HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hey Everybody!

I've been to SEMA, PRI, and had the trailer wrapped since I last blogged. You can check out the photos of the trailer wrap on our homepage. We're working at the shop now, mostly office work trying to get everything in place for the 2011 season. We have one of the motors apart that needs to be repaired from last year.

I purchased a plow truck for snow removal. Scott Spencer & I have been working on that, getting it in good shape. So far we've had a about eighteen inches of snow this year-the Gators can't come soon enough!

Although it won't be overly exciting, I'll keep blogging once a week or so to keep everybody updated during the off season. I hope you all have a great New Years & we'll touch base again next week.

Jay

HEY EVERYBODY

We're home now. The season has come to an exciting close with a big win at Atco, our last race of the year. The race in Reading, PA didn't go as well as we'd hoped it would, we lost in the second round. We were able to make the rescheduled Atco race the following weekend, so Ed & I stayed in PA for the week before driving to Atco. On Monday while we finished loading in Reading, Doug Foley had his drag racing school at the track & I was offered the opportunity to get in & go for a ride in his two seater dragster. WOW-what a great experience. Thank you so much to Doug & his driver Jeff. Wednesday, we did a display at the Bordentown, NJ Petro Truck Stop on our way to Atco. We arrived at Atco on Friday to set up & the weather was beautiful, the sun shined all weekend. Tommy was due to leave for Afghanistan on Wednesday of the next week, it was great to get a win at the final race of the season for a multitude of reasons. We wish Tom the best & safe return. Looking forward to seeing him in the beginning of March & getting ready for our return to racing action at the Gatornationals soon after that. Monday we left the racetrack & visited a TA Truck Stop in Paulsboro, NJ where we displayed the racecar. Tuesday we drove to Whitestone, NY to speak on Wednesday at the Lincoln Technical Institute located there. After a great visit at LTI Ed & I headed back to Cape Cod. We're now home & preparing for the 2011 season. Cleaning the shop, getting the car out of the trailer, & getting ready to head to SEMA next week in Las Vegas.

Will update again soon, thanks for checking in.

Jay

WAITING FOR THE SUN

Hey everyone!

Ed & I are hanging out at the Petro Truck Stop in Bordentown, NJ, approx. an hour from the Maple Grove track. Due to all the rain they've had in the area over the last couple of weeks, all of the grassy area at the track is mud-so they're holding off getting folks set up in the pit area until tomorrow.

Monday & Tuesday of this week I spoke at Pennco Tech in Blackwood, NJ & Universal Technical Institute in Exton, PA. Many of the students are automotive technicians in training but some were from a variety of other programs. We had a great visit at both schools.

Check out my facebook for updates from the track this weekend. We'll be trying to stream live video from the pits as well-hoping we have better internet service @ Maple Grove than we did last weekend. Check it out on the home page of our website.

I'll update you all again next week. Have a wonderful weekend and if you're at the track, come see us.

Jay

MONDAY

Hey Everybody,

It's Monday & I spoke at Pennco Tech in Blackwood, NJ this morning. On our way to Universal Technical Institute in Exton, PA to speak tomorrow. It definitely feels like fall is in the air-it's cold & rainy here.

Racing at Atco this weekend was cut short due to rainy weather. We qualified Saturday with the second qualifier also counting as the final round make-up from Englishtown where we shook the tires & broke the output shaft in the transmission. At that point the race was over & Frank Manzo got the win. Sunday the remainder of the Atco race was called due to track conditions & bad weather. The race has been rescheduled to be completed in two weeks.

Friday night our clutch man Charlie Mitchell was notified that his father John Mitchell had passed away unexpectedly. This was a shock to everybody on the team. Charlie, his son Joe, & the rest of the crew struggled through the weekend with heavy hearts and our thoughts and prayers with John. To offer condolences to the Mitchell family, please log onto www.brewittfuneralhome.com.

We'll be racing in Reading, PA at Maple Grove this coming weekend and will touch base later in the week.

Thanks for checking in.

Jay

WE'RE AT ATCO

Hello Race Fans-

Charlie, Eddie, & I visited sponsor Permatex at their headquarters in Hartford, CT yesterday & had a great visit with lots of positive feedback from all.

We drove to ATCO last night for the last Division 1 event of the season. The weather tomorrow is questionable with things turning around by Saturday. We're excited for a good weekend of racing & hope that the weather cooperates. We'll be setting up the webcam in the pit so you can see us as we work on the car throughout the weekend-keep checking the website.

The remainder of the crew will show up at the track tonight & we'll get ready to run tomorrow (weather permitting). Don't forget to check the webcam on the site & we'll be facebooking too-keep checking in. Will blog again on Monday.

Thanks & Have a great weekend!

Jay

ON THE ROAD TO ATCO

Sorry once again for the lapse in communication. Charlie, Eddie, & I have been working at the shop all day getting clutch stuff all ground up & loading the truck & trailer to get moving. We're going to the Permatex Headquarters tomorrow morning to display the racecar & speak to the employees. Then we're headed to Atco for the division 1 race this weekend. Will update you all again tomorrow, believe it-I really am going to try to do a better job of keeping up with the blog.

Talk at you later.

Jay

AT A TA TRUCK STOP IN NORTH CAROLINA

Hey Everybody!

Charlie, Todd, & I are hanging out at a TA Truck Stop in North Carolina. We got the truck washed & had a leaking tire repaired. We'll be getting to the track & setting up the pit area in Concord, NC tomorrow afternoon.

We had a great weekend @ Englishtown last week. Rain was expected on Sunday, so they pushed to get all the racing in on Saturday but came up against the curfew & had to shut things down before getting the finals in for several of the classes. TAFC being one of them. We're in the finals up against Frank Manzo, who else-& will run the final at a race to be determined.

The entire team has been working hard & their efforts are showing in our race results. Hoping that we'll keep the momentum going through the end of the season.

Check back on Thursday, I'll blog again then.

Thanks for checking in.

Jay

GETTING READY TO HIT THE ROAD AGAIN!

Hey all,

Charlie & I just finished loading the racecar, the trailers loaded, & we're headed to Englishtown for racing this weekend. We're going to try to get the webcam up & operational again on Saturday afternoon during qualifying & again Sunday for eliminations. I'll send facebook updates too. Check it out if you get the chance.

Its been a busy week at the shop. We've serviced the engine, new connecting rods, checked all the valve springs, went through the clutch, & did some work on the body.

We're beginning four races in a five week stretch with a couple of speaking engagements & racecar displays thrown in the mix, so it will be a busy time.

I'll try to keep everybody updated & will blog again early next week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Jay

CATCHING UP

Hey Everybody!

