the mountainous terrain with its rocks and caves is a replica of what the troops encounter while in Afghanistan. Though we did not see that part, we did meet some of the troops that had been training there. We had such a great time learning about the base and talking to the troops and their families. There was so much excitement surrounding our display and everyone had a great time … especially us!

After saying our good byes to our Ft. Irwin friends and a Military Police escort to the gate we were on our way to Pomona to get parked and pick up Jon who once again flew in to help us out for the weekend. As they say, the rest is history. Between an exciting NHRA Softball game (where Brown's Bombers did beat the Scelzi Superchargers!) three days of qualifying, one day of racing, record-setting hot temperatures and then watching the horrible wild fires burn in the distance, it was definitely a weekend to remember.

The fires in the area intensified all weekend and all we could do is watch and pray that the firefighters would get the fires under control before they destroyed any more homes and property. Many of the crewmembers, drivers, NHRA employees and fans were at the track and didn't know if they were going to have a home to return to at the end of the day. Thankfully, the last report that I heard was that almost everyone escaped serious damage and that the fires were finally contained.

Jim just called and should be at the shop in a few minutes so I will finish up this blog and get it posted. As I said before, he is only going to be home for a couple of days as he is leaving on Friday for his annual USO sponsored trip abroad to visit the troops. This year is especially exciting as Jim, WJ, Cory Mac, and Jason Line will be joining Fred Simmonds and Jeff Romack on a trip that takes them first to Kuwait and then to Germany before returning home on Thanksgiving day. They will do at least four "meet and greets" in Kuwait and then fly to Germany where they will once again visit Ramstein AFB, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and several other facilities. Jim has been looking forward to this trip since last year. Just having the opportunity to brighten the day of one of our men and women serving overseas to protect our freedom is such an honor. The experiences that he will have and the people that he will meet will leave him with memories that he will cherish forever

Well, I hear the rig pulling in so I will close. I will make sure to keep you updated on Jim's exciting trip and will have him give you a complete update when he returns! Have a great day! Toni