Where has the time gone

Well it is a chilly December day and I am just trying to avoid doing my work. Anyone out there feel the same way???? Some days it is just hard to get focused as you can tell from my lack of blogs. Well where we left off was not a good place and I just had to take a break to get my head together. I had just had an issue with my Embry-Riddle jet dragster in Columbus, OH and it set us back more than what I had hoped. But the good news is that all is good now. I took a few weeks off to heal mentally and physically. It was sorely needed. It seems like for the past few years I have had only one speed and that is all out. The wrecked forced me to take things a little slower for a bit and what I found out about myself is that I only have one speed!!! Please don't ever make me take things slow again. So lets get to the good stuff....RACING!!!

We tested the Miller Jet Dragster the first part of November to get me some seat time before my first race schedule for the Orlando Night of Fire. You always wonder after you wreck if you are going to be the same in the car or how it is going to feel. Well let me tell you the butterflies were moving around pretty bad when they were putting me in the car but when I heard Chris say "here we go in 3,2,1!" and the car came to life, the only feeling I had was HOME!!! This is what I was put on the earth to do! I love my jet cars!!! We made some 1/8Th mile passes to make sure all was good and my baby didn't disappoint. 218 mph in the 1/8Th and boy oh boy did that feel good! Here are a couple of photos from the day.



Hopefully you can tell from my smile that I LOVE this life!!! So we loaded up the car and it was time to get ready to race. The Miller Jet Racing team loaded into Orlando Speed World where we were racing a good friend Terry Rosberg and the Thriller jet dragster. Orlando was the first track that I ever raced at, and it was great to be back. They had a packed house and the crowd sure did get a great show. 6 jet teams 2 jet trucks and 2 wheel standers. Unfortunately it rained after our first pass and it cut the evening short, but WE WERE BACK!!!

The next weekend we headed south to Palm Beach International Raceway in West Palm Beach, FL tough life!!! We were racing Jerry McCart and his Glory Days jet dragster. 4 great passes, what more can you ask for. A good friend was on had to catch this amazing photo. Get your hot dogs ready!!!


Rest, who needs rest, I had been off for 2 months and it was time to race. So for the last race of the year we head to Bradenton Motorsports Park for the Snowbird Nationals. To say that we were ready to have a good time would be an under statement. We loaded into the track and just knew that it was going to be a great day. Saturday morning and the sun is shinning we got to the track. Again I was racing Jerry McCart. Standing room only and the crowd is pumped up!!! On their feet cheering going wild and the jet cars blasted down the 1/4 mile!! Huge fire and Bob Motz ending up the show with his amazing jet semi!!! Everyone made great passes down the track and we put an end to 2010!!! After we hung out with all of the other racers and let our hair down, sorry no photos!!!! What a way to end the year. We loaded up the car for the last time and headed home.

The next week was the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, FL where all of the who is who of racing comes out to see what the manufacturers have for us. This year we had a booth. Larsen Motorsports had a huge announcement. The National Jet Racing Association (NJRA) was launched. Now for more info on what the NJRA is you need to visit our website at www.njraracing.com to get the scoop.

So 2010 is over and it is time to look to 2011 and what it has in store for us. I can sure tell you that we have lots of exciting things happening. New shops, new dragsters, new trailers and graphics, TV, and hopefully new adventures with all of the fans!!! So for 2010 we put away the smoke, fire and the screaming fast passes down the 1/4 mile until the first race of the year where we will do it all over again!!! Ain't life great!!!

luv ya,
e

Labor Day

Hello, I hope that this blog. finds everyone healthy and happy on this Labor Day weekend. It is a day that people should be spending with thier families enjoying bbq's. We have been very busy at Larsen Motorsports these past few weeks. Unfortunally everything has not gone well. This past Saturday we were racing at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, OH and had a problem with the Embry-Riddle jet car. As I was driving her down the track, a cross wind lifted the car and I hit the wall. I am fine, and the Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster did just what she was supposed to do and absorbed the hit for me. At time like this you have to take a step back and look at all of the safety features on the car and thank GOD for everyone that makes our cars so safe. Larsen Motorsports has never skimped on safety, and always been one to over do, and it truly paid for its self this weekend.



We want to thank all of the safety crew at National Trail and the NMRA as well as fellow racers that were there for support. Conrad Scary's crew are the best. My guys give me the best car everytime to go down the track in and I am so proud to have each and everyone of them on the team.



All will go on with the Embry-Riddle team, we are going to make a couple of schedule adjustments, but other than that, you will see us back on the track shortly. Thanks for all of the well wishes, and we hope to see you all at the races very soon.

luv ya,

e

Who does this?????

Who does this???? This is the question that I have been asking myself a lot lately. We have been jetting all over the country for the past few weeks and we finally landed in Orlando at midnight on Monday evening. Now it is time to gather up everything and hit the road again. I was working on travel plans with Jennifer (my friend/travel agent) and we both realized that we are working for the next 19 weekends with only 3 of them off. How does that happen. I think I need to fire the scheduler. Oh yeah... that is me!!!!

We are now officially a two car team. We have been racing both the Embry-Riddle jet dragster as well as the Miller Welding Jet Dragster at many events this summer. I have to say, both cars are doing great and behaving themselves. The Miller car had a few new car blues, but she worked them out producing a 277 mph pass at Route 66 this past weekend. Not too bad for a brand new car. Now both cars are ready to go, and hopefully the rest of the summer will continue to have great racing action.

