ON THE ROAD AGAIN......

Hey Everybody!

We left the shop at 11am today. Driving through rain, snow, clear skies, and now overcast. Going to hook up with Marty in the next little while to load his firesuit & all his driving gear so that he doesn't have to fly with it. After that we'll keep moving south and should be outside Washington, DC before we quit for the night. All is going well.....just the way we like it. Will touch base again tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Jay

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!

Hey Everybody!

It's almost 48 hours before Eddie and I will jump in the rig and head to Florida, and the most amazing thing about that is the rig is loaded and ready to go! We're talking 48 hours before we're supposed to leave-not 48 minutes before, not 48 hours late, but....48 hours EARLY. It's a miracle!! Hope this is a trend of things to come. I still can't believe it myself.

The excitement of getting back to the racetrack is slowly setting in and we're all excited to get the season under way.

It's been a crazy off-season but here we go. Tommy's been going over things throughout the winter, Charlie's been spending time with the clutch (we don't always ask what he's up to with that clutch cause that could be too scary)!

The shop is organized (kinda), the trailers ready to go with lots of extra room, don't know what I've forgotten but will surely figure that out after we're on the road.

Oh my God-we're leaving tomorrow, I was thinking it was Saturday. For you faithful readers, I thank you for always visiting the blog. I will try and blog daily as we hit the road for the first big trip of the year. If you're at the races, come by the pits and say hi.

Oh ya, I got my new eyes-still can't see through them but everyone says they look great.

Always remember to keep an eye on it & have a great day!

Jay

UPDATE

Hey Everybody-

I got facebook & my space up and running-kind of. Working on getting pictures up on all, including updating the website. Keep checking back.

Working on getting the operation ready to leave for the Gators & O'Reilly Spring Nats, will depart from MA on March 9. Tommy Howell's been down working on the racecar and Charlie Mitchell's been down working on clutch stuff.

I'm going to try and get in the habit of blogging at least once a week-on Mondays. Tomorrow I'll be speaking for the Lions Club International at an event in Woburn, MA.

Getting a new set of eyes tomorrow, wonder if I'll be able to see through them! Not really, just new prosthetics that I'm supposed to have replaced every couple of years. After 11 years I figure it's time for a new model.

You don't have to look far to hear the negative, it's driving me crazy listening to the newscasts on tv-not for nothin' but, everybody is reading this while on their computer, in their house, with the heat on. Lets not lose site of all the good things and all the things we need to be thankful for. Times may be tough but a positive attitude is the key to fixing the whole problem.

On that note, I'm gonna go back to work. Will blog at you again soon.

Have a great day!

Jay

A QUICK UPDATE

Hey Everybody!

Back from the Maratta Show this past weekend. Once again, it was a great show and there was a great turn out-and boy, it was good to hear the car run. That must mean spring is coming soon-to hell with that groundhog!

In the shop trying to prepare for the season. I'm working on getting some photos up on the blog-stay tuned. My daughter Marybeth and I are working on getting facebook & my space up and running today. Check me out!

I'll touch base again in the next couple of days.

Jay

LOADING FOR MARATTA SHOW

Hello Race Fans!

Been awhile since I touched base. I apologize, been very busy since returning from vacation. Had a wonderful & relaxing trip with the family. We went swimming with dolphins and that was absolutely the best time ever! Got back to the miserable New England winter with a sinus infection-YUCK!! Took me awhile to get back on my feet and get the business of racing back on track.

Trying to hammer out the 2009 race schedule and have posted what I believe to be our final draft. We'll be starting the season at the Gatornationals in March and planning to test the Monday following. Keep looking to the site for more information.

Right now Eddie Parker, Mitch Sullivan and I are loading the racecar for the Frank Maratta Auto & Cycle Show in Hartford, CT. this weekend. The team will be meeting us there and we'll be starting the car for the fans @ approx. 10PM on Saturday night. Check out the Maratta website for more information about the show, www.fmautoshow.com.

Will touch base next week and hope to see some of you this weekend in Hartford-stop by and say hello.

Jay

Going On Vacation

Hi folks-

Wanted to touch base before leaving the office for a week on vacation with the family. Taking a cruise to celebrate my father-in-laws 80th birthday. Happy Birthday, Ray!

Had a great turn out at the Boston World of Wheels last weekend. Met lots of new people and had a chance to catch up with some old friends.

The team will be working on getting the racecar ready to go south in February, where we'll plan some testing and begin our racing season. Will be firming up our race schedule for 2009 in the next week or so and will post to the site when we have it all worked out.

Keep in mind, we'll be displaying the racecar at Frank Maratta's Auto & Cycle Show in Hartford, CT the weekend of Feb. 6th. Will be starting it up at some point & will fill you all in as we know more.