Cecil County went well. We lost to Frank Manzo in the finals, 5.65 to a 5.67. The whole team did a great job. When you lose to Manzo, you've lost to the best. We've beat him before, and we'll beat him again. It was a great weekend. Unfortunately, the USO was unable to pull together the soldier visit this time around so we'll try again at another race-we'll keep you updated. We used the webcam in the pit area for the first time @ Cecil. We had some success as well as some trouble. We hope to do it again at Etown-please check out the our homepage to catch us working on the car. The facebook posting went well too.

We're back at the shop working on everything from the truck & trailer to generators & racecars. All in preparation for the next block of races-4 races in a 5 week stretch.

I hope everybody has a great Labor Day Weekend, we'll be back in touch next week.

Talk soon,

Jay

TESTING @ CECIL COUNTY

Good Afternoon,

We arrived at Cecil County Dragway last evening after spending the day at the corporate headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore. Wonderful people & a great tour of the facility.

We'll be testing this afternoon & then the remainder of the team arrives at the track to prepare for qualifying tomorrow @ 5pm.

Wanted to let you all know that we'll be trying to update our facebook page this weekend after each run. Please check it out if you have a chance. Also, we'll be streaming live video from the track, you can click on the link from the home page of the website to keep track of what we're up to in the pits throughout the weekend.

Have a great day & will be back in touch early next week.

Jay

BACK FROM VACATION

Holy Cow! Took my wife Ann on a cruise to Bermuda for a week, it was very relaxing & the weather was great. Returned to Massachusetts on Friday & then Saturday night we went to Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox) for a J. Geils & Aerosmith concert. We had a blast!

Thanks to the hard work of the team while I was away, we're all loaded up & ready to hit the road for the division 1 race @ Cecil County this weekend, August 20-21. Will be making a stop tomorrow at the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore on our way to the track. We're also hosting a group of wounded soldiers from Ft. Meade in Maryland on Saturday. We're all looking forward to meeting the guys & offering our thanks for their service & sacrifice.

We're going to try to get our webcam up & running in the pit this weekend. Keep a lookout on the home page of the website to see if we have a link to the live stream up. Also, check out our facebook page-we'll be updating after each run.

Will be back in touch soon.

Jay

I'M STILL HERE

Hi everyone! Sorry for the disappearing act. I don't know if you're getting as sick as I am of the previous statement-I know I sure am. Will work on posting on a more regular basis. I do appreciate all of you checking in.

Mitch & I took the showcar down to the motorcycle ride in memory of fallen soldier from Cape Cod @ DY High School on Saturday, July 24. Wow, what an awesome experience. While I was there, I ran into a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in at least 10 years. It was great to see him & have a chance to catch up. Last time we'd seen each other he had been diagnosed with what was thought to be terminal cancer-not so. He's doing well & moving on with his life. After that, it was time to get the car finished up & readied to go testing. We had to put new crbon fiber front brakes on the car on Monday. Tuesday afternoon Eddie & I loaded the truck & trailer. Ed & his buddy left Tuesday evening for New England Dragway where we'd be testing. Wednesday morning we all arrived at the track, got the car out of the trailer & st up the pit area. When we were spinning the engine over for oil pressure we found a wobble on the lower pulley attached to the crankshaft. After inspection & disassembly, we realized the crank hub was no good. After getting this problem squared away, we had time for one pass. Took the car to the starting line, did the burn out & at that point we realized the body was not latching properly. Tommy gave the shut off sign to Todd & that ended the evening. Thursday we took the car to the Carroll Center in Newton, MA where I spoke with 40 students that were there for the summer. Had the car on display for them & then started the car up so they could all experience what 3000 HP sounds like. As always, it was a great visit. Thursday night we drove back to the Cape & got ready to take the racecar to Ozzie's shop on Friday morning, where we worked on the body latch issue. By the end of the day we were loading the car back into the trailer, ready to return to New England Dragway for more testing over the weekend. Saturday morning we arrived back at the track, where we were able to make two passes. The first one, 5.69 @ 257mph & the second was a 5.66 @ 257mph. That put a cap on Saturday. My brother Jimmy was running his car, my nephew Jamie was racing his car, & my niece Patty was driving her car too. It was kinda cool having all those Blake's racing-it was alot of fun. We had a great dinner that night-thanks to Maura. Then everybody got a good nights sleep. Sunday we pulled the car out again to make some more passes. We ran a 5.62 & a 5.63, & by the end of the day we had reset both ends of the track record-a great accomplishment for the entire team. We stayed over Sunday night to work on the car again on Monday, then loaded it up & brought it back to the Cape.

I would really like to thank Joe & all of the staff at New England Dragway for their hospitality, track preparation, and help. New England Dragway is one of the finest facilities in the Northeast.

Back at the shop we unloaded the trailer and will do some more work on the car servicing cylinder heads & clutch stuff in preparation for our next race at Cecil County, August 20.

I will talk to you all one week from Monday, August 16, as my wife Ann & I are going on vacation tomorrow. YAHOO!!!

HELLO FROM FLORIDA

Hey everybody,

Down here in Orlando, FL where I spoke yesterday at the NACAT Conference. Will be helping Tom Dobruck set up the Permatex booth tomorrow & will be in the booth the rest of the day & then again on Thursday. Fly home Thursday evening.

I flew into Orlando from Syracuse Sunday night after a great weekend at the Syracuse Nationals, a Right Coast car show. There were some 8500 cars of all kinds-street rods, rat rods, antique cars, & just a full array of custom cars. There was even one guy driving around in an old Army truck (a troop mover)with the back of the truck converted into a swimming pool! There were thousands of people at the show every day and there was a motorsports thrill show each night. Charlie & I met all kinds of great people and had alot of fun. There was a number of Follow A Dream fans who came by to congratulate us on the win at Lebanon Valley & to commend the team on what a great job we're doing. I was impressed that they knew who we were.

On Monday morning Charlie drove the truck & trailer back to the Cape & unloaded. Today, Charlie, Tommy, & Eddie are in the shop working on the car getting it ready to test @ New England Dragway next week, July & August 1.

Mitch & I will be taking the car over to D-Y High School in Yarmouth, MA this coming Saturday, July 24 for a memorial motorcycle ride in honor of the fallen soldiers from Cape Cod, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ride will cover a 28 mile route through the mid Cape area and will begin and end at the DY High School. The ride pays tribute to Marine Cpl. Nicholas G. Xiarhos from Yarmouth, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Gates open at 8am, ride begins at 11am. The event includes live entertainment, food vendors, motorcycle vendors, and raffles. For more info, please log onto www.ngxride.com. All are invited to get involved & participate in this great event.

Terri has been working on getting a web cam set up so stay tuned-we should be streaming live video from the track & the shop soon.

