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DREAM TEAM REACHES FINAL ROUND OF
COMPETITION AT CECIL COUNTY DRAGWAY
followadream.org - Follow A Dream Drag Racing and Self Determination
Racing will start at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
Englishtown, NJ in
Marstons Mills, MA-August 26, 2010-Jay Blake's Permatex/Follow A Dream team reached its second consecutive final in Division 1 competition and dropped a close race with perennial Top Alcohol Funny Car champ Frank Manzo, 5.65 to 5.67. Manzo had low e.t. of all three rounds, with times of 5.67, 5.67, and 5.65, but Follow A Dream driver Todd Veney was right there with a 5.70, 5.69, and 5.67.
"We didn't win, but it was a great weekend anyway," Blake said. "Anytime you can be that close to Mr. Manzo, you know you're doing something right. The team is really starting to jell, working well together, and the results are starting to show. We have a great shot at finishing second in the Division this year, and we're gearing up for a great finish to the season."
Veney qualified No. 3 with a 5.69 and defeated Wayne Morris in the first round, 5.70 to 5.86. In the semifinals, Tom Carter, the No. 2 qualifier and recent runner-up at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., fell to the Follow A Dream crew, 5.69 to 6.00. No driver all weekend - even Manzo - ran better than a 5.84 in the tricky left lane until Follow A Dream tuner Tom Howell delivered a 5.67 in the final, but Manzo had just enough to win by a couple of hundredths.
"I can't stand losing, even in the final round and even to someone like Frank, who wins all the time, but you can't be that upset about a weekend like this," Todd said. "At least we got to race him this time. The only other time I raced here [in 2003], we got to the final against Frank but had to let him take a single because the engine blew up in the semi's."
After two weekends off, the team finishes the 2010 season with four races in five weeks - two divisionals, and two nationals: Division 1 events in Englishtown (Sept. 11-12) and Atco, N.J. (Oct. 1-2), and nationals in Charlotte (Sept. 17-19) and Reading (Oct. 8-10).
FOLLOW
A DREAM RETURNS TO RACING ACTION
For the first time in the eight-year history of
Jay Blake's Permatex/Follow A Dream team, the team will
run back-to-back-to-back events: the Spring Nationals in
Houston (April 9-11), the SummitRacing.com Nationals in
Las Vegas (April 16-18), and the Lucas Oil Series divisional
race in Indianapolis (April 23-25).
"This is a great opportunity for us," Jay
said. "It takes a huge commitment from every person
on the team, but everybody's up for it. I love Houston –
that's where we won our first race. Vegas is one of the
biggest races of the year and one we've always wanted to
run, and the Indy race is right on our way back to Boston
from Vegas. The whole team will be in Houston, but not everyone
can be away from home for three straight weeks, so the rest
of us will have to work that much harder in Vegas and Indy.
To take on a great challenge like this, it'll be worth it."
"I'm really looking forward to all three races
– especially Vegas," said driver Todd Veney.
"Indy's my hometown and Indianapolis Raceway Park is
my favorite track. I've haven't raced in Houston since my
rookie year, 2000, and it will be great to run the Vegas
race and take on all the big names from the West Coast."
This will be the first time Follow A Dream has competed
at the Las Vegas and Indianapolis events, but the team has
a great history in Houston, where they won in 2005, taking
out Bob Newberry, who eventually won the championship that
year, in the final. Last year, the team reached the final
there.
 Tuner
Tom Howell is back with Blake, the only totally blind crew
chief in all of motorsports, as is the entire Follow A Dream
crew from 2009: Charlie and Joe Mitchell, Ed Parker, Scott
Osborn, Mike Lupo, Rich Fenwick, and Scott Spencer." The
whole team is thrilled to have Todd return to the seat and
we're already gearing up for the 2010 season," said Blake,
who, between racing events, encourages countless thousands
of others across the country through motivational presentations
delivered at technical schools, colleges, and corporate
events, to follow their dreams.
WELCOME TO FOLLOW A DREAM
About Follow A Dream
Established in 1999, Follow A Dream is a non-profit 501(C)3
organization. The organization’s message is uniquely
delivered through NHRA drag racing as its medium. As racing’s
only totally blind, race crew chief, Follow A Dream Founder,
Jay Blake draws upon his personal experience of overcoming
adversity and achieving his dream of auto racing, and shares
his inspiration with others.
About Wynn’s
Wynn’s traces its history to 1939 when the original
Wynn’s Friction Proofing Oil Treatment® formula
was first developed and introduced to the automotive market.
In the 65 years following the introduction of that single
product, Wynn’s has grown to become a leading worldwide
manufacturer and marketer of innovative, groundbreaking
automotive specialty chemicals and service equipment, as
well as Complete Automotive Maintenance Programs. For more
information, log on to www.wynnsusa.com.
About Permatex
Permatex, Inc. is a leading manufacturer, distributor, and
marketer of premium chemical products to the automotive
maintenance and repair markets. Since 1909, Permatex has
been an acknowledged leader in the development of innovative
new products and services for the automotive aftermarket.
For more information, visit http://www.permatex.com/
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