Have a great weekend & will touch base again when I return to the frigid Northeast!

Jay

Happy New Year

Hello everybody in blog land. I’m back in the office today after being off over Christmas and then sick. I feel better today. Snowing again here on Cape Cod. I remember when I moved here years ago they said it doesn’t snow on the Cape. Not true anymore.

Doing some work here in the shop to get ready for the World of Wheels Show in Boston, where we’ll move in next Thursday, January 8. Show runs January 9-11.

Had a great holiday with the family. Going to stay home tonight to celebrate New Years. Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful evening and we’ll talk to you next year.

Jay

UPDATE

Hey Everyone,

Back in the great white north, and my God, is it white & cold! The racecar is in the shop and we're starting to get it ready to go out the door to the World of Wheels Show in Boston and the 2009 season. There's a bunch to be done with all of the equipment and the crew will be getting together after the holidays to get busy. I've been busy winterizing the truck & trailer, getting stuff out for re-certification to meet all the safety requirements. I have to spend some time in the next couple of days getting ready for Christmas. Jimmy and his family will come to the Cape to spend Christmas Eve with my family-we're looking forward to this, it should be alot of fun.

I wish everyone a wonderful & happy Christmas. Will touch base at the beginning of next week.

"Now, Tommy! now, Jimmy! now, Nick and Terri! On, Joe! On, Jay! on, Charlie and Marty! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away!dash away all!"

Back In Florida

Hi folks-

Returned to Florida yesterday afternoon. Met up with my buddy, Tom Dobruck with Permatex and will speak at the Automotive Specialty Products Alliance meeting luncheon in Ft. Lauderdale on behalf of our sponsor Permatex on Wednesday, Dec. 10. After the luncheon, Tom & I will drive to the Orlando Convention Center for the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. The racecar will be moved into the show prior to our arrival (thanks to Ed Parker & Charlie Mitchell). The show runs tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 11 through Saturday, Dec. 13. My brother, Jim Blake and team crew chief, Tom Howell will be flying to meet us and we'll spend the time walking the show and meeting up with current sponsors to thank them for their continued support and meeting some new friends & fans.

After the show, Ed & I will be driving back to New England. On our way home we've scheduled a stop at Lincoln Technical Institute in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Dec. 16 where I'll speak to the Automotive students and faculty beginning around 10am.

Will update you all on our trip when I return to the office middle of next week.

Have a great day!

Jay

Hi Everybody-

Home for a couple of days, getting ready to return to Florida for the PRI Show. Weather here on Cape Cod has been beautiful the last couple of days. Been great to be home for awhile spending time with my wife Ann and the rest of my family.

Been working in the office trying to pull things together for next year and getting ready to leave for Florida early next week.

The CFADA Auto Show in Orlando was great, lots of attendees and the chance to meet some terrific people. I'd like to thank Barbara, Josie, and all the folks at Seminole Community College for their hospitality and assistance in making this a great event.

Readers, feedback and suggestions of topics you'd like to see discussed on the blog would be very helpful. If you have suggestions, please forward through the comments section.

Hope you all are well and will touch base again early next week.

Jay

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

Hello Race Fans

Left Boston yesterday afternoon to meet Ed and the truck/trailer in Orlando for the Central Florida Auto Dealers Assoc. Auto Show being held at the Orange County Convention Center. The CFADA Show is one of the largest in the country, so it should be lots of fun and an opportunity to meet some new friends.

Spoke at Seminole Community College in Sanford, FL this morning and will move into the show later today. The show runs through Sunday, where we'll be displaying the racecar (Automotive Careers Display #F-1) and signing autographs for a couple hours each afternoon. On Thanksgiving, the Association will be providing a sit down turkey dinner for all those working the show which should be great.

After moving out of the show on Sunday, we'll make a stop Monday morning, Dec. 1 at Mid Florida Tech in Orlando to speak to students and faculty before flying home later in the day.

Then its home for about a week and then off to Florida again for the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando, Dec. 11-13.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Jay

Home At Last!

Hey Everybody, I'm finally home. My daughter, Marybeth picked me up at the airport last night. It was great to be home and see my wife and get to the office this morning to see Terri's smiling face! I'll be in the office through the end of this week doing paperwork and preping to meet Eddie in Florida, where I'll be a part of the Central Florida Auto Dealers Show.

The racing season has come to an end, and we're already preparing for the 2009 season. We're very excited about the opportunities availabile to us in 2009 and look forward to working hard throughout the winter to get ready.

Keep checking back, we're working hard at keeping the blog updated.