Will get back to blogging at the beginning of next week-stay tuned friends. Look forward to seeing some of you in Yarmouth on Saturday.

Jay

BIG WIN AT LEBANON VALLEY

Hey Everybody!

Well, its been quite the ride since I last blogged at you. Sorry for the lapse in communication. I started to get a tickle in my throat Thursday at Lebanon Valley, & at the doctors office by Tuesday of the following week. Have been home, sick in bed with some kind of sinus infection since. Back to work now though & boy-lots to do.

Now that's behind us-HOLY COW-WHAT A WEEKEND IN NY!!! By Friday noon time, the whole team had arrived at Lebanon Valley. We had made one test pass on the Thursday prior to start of racing. The conditions did not make sense to try anymore test passes so we got busy preparing the car for first qualifier Friday evening. The car needed new rods, the cylinder heads & clutch were both serviced, and we were warming up in plenty of time for qualifying Friday evening. Qualifying went okay-we ended up #4 qualifier going into eliminations. Everybody arrived at the track Saturday morning excited for a great day of racing. We won first round of eliminations with a 5.66, which was low et of first round, giving us lane choice in the semi finals to none other than Frank Manzo. It was very exciting to have lane choice over Frank, although we had a lifter come apart on that first round, the team all worked together & was able to repair the engine & replace the lifter. We did however have the spare motor out from under the bench & in the doorway ready to go into the car if need be. There was no time to hold anything back. Fortunatly we were able to repair the motor that was in the car & we ready for the semis. The cars started, burn outs were done, & once again,we were racing Frank. The lights flashed on the Christmas tree and away they went. Frank goes in to violent tire shake & eventually shuts off & Todd drives down for the victory. WOW-we finally got Frank. The team was full of excitement to say the least. We headed back to the pit to ready for the finals. Everything went well between rounds-it was time for the finals & at the end of the weekend, we were in the winners circle. A perfect end to an amazing weekend. The entire team worked so hard to make it all happen. My brother Jim & his son Jamie were there racing Super Comp so it was really nice to share the win with them as well. It was awesome to get another win, and for some of the team, it was their first. Everyone is still glowing & they all deserved it.

Now back at the office & preparing for our trip to Syracuse, NY for the Right Coast National car show @ the NY State Fairgrounds this coming weekend. We'll be leaving MA on Thursday morning & heading that way.

Will post again at the end of the week my friends. Thanks for checking in.

Jay

For those of you on facebook, I'll be starting to update my facebook page after each round of racing beginning with our next race @ Cecil County in August.

ON OUR WAY TO LEBANON VALLEY

Hey Everybody!

I hope you've enjoyed hearing from Meaghan & Todd. Its been a very busy time and we're still on the road. Right now, I'm sitting in a truck wash outside Albany, NY heading to Lebanon Valley Dragway, where we'll test on Thursday in preperation for this weekends race. Eddie, Charlie, & I had a great visit at the Solon, OH Permatex plant, where I spoke to two groups & we displayed the racecar for the day. Some Permatex employees also came out to enjoy the race in Norwalk-it was great to have them there. Also had a visit from team supporter Jim Reed from TA Travel Centers of America. He had his sons & some other guests with him. This was quite an experience for all as it was their first time at a drag race. We finished loading the trailer Sunday night just as the rain came in. Charlie, Eddie, & I headed off to Lodi, OH TA Truck Plaza, where Monday morning I had the chance to speak to a group of technicians & display the racecar. It was a great visit-if you're ever in the area & need service or just a fuel stop, drop by the TA in Lodi, they're a great group of folks. Then off to Harborcreek, PA for another Travel Center visit where I again spoke & displayed the car. We had a special treat that evening-we went out to Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant for dinner, a sports bar with a racing theme, with cars hanging from the ceiling & gas pumps for the door handles. We had lots of fun & were right in our element! Tuesday we made two more visits on behalf of TA Travel Centers, one in Pembroke, NY & the other in Waterloo, NY. Today was housekeeping day-we did laundry & filled water tanks. Now we're off to the races-shortly we'll be pulling into Lebanon Valley & getting ready for tomorrow. We're looking forward to a great weekend. Ann, Carly, & Brandon are coming to the races-their first of the season. My brother Jim & his son Jamie will be at the track racing as well. We'll be celebrating 2 team birthdays this weekend, clutch machinist Alan Hadfield & Scott Osborns daughter Carrie's. YEAH- Cake!! It should be lots of fun.

Check back Tuesday & I'll catch you all up on the events of the weekend.

Happy & Safe Holiday!

Jay

BACK IN THE SEMI'S

Hi everyone. This is Todd. Norwalk turned out to be another great outing for the team – our second semifinal finish in a row at a national event and the second time in a row that a race was even more special for me personally.

My wife, Jacque, and I got married during the Englishtown event, about 50 miles from the track in New York City. Norwalk held extra meaning because my parents threw a wedding reception for Jacque and me about 50 miles from the track, in Wadsworth, Ohio, where I grew up.

It was at their house, and the whole team came. Everybody flew in Thursday except Jay, Eddie, and Charlie, who had driven the rig to Norwalk after first stopping at a Permatex plant in Solon, Ohio. It was great having everybody there with my family and all of my relatives. (In September, on the Saturday of the U.S. Nationals, Jacque and I are having our own reception at our new house, which is just a few miles from Indianapolis Raceway Park.)

Thursday morning, I picked up Jay, Charlie, and Eddie at the track and took them to Wadsworth, where Jay delivered a motivational speech to the Lions Club. It was the first time I've ever gotten to hear him speak, and it was awesome. Jacque and my dad were there, and everybody loved it. Event organizers said it was one of the best presentations they've ever had. The coolest part, other than Jay's speech itself, was that my eighth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Casey, is a member of the Lions Club and was there for the speech. She got a kick out of the fact that I grew up to be a writer and remembers that I always wanted to be a drag racer.

From there, we all went to my dad's shop, which is just a few miles away, and my dad gave Charlie, Eddie, and Jay a tour of the place, showing them the CNC machines, his four-engine tractor puller, and the supercharged 270-cubic-inch Hemi engine he built for his street rod. I don't know who enjoyed it more – my dad or the guys. After the reception that night, it was back to Norwalk for what always is one of the biggest races of the season.

We came off the trailer with a 5.72 Friday morning and picked up to a 5.67 that afternoon that was extra cool because the car barely made it. It hazed the tires on the launch and it felt like it was going to kick 'em loose at the top of low gear, but when I shifted into 2nd, the shake was gone and it charged to the finish line. After a consistent 5.70 Saturday morning, we entered eliminations in the number 5 spot.

We beat veteran Larry Dobbs, who's been racing Alcohol Funny Cars since 1982, in the first round, and John Anderika, the same guy we raced in the second round a couple weeks ago at Englishtown, in round two. In the semi's, there he was again: Frank Manzo. We've been to the semifinals at three national events this year, including our season debut in Gainesville, and we've had to run him every time.

This time, we didn't get the chance. As I was bringing the engine up, probably less than a second from staging, the engine quit. I couldn't imagine what happened – everything was fine. Tuner Tommy Howell quickly figured out that the new safety device we installed on the car this weekend – something designed to shut off the fuel, kill the ignition, and throw out the parachutes after the finish line if the driver hasn't already done it – somehow kicked in and silenced the engine on the starting line.

It was a lousy end to the race – we would have loved to see how the changes Tommy made for that run worked out – but it didn't keep the weekend from being a success on all fronts. The best part: we're up to eighth in the national standings. Our next Division 1 Lucas Oil Series race, in Lebanon Valley, N.Y., is just a few days away. Talk to you soon!

WE HAVE A GUEST BLOGGER

Hi Friends,

Wanted to fill you all in on last weekends SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ. No better way that I can think of than to get a fresh perspective. Please take a look at what team member Joe Mitchell's girlfriend, Meaghan Foulds had to say about her weekend. Enjoy & will be back at you all soon.

Jay

Hey Everyone,

This past weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ for the Super Nationals was bittersweet. I could not write about this weekend without first taking a moment to think about Neal Parker, who was in a fatal accident on Friday during the qualifying session. Neal Parker, who drove “The Excavator,” was also a Top Alcohol Funny Car driver, and that certainly affected the rest of the weekend for this class. In his honor, the other drivers in this class put a black line through the numbers on their cars. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and crew.
However, this weekend the Follow a Dream team also had a lot to celebrate. For one thing, they made it to the semi-finals. Also, their driver Todd Veney was married to his beautiful bride Jacque. There certainly was a lot of happiness for them.
The weekend started on Thursday. Joe and I left a little later than we planned and after braving both traffic and weather, we arrived at the track around 7pm. We were not allowed to drive in, so Charlie and Spencer picked us up in the golf cart and took us to the pit area, which was all set up. The best part was that we were next to a walking path, so spectators were able to walk adjacent to our pit area and see everything. We only stayed at the track for a couple hours, and then Joe, Spencer, Pam, Ozzie, Mike and I headed to our hotel to check in and make it an early night.
Early Friday morning, Joe, Spencer and I headed to the track. I took my usual spot at the table with my book, although I did help Pam make some toast. If you needed to find Pam at any point this weekend, it would have been by the grill cooking up some delicious food for us. She certainly kept us well fed.
Shortly after eleven, we headed to the staging lanes for the first qualifying session. Right as we got into the crowd by the starting line, the Top Alcohol Funny Cars began racing. Shortly after, we heard about Parker’s accident, but it was not until we were back in the pit that we learned the full extent. Everything was put on hold until about 4pm. At that time, Linda invited me and Pam to her suite for a tour, which was awesome. We sat in there and watched some of the Pro Stock Motorcycles. It was nice to be out of the heat, and I really enjoyed it. Then we stood on the balcony and watched some of the Pro Stock Cars. After walking around the pits, collecting hero cards, we went back to our pit to prepare for our race. It wasn’t until close to 7pm that we ran our first qualifying session. Todd ran a 5.64, and we were currently qualified third. It was a great start.
Shortly after, Todd and Jacque went to Central Park to be married. They had met on June 11, 11 years ago, and they wanted to be married on this date. They were- at 11:30 that night. We were all very excited for them. The rest of us had a BBQ, and the boys were hard at work getting the car ready for the next day. Once they were done, Joe, Alan and I went and sat in the stands to watch the Top Fuel Funny Cars. I love watching them under the lights. Right after, Joe, Charlie and I watched the Top Fuel Dragsters, and we saw Corey Mac make history by running a 3.752, the fastest time in 1000 foot history. It was pretty exciting. That ended up being a late night. The boys put the car away, and we all sat around talking. We weren’t back at the hotel until midnight, and we went straight to bed.
We got to the track early the next morning, and Joe, Spencer and I took the golf cart to where the fuel is tested after the races. The NHRA official took me on a tour of the trailer and showed me how the fuel is tested. He explained that it takes too long to run the full test for every car, so they are randomly selected. I found it interesting.
Shortly after this, Mr. and Mrs. Veney were dropped off at our pit in a limousine, which provided some excitement for us. During our down time that day, Donna and I went to the Geico trailer for free backpacks, and Pam and I went to the Copart trailer for free t-shirts. Who doesn’t love free stuff? Also, Alan was having the whole team sign a hero card for his neighbor, who just happens to be Siobhan Magnus from American Idol. How exciting is that?
At 1:30, we went up to the staging lanes and we certainly caused a scene by writing JUST MARRIED on the hatch of the car and by tying a string of cans that Jay had made to the wheelie bar, which proceeded to fall off along the way. It was hilarious. Unfortunately, during this run, Todd crossed the center line, hit the block and was disqualified. We did, however, end up qualifying 4th.
After this, I had more down time, and the boys worked hard to turn the car around. I took a nap, and we had lunch around 5pm. Joe, Spencer, Jay and I went for a walk to speak to a vendor. Then Joe and I went on our “date” we have at every race, which is to take the golf cart to buy a fresh squeezed lemonade for the outrageous price of $6. Delicious!
First round was that evening, just as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful night. We were racing Wayne Morris and beat him by running a 5.59.
The boys had a lot of work to do, and it was pretty late by the time we got everyone together for a reception for Todd and Jacque, complete with hors d’oeurves, chicken cacciatore, a champagne toast and cake. It was such an amazing night, and I loved it. It was also an extremely late night, and we went to the hotel for a few hours of sleep.
Sunday was the big show, but rain was in the forecast. I walked up to the stands just in time for a moment of silence and the National Anthem. Jacque came and found me and we watched first round for the Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars. Just as we got back to the pit, the team was getting ready to head up to the staging lanes. It was unbearably hot. We were up against John Anderika, and we knew it was going to be a close race. We beat him by running a 5.63, and we were headed to the semi finals against Manzo. The guys had their work cut out for them, but the rest of us were trying to stay out of the heat. Jimmy, from NHRA, came over to say that we were scheduled to run at 2:30, but that the rain was also expected at 2:30.
In the end, the temperature did drop a lot, but the rain held off just long enough for our semi final round. We smoked the tires, and we were not able to get the win light, but it was still a great weekend.
The skies opened up just as pit takedown began. I have never seen them take the pit area down so quickly. Goodbyes were quickly said as everyone rushed to get out of the rain and on the road. And my and Joe’s weekend ended the exact same way it began, sitting in rain and traffic.
All in all, it was certainly an emotional weekend, in more ways than one. I am certainly looking forward to my next drag race.

