Yep, you guessed it; I’m on the road again, (wasn’t there a song about that?) Southbound on Interstate 5 on my way to Sonoma. Once again, Toni and I are multitasking. I’m doing the talking and she is doing the typing for my blog and once again, I have the easy part of this task. If there is one thing that I’m good at, it is talking and as long as Toni can keep her fingers moving and her laptop secured on her lap, we will get this blog out in no time.

We had a great time this past weekend in Seattle. The weather and track conditions were awesome and the stands were packed with enthusiastic fans. Is there any better combination? Our Wiley X GXP was making awesome runs all weekend and then we decided to work on it for second round. The result was a broken wheelie bar, a horrible case of tire shake and some hurt feelings when I had to lift. Believe me, I tried to hang in there but with only one wheelie bar our GXP Sunglass Machine was not an easy beast to control so I did the smart thing; I let off of the gas and coasted to the finish line. So it is on to Sonoma; which just happens to be one of my favorite tracks on the circuit.

This year the Sonoma race is even more important to us as it is close to the headquarters of Wiley X Eyewear. On Wednesday we will be taking the rig and racecar to Livermore, Calif., to put on a display for all of the Wiley X employees and I can’t wait. I have never been to the Wiley X headquarters and I am so excited to finally meet all of the people that I talk to everyday and finally see their facility. While I am there I’m hoping to order some new prescription glasses that I have been meaning to order for the last month, and see some of the new products that they are currently developing.  

We are also excited about hosting a Wiley X, “Employee Day at the Races” on Saturday at Sonoma. We are expecting about 100 employees to be in attendance to enjoy PowerAde drag racing at it’s finest along with some great pit side hospitality. The weather looks like it will be beautiful and everyone should have a great time – including me!

With the increased visibility of our GXP Sunglass Machine and the ever-growing popularity of Wiley X eyewear, I have been getting more and more questions lately about Wiley X products. So, I thought I would share a little history and information with you about this great family owned company.

Did you know that 20 years ago the U.S. military Special Forces and Law Enforcement agencies needed the ultimate shatterproof eyewear so the Wiley X family went to work. They created shatterproof, selenite, polycarbonate lenses in a sleek design. Another cool fact is some models have been tested to withstand a 12-guage shotgun blast from 10 yards away. Now I don’t know about you, but I would rather not be the test dummy for that particular test, however, if I was in the military, going into battle, I would make sure that I had my Wiley X’s on.  

Currently, Wiley X eyewear is a standard issue item with the FBI, DEA, Army Rangers, Navy SEAL Teams and Military Special Forces and is also a leading supplier of eyewear for the those who hunt, fish, ride motorcycles and of course, race cars. Their new men and women’s fashion designs are awesome and I’m lucky because I get to try new eyewear all the time. Hey, did you know that two of the three professional winners this past weekend in Seattle were Wiley X team cars? Both Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Tony Bartone (Funny Car) and their teams all sport their Wiley X eyewear. Hey guys, make room for this Sunglass Machine, we’re hoping to have all 100 Wiley X employees in the winner’s circle with us on Sunday.

Well, that is a little bit of info for you about our great sponsor. Just go to www.wileyx.com and locate the closest retail location in your area for prescription eyewear or just some cool shades. Of course you can always place your order on line and be sure to tell them that Jim sent you!

I’m just about to Grant’s Pass, Ore., and the hills are getting steeper and longer so Toni says that she is going to quit typing because she is tired of chasing her computer around her lap. Like I said, I love to talk but I haven’t figured out how to drive this rig and type a blog so I best close. I will be sure to take lots of pictures when we visit Wiley X so be sure to check back. This is Jim and the Sunglass Machine, southbound and hammer down! See ya in Sonoma!

PS I've attached some pictures of our favorite Wiley X shades!