As always, thanks to all of our friends and fans in the racing community for your support of Follow A Dream.

Jay

The End of Pomona- For Now

Hello everybody!

Its still warm in California. They tell me that its kinda smoky, as brush fires are sweeping through Southern California.

Today was the final rounds of racing, and we lost in the quarterfinals. We had the right lane, and we had some problems with the car shaking. We ran a 5.77 at 251mph to Jay Payne's 5.59 at 257mph.

This brought our California weekend to a close. The crew worked tirelessly on the car throughout the entire weekend. Tommy Howell did a marvelous job for us, and it was great having the entire crew here working together. Although the Pomona magic is over for now, we know we will return.

We are packed up to go. Eddie will be heading to Florida tomorrow. I will be on a plane, and back in the office on Tuesday. I am looking forward to going home and seeing my wife and family.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Best,
Jay

Day 2 Part 2

Yesterday, in our 3rd qualifyer, we ran a 5.62, which qualified us 6th. We did break a rocker arm, and we spent a lot of time fixing that last evening.

Today we have round 1.

Check back soon,

Jay

Day 2- Part 1

Hey everyone!

It's about 2:00 out here in California. We had our second qualifying pass this morning. We ran a 5.79. The car was driving through the clutch. Right now, we are currently not qualified, but we are getting the car ready for our third and final qualifying race this evening. We are confident that it will move us up the ladder.

Chris and Rick from ARP products and Bill from Cleavite stopped by to see how we were doing. We really appreciate all the support from all our sponsors. We certainly couldn't do this without them.

If any of you are wondering what the weather is like in California, it is about high 80s/ low 90s. It is another hot, sunny California day.

Check back later today for information on our 3rd qualifying race.

-Jay

Day 1

Hey everybody!

This is coming to you from the sunny, hot, Pomona, California where temperatures have reached about 85. I am definitely feeling pain for all of those on the East Coast, suffering in the cold.

Today was our first qualifying pass. We ran 5.82 seconds at 253mph, which puts us currently at 14th. We were looking to calm the car way down and to make a smooth pass down the track. We did this, just slower than we had hoped. This is a solid foundation to build on for tomorrow's 2 qualifying passes.

It is great to have the crew back at the race track. Everyone is back together and working hard.

It is about 3:30 California time, and the car is put to bed for the night to rest up for tomorrow.

Check back with us tomorrow so we can keep you updated as the race continues.

Also- be sure to get the new Follow a Dream t-shirts for your loved ones for Christmas before they all run out.

Until then,
Jay

Greetings from Pomona!

Hey everybody!

Its Wednesday, and we are in Pomona, CA, set up and ready to race!

But first, I need to tell you about last night. Wynn's Mark Hisher took Eddie and I to Speed Zone where they had Small Block Chevy Dragsters on a track. I was able to drive them. Wow! It was awesome! I made 6 passes which were about 200 feet long, and I went about 80mph or so in like 3.4 seconds. It was really, really cool. Oh ya, did I mention that it was really, really cool? In my last three passes, I was going against three other cars, and I was able to beat 2 of the 3. That just goes to show how pathetic the other drivers were. We had a lot of fun. Mark then took Eddie and I to dinner, and then we called it a night.

The rest of the crew showed up today, and they are all really excited to race. Our first qualifying pass is tomorrow around noon.

It is absolutely wonderful having Tommy Howell back from Afghanistan and with us for the race. We are all really looking forward to this weekend.

I will be blogging everyday while we are out here so stay tuned for the daily update!

-Jay

Hello from the Road

Hey everybody!

Its Sunday night and Eddie and I are driving through the desert. We're going to Asuza to do a presentation for Wynn's. Tomorrow morning, we will go to Wynn's to display the car, and I will do the presentation tomorrow night.

This weekend was spent doing work on the truck, hanging around and catching up on some sleep. Tomorrow after we will be going grocery shopping!

As for now, the sun is out, the weather is beautiful, and I am looking forward to everyone coming out and going racing!!

That's all for now

-Jay

Weekend

It's Saturday and the sun is out! It is bright, warm and beautiful. Eddie and I got the car out of the AAPEX show on Thursday night. We had a wonderful last day at the show. I did a SEMA TV piece with Barry Meguiar on Car Crazy.

Yesterday, I just walked around SEMA, and I headed out of Las vegas last night. On Monday, I will be speaking at the Wynn's headquarters.

Check back soon,

Jay

Good Morning From Vegas!

Wednesday was a great day at the AAPEX Show. Shook alot of hands and met some wonderful people. Always great to meet fans and introduce those that don't know about us to Follow A Dream and our unique program. Drag racing legend, Don Prudhomme was at the Wynn's booth yesterday so I had the chance to talk with him and then we took some pictures of the funny car for Wynn's.

Last night Eddie and I got out of the hotel for awhile and took a nice long walk down the Vegas strip. Stopped at a place that had $1.50 beers and then finished off our big night out with dinner at Denny's. We are two wild & crazy guys!

We'll be in the Permatex booth again today and then we're going to walk the show and try to hook up with some of our contacts and meet some new folks. Tonight is the move out and then off to California where we're going to visit the Wynn's USA headquarters on Monday on our way to the NHRA Finals in Pomona, CA later in the week.

Keep checking back!

Jay

Hello from Vegas!!

I have arrived! Eddie and the car were here on Friday. He spent the weekend at the races.
On Monday, we moved the car into the AAPEX Show to be displayed for everyone to see. After we had set it up, we went to Pole Position, which is an indoor go-cart track and bar. They were holding a birthday party for Permatex’s 100 year celebration! It was a lot of fun, until they asked me to just say a few words. Man, I dropped the ball. I thought that if I sang “Happy Birthday” everyone would join in with me. Oops, I was wrong. I ended up singing it by myself in front of about 200 people. And I can’t really sing.
I did not do any driving at the party, but Marty and Eddie did their share. I would like to thank Permatex for putting on a great party.
Tuesday day/evening were very busy. The AAPEX show opened, and it was a great first day. The crowd was wonderful; Marty and I signed autographs for them. I did a TV piece with Sam from Two Guys Garage on the Right Stuff from Permatex. That night, I went to a retirement party, and Marty went to a party for Clevite Engine Bearings.
Since then, Marty has flown home. I will be at the Apex show all day Wednesday and Thursday. I am looking forward to a great couple of days.
Nothing else too exciting; I have just been keeping very busy. I am still trying to get used to the time change here. I will blog again soon to keep you updated about my adventures in Vegas.

Best,
Jay

ARRIVED IN VEGAS

Hi All!

Caught a flight to Vegas Sunday night to meet up with Ed for the AAPEX Show. Moved the racecar into the show yesterday afternoon and will be in the Permatex booth today, tomorrow, and Thursday meeting fans and signing autographs.

Last night, Permatex held a 100th Anniversary celebration at Pole Position Raceway, an indoor kart racing facility in Las Vegas. Had a lot of fun catching up with some of my Permatex friends but, unfortunately nobody would let me drive!

This evening will be a busy one, have 3 events that I am required to attend between 5-6:30pm. Should be interesting to see how that all goes. Will fill you in some more when I get a few minutes. Have a great day!

Jay

Keeping Busy

Hey everybody!


Wednesday saw Charlie, Eddie and I working in the shop. We were able to blow the cobwebs out and get the car running. It sounds great! I definitely think that it sounds ready for the West Coast trip, and we’re hoping to have some great runs out there. We are ready as well. Saturday, we are going to load up the trailer, pick up the body of the car, which is currently getting some touchups, and Eddie will head West on Sunday.

I, however, won’t be flying out to Vegas until Sunday, November 2. I am keeping myself busy until then. I flew out yesterday to Houston, Texas, where I will be speaking today at the National Industries for the Blind Annual Training Conference. I will then hop back on a plane and fly home this afternoon. Tomorrow, I’ll be back in the shop.

Next Stop: The Big Bright Lights of Vegas!

Check Back Soon,
Jay

Heading West

Hey everybody!
It’s that time of year again- autumn in New England. As the weather gets increasingly colder, the crew is looking forward to heading west. Lately, we have been working in the shop to prepare for our upcoming trip. We put in rods and freshened the heads on the motor. Charlie and I worked in the shop on Sunday. He went through the transmission, and we have been working on getting everything ready to go.

The next couple of days will be spent loading the trailer. We’re getting ready to put the blower on, and we plan to warm up on Wednesday. Just getting everything done that we need to before we can leave.

I would also like to congratulate Jamie Blake for winning the 2nd annual Junior Jam at New England Dragway on Saturday.

Will keep you updated!
Jay

Hello Race Fans!

Wanted to stop in and say hi-sorry it's been so long. Been working in the shop getting the racecar ready to head West for the AAPEX Show with Permatex and then to the finals in Pomona. Been doing some office work and will be headed out to speak on behalf of TravelCenters of America at the end of the week in Cleveland, OH.

Has everybody seen the new t-shirts we have for sale on the website. Take a look on the homepage-they're very cool!

I just heard about Bobby Martindale's accident this past weekend in Atlanta. I'd like to send our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and crew. What a sad day in drag racing. RIP

Will keep you all posted & have a wonderful day!

Best,

Jay