Best,
Meaghan

WE'RE IN ENGLISHTOWN

Hey Everybody!

We're in Etown all set up to start racing tomorrow & most of the crew has arrived. Although it is currently raining, the weather is supposed to be good for most of the weekend.

Charlie & I had a great trip down to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. It was Charlie's first time at Walter Reed and he was very humbled by the whole experience. We spent most of the day there, had the troops sign the back deck of the racecar, & we also passed out "Free To Dream" t-shirts. It's the most amazing experience & so awesome to be able to have the opportunity to give back just a little bit. We're looking forward to the possibly of doing something later in the year with Walter Reed-stay tuned.

Back to racing-in 2003, this race was the very first race that we campaigned the Funny Car & Todd was the driver. Last year this race did not treat us well, but we're very excited to get under way & we're all optimistic that we'll have a great weekend of racing.

Todd & his long time girlfriend Jacque are planning a trip into NYC tomorrow evening to get married in Central Park. We all wish them the best.

I hope all of you have a great weekend. You can tune into www.nhra.com to listen live or www.dragracecentral.com to stay updated throughout the weekend. I'll get back in touch on Monday to fill you all in.

Jay

HEADED TO WALTER REED

Hi Everybody,

Its Monday afternoon & Charlie & I are in the truck headed to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC. This past week we had the car in the shop. Ozzie checked the lower end & everything seems happy. Charlie & Joe put a new clutch in the car & the car looks all ready for the first qualifier in Englishtown this coming Friday. All thats left is for Tommy to put his finishing touches on the tune up. We'll have the hero cards out in Etown in a beautiful new hero card stand, built by Ozzie-using up the bent front wheels we had laying around the shop-it is amazing! Charlie & I are scheduled to arrive at Walter Reed tomorrow morning & we're looking forward to a great visit there. Then we'll head to Bordentown, NJ where we'll display the racecar at a Petro Truck Stop. Then off to the track to set up & get ready for a busy weekend.

June is a busy month of racing, three races in four weeks. Thanks to the entire crew for all their hard work & dedication. I'll check back later in the week. Have a great day!

Jay

HELLO ALL!

I hope everybody had a great Memorial Day & remembered to be thankful for the freedoms that we have. Remember-freedom is not free!

The race in Indy went well. We qualified third, and lost in the semi final round. After returning from Indy, Scott, Mitch, & I did a brake job on the trailer, while Charlie cut floaters & discs. Then Charlie, Scott & I loaded the trailer and hit the road. We picked Eddie up on our way out of town and headed for Maple Grove. It was a very busy couple of days.

The team met up in Reading, we tested on Thursday, which went well. We qualified #2 on Friday. Saturday we freshened the motor as scheduled & then Saturday evening had first round of eliminations. Eliminations didn't go as well & we lost first round. We ran a 5.70 to a 5.69 against Fred Tigges. The crew dragged themselves back to the pit area, frustrated with the outcome. The only thing left to do was load up & head home. It was great to be back at our first division 1 race, got to see some folks we haven't seen since last year. Saturday afternoon we had a special visit from Nick, a boy I met seven years ago in Maple Grove. Nick is fighting Juvenile Batten Disease, which is a terminal illness. One of the effects of the disease is loss of sight. Check out his website, www.nicksbattle.com if you want to know more about Nick & his fight. So, it was great to see Nick & his family as always. We also met a young boy name Kevin, who has recently been paired with a great foster family. Kevin's foster dad brought him to the races for the first time. We had a great talk & he promised me he'd be back in October for the national event. Can't wait to see both Nick & Kevin again.

Driving home Saturday night, somewhere around 1am-my phone rings & I hear a voice say, "is that you in the Follow A Dream truck?" A friend of mine from high school was driving right in front of us. We stopped at the TA for fuel & spent an hour catching up with my old buddy Ed. I also met Amanda, who has been a fan of Follow A Dream & couldn't wait to meet us. She drives a junior dragster & her & her dad were on their way to race in Englishtown. Great to meet you Amanda & good luck on your graduation!

I'm home now for a week. I went to a Memorial Day Parade on Monday. Had my father in law Ray, my mom, & my daughter Marybeth over for a delicious dinner to celebrate Ray's birthday. Its great to be home for a couple of days to enjoy some family time.

This week will be all about getting ready for Englishtown & our visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC prior to the race.

I'll get back to you all soon-have a wonderful week.

GOD BLESS AMERICA! Thanks to our troops for their dedication-it's because of their many sacrifices that we can DARE TO DREAM.


Jay

BUSY WEEK MY FRIENDS

Hey All!

Its Thursday afternoon & I'm in the office. The truck, trailer & racecar have just arrived in Indianapolis to complete the rain delayed divsion 3 race from 2 weeks ago. Its weird, being at the office & having the car somewhere else. But, I'm thrilled to be speaking for a group of blind vets tomorrow in Hyannis, MA, where Alan Hadfield & I will have the show car on display. Then off to the airport to meet up with the crew in Indy.

The week was filled with car maintenance, office work, & shop organization (continued improvements). Monday morning I spoke for a group at Career Opportunities in Hyannis. Great folks & I wish them all success in their job search. Tuesday night Charlie & I went up to Norwood, MA, where I spoke for a group from the Association of Fleet Maintenance Supervisors. Didn't think we'd get to show the car off with the weather but got lucky & had access to a carport. Another great group of folks & lots of fun.

Its been a busy week but a good week. This is always a busy week in my head-May 22 is the anniversay of the accident that caused me to lose my sight thirteen years ago. Because of this, the race this weekend adds a bit to the pressure to do well-just because of the timing. It's truly amazing what we've accomplished since that bad day at the office as I like to call it.

Thank you to my wonderful family, the dream team, & all of you for your support & encouragement throughout the years-it means so much to me.

Get back at you next week.

Jay

CHECKING BACK

Hey All,

Jared from Red's Reconditioning got the truck & trailer all beautified and ready for the road again. Terri's been hard at work behind the computer & Alan's still cutting discs. I've been tinkering, cleaning, & doing office work. The truck & trailer will leave next Wednesday for our return engagement in Indy. We've got three speaking events next week & have to get the whole operation loaded and ready to hit the road. Ozzie's done some great fabrication to the body dolly so the Impala body fits, the dolly was originally built for the old Avenger-now the showcar. Nothing too exciting but wanted to update you all. Will be back in touch at the beginning of next week.

Have a great weekend!

Jay

RAINED OUT IN INDY & NOW WE'RE HOME

Sorry everybody, I lost track of time. We traveled from Vegas to Indy for the division 3 race, April 23-25. Rain was predicted all weekend and they weren't far off the mark. Thursday morning we made a stop at BOSMA Enterprises in Indianapolis to speak for their group. The BOSMA organization is dedicated to empowering people who are blind or visually impaired by creating opportunities that lead to the achievement of each individual's employment, economic, social, and self-determination goals-a terrific program & a great group of people. Thursday afternoon we visited the Whitestown, IN TA Truck Stop-thanks to Lorie & the whole crew for their hospitality.

After arriving at the track we set up the pit area. Thursday night Todd & his fiance Jackie invited us to Todd's for a homemade dinner. Division 3 TAFC racer & old friend of Todds, Andy Bohl & his team were also invited. We had a great time & enjoyed the company.

Friday was a complete wash out, no racing at all. Saturday we were able to make one qualifying pass. Tommy did a great job tuning. We were the first car down the track, ran a 5.72 which held up as the #3 qualifier. It was a perfect tune up to send us right down the track to put us safely in the field. Unfortunately, the weatherman was right and Sunday was a complete washout too. The race has been rescheduled for May 21 & 22-we'll be returning to Indy to finish up then.

We had a major brake failure in the trailer on our way to Indy so Sunday morning Ed & I braved the wet weather & put new brakes on. In the meantime, the rest of the crew started to load up for the trip back East. Lupo flew home to Florida, Tommy flew home to Massachusetts, & Ed, Charlie, & I jumped in the truck & headed home. By Monday morning around 9:15 we had arrived home & had unloaded at the shop. Everybody headed home to get some much deserved rest. The odometer on the truck had increased by about 8500 miles. It was quite a journey & thanks to our crew-both the travelers & those at home-we were able to get it done. Since we've been home I've been working at the shop cleaning up, trying to organize, & working the phones. Alan's been hard at work cutting floaters & discs. This week will be more of the same-I'll check back later in the week.

Thanks & have a great day.

Jay

ON OUR WAY TO INDY

Hello All!

We're on the road headed East to Indy.

We pulled into Vegas excited for a great weekend. Charlie was going to get to visit with his youngest son Andrew, who is going to school in Vegas. Friday nights presentation at the Petro in North Vegas went well, we met some great techs, service writers, managers, & drivers. Thanks so much to Frank & Mary for their hospitality & efforts!

Qualifying did not go as well as we'd hoped. The first qualifying pass we had a wire tie break that holds the throttle cable lock-only allowing us to go to half throttle. After losing that run, each run kept getting better. We qualified 11th & prepared for first round Saturday evening. We ran a 5.72 @ 254mph in the first elimination round & lost to a 5.67. It was a close race, but losing that first qualifying pass kept us a run behind all weekend. Everybody was very disappointed. Sunday we spent the day servicing the car & getting ready for the race in Indianapolis. Monday morning we went back to the North Vegas Petro & had new Bridgestone tires mounted on the trailer. Thanks much to Petro for their assistance & service, we really appreciate it.

As you read this, we're driving across America-3pm EST. Ed's driving, Tommy's in the passenger seat, Lupo is resting on the couch, & Charlie & I are at the dinette working.

Thanks for checking in, we'll get back to you in a few days.

Jay

WE'RE IN VEGAS!

Hello All!

Sorry for the lapse in communication-its been a busy time. Visit to the Greater New York Auto Dealers Assoc. Tech Competition in New York went very well. It's a great program & I'm always happy to be involved. It's also great to touch base with the terrific students & instructors that we meet each year.

The Houston race is behind us and unfortunately, it was not one of our better outings. The first qualifying pass went well where we ran a 5.63. After that nothing went as planned. Our second qualifying pass, we had battery problems & the car shut off at about 100'. Saturday we fought rain most of the day & got in the first round of eliminations late Saturday night, which ended with a red light in our lane. It was a disappointing weekend for everybody & on top of not running well we had much of the crew struggling with illness. Marybeth, Spenc, Joe, Ozzie, & Pam flew home to Boston on Monday. Lupo, Charlie, Tommy, Ed, Todd, & I worked on the car Sunday putting another motor in the car. This allowed us to take out the motor that was in the car & keep it as a spare, all ready to run if we have a catistrophic problem. Tested in Houston on Monday to prep for Vegas race this weekennd. We made three test passes & then broke down the pit area & headed west toward Vegas. It was approx. 12:30am when we had done all our chores, had dinner, & were on our way. Arrived in Vegas on Wednesday morning. Todd & I did a display at the Petro truck stop in North Vegas with the racecar Wednesday afternoon-lots of fun. I'll be going back Friday evening to speak for some managers & techs that work at the facility. Today we'll service the car & get it ready to race tomorrow.

Will probably not have the opportunity to blog over the weekend, will try to update you all on Monday. Wish us luck!

Thanks for checking in,

Jay

IN THE BIG APPLE

Hey Everybody!

Its Monday afternoon & Charlie & I are at the Javits Center in NY, NY with Tom Dobruck of Permatex for the National Auto Tech Competition where I'll be the keynote speaker at the kick off breakfast tomorrow morning. We picked the Avenger body for the show car up at Circus Custom Paint yesterday & got into the city last evening. It's been a long time coming & alot of hard work but we finally have our show car ready. Charlie's first visit to the Big Apple & he's completely blown away by the whole atmosphere. Stay tuned, he's going to fill you in with his own blog/story of the entire trip when we get back at the end of the month. Eddie & Spencer are on their way to Houston, had a flat tire this morning on the Georgia/Alabama line. Got through that & are back on the road headed to Houston.

Thanks to the entire team for all the hard work over the last couple of weeks to get the operation up & out the door once again. We've got a great group of very hard working folks whose dedication helps make it all work.

Will be back in touch mid week.

Jay

HOUSTON-VEGAS-INDY

Hello, all. It's been a busy week. I told you I'd write back soon. Well, it's not soon, but I'm writing back.

It's Friday evening, and the car's jacked up, the motor's apart, the heads are freshened, and new rods and pistons are ready to go back in. Alan has been hard at work cutting floaters and discs. Ozzie has been working on parachute system stuff and numerous fabrication projects.

The show car is being prepared for the vocational school competition at the New York International Auto Show, where I'll be the keynote speaker at the breakfast that kicks off the show. It's at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in downtown New York City, and this is our fourth year representing Permatex there. We're leaving Easter Sunday to pick up the body at Circus Custom Paints in New Jersey, and then we're off to New York.