We are heading out for the 8th year in a row to the EAA Oshkosh AirVenture. We are here with ERAU and always have a lot of fun. We will hold our 3rd annual Bowling tournument again this year so watch out Vedalo and Orgon Aero, you are both going down!!!! Then I finish up on Friday with the Lunch with the Stars before flying out to Norwalk, OH to race the Miller team at the Night Under Fire. We will meet up with 3 other jet car teams as well as Bob Motz, the Forces, Wilkersons, and other top fuel teams. My family will be coming out to enjoy the evening. If you have never gone to this show before, it is a must to put on your bucket list!!!!

Then we are heading to Charlotte, NC to race at Z Max dragway with 4 wide jets again this year. In the mean time here are some photos that I have taken while on the road this summer. If you want to keep up with the teams, please make sure to follow us on facebook or twitter!

See you at the races!!!

luv ya,

e

The Dog Days of Summer

The Dog Days of Summer are upon us. We left home to start the summer in Maple Grove, PA with the Embry-Riddle jet dragster, then back home to pick Andrew up on his last day of school. Then fly off to Michigan to make a quick stop at the school of some of my biggest fans. Speak in front of the entire school, then whisked off to visit one of my sponsors Matrix Systems, to tour the factory and finally ended the day at a backyard BBQ. Up again early the next day to work the Roush Museum with my good friend Susan and display the jet dragster with some of the NASCAR guys. Time for me to work on Friday evening making a nice pass down the track. Saturday morning and back to the track for two more passes with the new Miller Welding Jet Dragster. Sunday my best friend Jennifer, picks me up at the hotel to hang out with her family and to do a little pre-father's day shopping. Best Buy here we come. After a GPS and few other things, we headed back to her house where we spent a nice night. Morning and it is time to get back at it. I am supposed to be at a local distributor event for the Miller team and the weather isn't looking good. But a few good fans stopped by before Jennifer to the rescue takes me to the airport to make my flight home for just a couple of days.

Back at home and it is just Chris and myself. Andrew is staying with his Aunt Nancy and Uncle D. He is fishing everyday and having a great time. Chris and I are celebrating our 24th anniversary. Yes 24 years we have been side by side. Chris made a reservation for us on the beach at the Don Cesar in St. Pete, FL. What a beautiful place. We enjoyed fun in the sun for just 24 hours. We only had a small amount time and then back to the airport. Yes oh Yes Jennifer back to the rescue to pick us up at the airport and drop us at our rig.

We meet up with Uncle D and Andrew and then Kansas City, MO here we come. The Embry-Riddle team has been at this wonderful competition called Skills USA and for the third year we are back!!! We spent a week with these extraordinary students and I always leave feeling very inspired. This year was no different. Watching these students excel is just so much fun. Thursday afternoon and no time to rest, we need to hit the road to make Atlanta by the next day in order to make their night of fire!!!

Friday evening and we meet up with the Road Show rig and it seems as if some of the crew decided to race in the test and tune session. Saturday and back to the track. HOT HOT HOT!!! Florida does not have anything on Atlanta in the heat department. The crowd is small at first, but as the day goes on, the crowd slowly fills up and makes for a great night of racing. The Miller team makes a couple passes. Every time I get more laps in the new dragster, it gets better and better. We ended the night with great fireworks and then eating every dessert on the Ruby Tuesday's menu!!!!

Sunday morning and back at the track to tear down. Then nap and pool. Monday morning and I am getting itchy to get back home for the first time in a couple of weeks. But we have one more stop at the Air Gas display. At first I was thinking, "what are we doing here?" Just as those words popped into my head, people started pouring in!!! Now, of course, they were all there to see me, not the FREE lunch that they guys were putting on!!! HUMMMMMM. No matter who or what they came to see, it sure was fun when the place was packed!!! Some of my good friends from the track came out to see us as well. But home was calling me and we headed out!!!

For the first couple of hours we did great, but about 6 hours into the trip home we lost it and didn't think we were going to make it. But finally at 11:00 p.m. we walked in the door!!! Home sweet home!! It was sweet until it was laundry time.

We will be home until July 5th and then it is NASCAR time in Chicago. Time to switch over the clothes and get some sleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ I will check in later and let you know how that all turns out.

luv ya,
e

Summer Time!!!

The summer is officially here. We found that out yesterday while testing our new Miller Jet Dragster at Bradenton Motorsports Park. It was an amazing day, and the Miller Jet Dragster is behaving herself now!!! New cars always have the new car blues, but she is acting like the lady she is now!!! After we loaded up and celebrated at our favorite place to eat at in the Bradenton area. Woodys River Roo!!! Right on the water and it is hard not to have a good time while you are at the Roo!!

As summer is gearing up, the racing if going to get hot and heavy. This weekend we are heading to Reading, PA for the NMCA race then barely enough time to fly home, get Andrew and get to Milan, MI for the Jack Roush Museum on Wednesday and then racing for the weekend. The rest of the summer looks just as crazy, from Kansas to Atlanta to Chicago, this summers schedule is amazing. Lots of great racing, lots of great fun. