Friday, October 31, 2008

Craig Treble-rider
Schumacher Electric/Albrecht's Fast Track Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle
I stayed very active during the month we've had off since our victory in Memphis. It's a privilege to be apart of the Countdown but the most important thing for me was to be in the top 10. This is the 10th consecutive season I've made the top 10 and I'm pretty proud of that accomplishment. Hopefully there will be many more to come.

After the win in Memphis, I took my personal bike, a Suzuki Hayabusa, and went down to compete at the NHRA Division 4 race in Shreveport, La., which I was lucky enough to win. Then I went to Nobile, Okla., and reached the semifinals there. I've been bracket racing my guts off for years and I feel like it's a great way to stay sharp and focused. You can race on a practice tree all you want but nothing replaces the real thing and having a racer in the next lane ready to beat you.

I also plan to participate in the divisional race in Las Vegas the weekend prior to the final race of the season in Pomona. The weekend before the national event in Las Vegas is the first weekend I've had off since I can remember.

But I love to race, so this is all working out great for me. I get butterflies whether I'm competing in a $10 bracket race or at a national event; it's all the same when it comes down to competition. I'm always ready. The more I can get out and do it, the better.

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Chip Ellis-rider
Schumacher Electric/XXX Racing Fuels Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle
There has been a lot of excitement being involved in the Countdown to 1. It's a pretty good accomplishment. Unfortunately, we didn't enter as high in the points as we'd like to. I'm really looking forward to racing here in Las Vegas; I've always done well here. It seems like a long time since we've competed but I haven't forgotten how.

I spent time with my wife and daughter during the break and also worked a lot on the bike at the DSR shop in Brownsburg, Ind. I also went to an AMA drag bike race in Ohio and spent a lot of time dirt bike riding and being with my family, going places and spending quality time together.

I've tried not to think about the Countdown too much. I know what this team needs to do and it's just a matter of getting there and performing the best we can. Honestly, I haven't thought about it (the Countdown) too much. I just stay busy working at the DSR shop every day and when I haven't been there I stay focused on whatever I'm doing at the time.

Any time you can spend with your family is a good move to me. Whether I'm spending time with my family or at the race track, either way I'm happy.

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Cory McClenathan-driver
FRAM Top Fuel dragster
We had two weeks before the Las Vegas race this season and it worked out really well for our family. It had been about 13 years since I've able to spend a birthday with my daughter Courtney which was on October 25. So my girlfriend Debbie and I took her three boys and went to California from Indianapolis and hooked up with my daughter and it was the first time they were able to meet Debbie's kids. We all went to Disneyland on Courtney's birthday on Saturday. She turned 18 so it was a big day for her. Normally we would have been here in Las Vegas racing so it turned out to be a great day and it was a very special occasion to get the kids all together. We took in the entire Disney experience from about 11 in the morning until they did the fireworks at the end of the night. It was a really good weekend.

Then we turned around and went back to Indianapolis and I had Monday and Tuesday to get ready and turn right back around and come to Vegas. Sometimes you have to get away from the racing and I was looking forward to it, but now we're back in race mode and it's time to go to work. We need to win some rounds and do well here in Las Vegas and try to get back into second place. That's our goal. 

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Jerry Toliver-driver
Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car
I did the same thing I usually do with my time off between races. I went down to my office and worked every day. I'm constantly working on the race program and looking for new sponsors and marketing deals. I go to the office every morning and stay busy all day. Racing is a full-time business and to be successful there's no time off. I just worked the whole time I had off, preparing for Las Vegas and trying to win the last two races of the season.

Hi, my name is Justin Lamb, a local sportsman driver and a frequent racer at The Strip.

It is currently Wednesday and the first day of the races here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  We start making runs down the race track tomorrow but today is the first day to park and get the cars inspected and ready to run.  Although this is the first day of racing, for me the race started last weekend.

Last weekend was the last weekend I will have off from racing in the next five weeks and the only weekend I had to get ready to race here at the Las Vegas National Event.  We had to do a lot of maintenance to the cars since we have been racing so much lately and also change some engines around.  My engine builder and sponsor, Madcap Racing Engines built me a new engine for my dragster that we are going to start promoting as soon as possible.  It is the first engine of this type and they want to get some information out about it.  Along with changing engines in my dragster, we also had to maintenance my Super Gas Camaro that my girlfriend is going to drive this weekend.  The service included checking all of the valves and springs and changing the oil.  We do this about every 20 runs to every car we have.  After completing all of the work my father and I loaded the race trailer with all four cars after my mother and sister Ryen cleaned them.  During this weekend's race we will be racing four cars.  I will be driving two of them and my girlfriend will drive the other two.  I bet most of you are wondering why my girlfriend will be racing my cars, so let me explain.  Brina is a race car driver herself who is currently second in the country in national points in Super Gas.  She has a chance at winning the national championship so she is coming here to race my cars in order to gain points.

After loading and fueling up the truck and trailer, I left on Tuesday to put our truck in line.  All of the sportsman and professional racers start to line up on Tuesday of the race.  They do this in order to get ready to park on Wednesday where we pull in the main gate and the NHRA officials park us.  Since my father had to work and I had school from 7a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, my mom came out and parked our motorhome and trailer in the pits.  When I got out of school I went straight to the track where I unloaded and teched all of the cars.  All of the cars racing in the event must go through a technical inspection to ensure the safety of the race car.  Since we are racing four cars, all of them needed this inspection so I spent the afternoon getting all of them ready.

After I was done, I left around 7p.m. to go to the airport to pick up Brina.  My family came out to the track while I was at the airport to bring some food and just check on everything.  On our way home from the airport we grabbed a gourmet meal at Del Taco for my whole family.  After eating the meal in the motorhome, my parents and sister headed home for work and school tomorrow.  Brina and I stayed at the track so we can be ready early in the morning for a full day of racing.  Wish us luck as we make our test runs tomorrow!!