From there, it's straight to Houston for the Spring Nationals. Guess what? That's not going to be our only race for the next month. When we leave Houston, we will, as the great and fabulous Ed Parker says, turn left instead of right. We're not heading back to Massachusetts; we're going to Las Vegas for the SummitRacing Nationals.

The Division 3 race in Indianapolis, Todd's hometown, is right on the way back home from Vegas, so we're running that race, too. We're all excited about this opportunity to run back-to-back races. I really appreciate the Dream Team and everybody's dedication.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'll talk back at you at the beginning of next week.

Jay

BACK HOME

Hello All,

Arrived back at the shop around 1:30 this afternoon after a stop @ Coventry Regional Career & Technical Center in Coventry, RI. The culinary department made us a wonderful breakfast & then I spoke to 1000 students. Had the Permatex funny car on display outside the school-what a beautiful day! While I showered this morning, Charlie was awoken by a Coventry, Rhode Island police officer banging on the back door. He was requesting that we move the truck & trailer off of school property because we were in the way & we were early-a full 24 hours early, the event wasn't scheduled until Friday morning! Charlie didn't know what to do & by the time I got out of the shower, I was starting to get concerned that I had the date wrong. Took about a half hour to work it all out & everything went fine-we were right-today was the day.

Our first race of the season in Gainesville, FL went well & everyone is excited about moving forward with the 2010 season. I'm looking forward to keeping everybody updated as we continue the season and will touch base again soon.

Have a great day.

Jay

GREAT SEASON DEBUT IN GAINESVILLE

Hi, everyone. This is Todd. My first weekend back in Jay's car couldn't have gone much better. Other than a couple of blasts off the starting line in Valdosta, Ga., a few days before we got to Gainesville, I hadn't been down the track in years, so to reach the semifinals at a huge race like the Gatornationals was a dream. I've gotten three runner-ups in the past, but even they weren't as good as Gainesville 2010.

Rain on Friday limited qualifying to just two shots, and we ran a 5.66 at 256 mph right off the trailer. (The best I'd ever run before this weekend was a 5.67 at 255.) In eliminations, we took out Ulf Leanders of Sweden in the first round and Alexis DeJoria in the quarterfinals. Everybody's nemesis, Frank Manzo, beat us in the semi's, but even that had a positive result: I went 259 mph, another career best.

If it wasn't for an unbelievable thrash by the Dream Team, we never would have made it to the line to race Frank because the burst panel blew against Alexis and the guys had to completely rebuild the engine. Everybody pitched in, and it was a beautiful thing to see. We made it up there just in time, and they obviously had everything right because, like I said, the car went almost 260 mph.

We stayed to test on Monday, and, right when things couldn't get any better, they did again. Tommy put just the right tuneup in the car, and it responded with a 5.58 – my first .50 and by far the best I've ever run – at just shy of 260. Jay's speaking in Rhode Island on Thursday, and Eddie, Charlie, and Spencer will finally get home after a long, hard, and very successful trip. Houston is next, and we may have a few surprises to announce, so stay tuned!

WE'RE IN FLORIDA

Hello From Sunny Warm Florida!

It's Wednesday morning and we have arrived in Gainesville. Got to the track last night around midnight and Todd, Charlie, Ed, Scott Spencer, & I sat around shooting the breeze until about 2am. Woke up this morning ready to set up the pit area, get the car teched (NHRA saftey inspection), and ready to race. Testing at South Georgia Motorsports Park on Monday & Tuesday went well. We got Todd all fitted in the car and made all final adjustments. Todd made four runs, getting acclimated to the car and did a phenomenal job. The new parachutes on the car worked great. Steve Baker of SB Video Productions and his friend Fred (photographer)were both with us in Valdosta and got some great photos & video. Check the site and we'll get some of those up for you to see soon. Today & tomorrow we'll be servicing the car and putting new connecting rods in and then Friday begins qualifying. The entire team has worked unbelievably long hours with tireless dedication to get us ready to start the season. I can't say enough about what a terrific crew we have-they are the best!

Well, gotta run for now. Stay tuned to the blog-we'll try and update you all throughout the weekend.

Thanks & have a great day!

Jay

ON THE ROAD HEADED TO GEORGIA

Hey Everybody!

It has been a busy week. Eddie, Charlie, Ozzie, Scott, Terri, & I have been putting in long days to get us ready. Some longer than others-eighteen plus hours some days for myself & Charlie. Ozzie got the new chute launchers all squared away, Charlie got the new safety shutdown system ready, & everything is loaded. We're now sitting on Cape Cod in traffic, if you can believe that. The Sagamore Bridge is under construction! Charlie is now taking a nap, Eddie is driving, & Scott Spencer's head is spinning-not sure if he know what he's gotten himself into! We're due to arrive in Valdosta, Georgia on Sunday evening & will then offload the rig and get the car ready for testing Monday & Tuesday. Jimmy & Todd will be meeting us there on Sunday. Stay tuned, I'll try to update the blog on Monday night to keep you all informed of our progress.

Have a great weekend!

Jay

EVERYONE PULLS TOGETHER AT THE SHOP

Wow – what a day! What a week, really. It's been busy.

The trailer is back on the ground, the discs and the floaters are all ready to go, and all the wiring and plumbing are back together in the driver's compartment after changes were made for Todd. Ozzie has been working hard on the chute launchers that will go on the car this year to shoot the parachutes far out into the air.

Yesterday, there was a whole gang at the shop: Alan, Ed, Charlie, Jerad from Red's Reconditioning, Mitch, Terri, Terri's husband Bob, who was working on the trailer A/C and heater, Maura, who does custom sewing and embroidery, and me. Alan took some videos of all the work that was going on, and it will be up on the Website soon, so keep checking.

It's just five days now until we pull out of the shop to head for Valdosta, Ga., to test. These next five days are going to go by so fast, and we still have so much to do. Thanks to this amazing team, we'll get it all done and be on our way. Terri is back from shoulder surgery and oh my gosh it's GREAT to have her back!

I can't believe this season is about to begin, how excited I am, and how excited the whole team is. I will try to give everyone an update on a daily basis. I'll write at you soon.

Jay

MONSTER JAM

Hello all. It is Sunday, and I wanted to bring you up to date. Last night, I went to Monster Jam in Worcester with Marybeth, Brandon, and Scott for Scott's birthday. Thanks to Adam, the driver of the Taz truck and to Permatex for the backstage look and for letting me sit in a monster truck. What a great experience and a great show.

Alan has been working in the shop machining floaters and discs for the clutch as well as cleaning and helping us organize the shop. Friday, Ed came over and worked on putting cylinder heads together. Scott Spencer has been working on repacking wheel bearings and brakes on the trailer.

Thanks to HTC Racing in Rockland for the powder-coating and for rebuilding the calipers. Saturday, Mitch was back at it too, working on redoing some air valves and air lines on the trailer while Rich from In A Flash Welding installed some D-rings and brackets on the trailer.

I have been doing a variety of things in the office and the shop and trying to work on my computer. Thanks to all the great volunteers who make all of this possible. There's no way we could do it without them! I'll be back soon and hope you are well.

Thanks for reading!

BACK HOME!

Hey all!

I survived two weeks of computer school at the Carroll Center For the Blind. I finished up Friday night, and boy, was it great to be back home.

Saturday morning, Mitch, Scott, and I unloaded the race car and got the trailer backed into the shop. We got the brakes and hubs apart to service them for the upcoming season and sent all the calipers to HTC Racing to be rebuilt and powdercoated.

Sunday and Monday, I worked from home and played the good husband, doing laundry and cooking dinner and trying to get Ann to take it easy because she's been fighting a cold for two weeks.

Today, I'm on my way to speak for the New England Ford Truck Club. I talked to Tommy Howell this morning. He sounds good and can't wait to get back home.

This week, we're working on getting Todd's firesuit designed and new uniforms made for the team. It's still rainy and snowy on Cape Cod. I can't wait for the warm weather to get here! The Winternationals were last weekend, and it was great to see racing on TV again – you can tell the season's finally getting started. We at Follow a Dream will be back racing before we know it.

Stay tuned. I'll be back soon!

Jay

ANOTHER BUSY WEEK LEARNING COMPUTERS

Good day, everyone

Sorry for the lapse in posting. If I remember right, my last blog was before the weekend. Charlie and Eddie got the car set up at the Frank Marrata Auto & Cycle Show on Friday. Thanks to them for a great job. I arrived Friday evening around 7, and we also had Tom Dobruck from Permatex and Tom from Wynn's there for the weekend.

Todd arrived on Saturday afternoon, and the rest of the crew showed up that night. It was great having everyone together again. Sunday, we closed the show with a service of the car, then we started it up. The crowd and the team seemed to love hearing it run.

Eddie, Charlie, and Todd went straight to ProStart Race Cars to fit Todd for the car. Todd flew home Tuesday, and the guys headed home, trying to outrun a huge snowstorm.

I got back to the Carroll Center Sunday night and was back in class Monday morning. My head was swelling by noon!

This week, I have worked more on Outlook and started on Excel on Wednesday. I find it amazing that less than two weeks ago, I could barely turn on a computer and now I'm posting this blog. I'll write soon, and thanks for checking back!

Jay

FRANK MARATTA AUTO & CYCLE SHOW

Hi everybody!

It's Friday afternoon, and I'm on my way to Hartford for the Frank Maratta Auto & Cycle Show. It's been a busy few days of computer training at the Carroll Center. It's really been cool learning the Internet and checking out stuff like nhra.com.

Using a screen reader, you have to listen and use key commands. It gets a little frustrating because you have to be patient and listen to what the computer's saying, but the reality of life is that Windows and the Internet are based on visuals – I can't exactly point and click! I'm not complaining, though. Repetition will be the key - the more I do it, the easier it gets. I can write an email just as easily as anybody else now.

Todd's flying in from Indianapolis for the show, and practically the whole team's going to be in Hartford. Should be fun! Sunday night, Eddie, Charlie, and Todd are headed to ProStart in New Jersey to get Todd all fitted for the car, and I'll be back at the Carroll Center all week.

Talk to you soon.

Jay

LEARNING HOW TO EMAIL

Hey all!

Another day at the Carroll Center. Today was spent working on Outlook for me email. By the end of the day, my head was pounding! I'm not complaining - the teaching and the knowledge I'm gaining is awesome.

It's so weird having so much time on my hands with nothing to do, but I'm thankful for this opportunity. Thanks for reading, and if you send me an email, I'll respond. My email address is jay@followadream.org.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

J

LEARNING COMPUTERS

Hello, everyone!

I just finished my first day of training at The Carroll Center For the Blind. My instructor's name is Heather, and she's wonderful - very patient, and fun too. We worked on Microsoft Word for most of the day and learned a little about computer setup and other general stuff. It's kind of weird being back here and getting flashbacks from 12 years ago. Once again, all the people are great. I'll blog again tomorrow. See ya!

Jay

GETTING READY

Hi, everyone!

I'm at the Denver airport, waiting to catch a flight home. I just spoke to service managers, general managers, and technicians at Brakes Plus' annual awards banquet, and it went great.

The car is close to being race-ready. Charlie was at the shop last week, setting up and installing the clutch and servicing the transmission. Eddie and Ozzie were there getting everything ready to run, and we fired it up to make sure it's good to go for the Frank Maratta Auto & Cycle Show this weekend in Hartford, Connecticut, which happens to be Permatex's corporate home. Alan was in the car for the fire-up, and let's just say he loved it! Charlie, Eddie, Scott, and I then loaded it in the rig for the trip to Hartford.

Todd's going to join us at the show, then the car will head to ProStart Race Cars in New Jersey, where Todd will be fitted for the cockpit. I won't be making that trip. I'll be at the Carroll Center For the Blind the week before and week after the Maratta show, where I'll be learning to use a computer – the Internet, Word, Excel, everything. Stay tuned – the season's almost here!

Work At The Shop

Hey Everyone,

We had a head we had to send out to BAE for service. Got a couple of cranks getting checked too. Mitch & our buddy Rich from In A Flash Welding have been working this week on redoing the exhaust in the Freightliner. It was in desperate need of a muffler & Mitch redesigned it so we can build a storage box under the truck to haul some tables. Todd went to Impact Racing this week to get measured for his firesuit. Charlie is going to come out of the North country early next week to help get ready for Maratta's Auto & Cycle Show in Hartford, CT on Feb. 5-7. We'll all be at the show throughout the weekend with the start up of the racecar on Sunday afternoon. In a couple weeks I'm going to Denver, CO to speak on behalf of Brakes Plus. Looking forward to the trip & hoping I don't get snowed in! I don't ski.

Talk again on Monday & thanks again for checking in.

Jay

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hey Everybody!

Happy New Year, I hope everyboy had a great Christmas & New Year. Temperatures have been consistently in the twenties here on the Cape for the last couple of weeks so we're all moving kinda slow. I've been in the office working the phones, out in the shop cleaning & organizing, and tomorrow I'm bringing a short block in & going to disassemble it, get the crank shaft in, and make sure the cylinders are happy. We're going to get to work in freshing up some cylinder heads too. Alan Hadfield has been over helping to clean up the clutch area and getting ready to grind some discs.

Thanks for checking in, we'll get back at you in the next couple days.

Jay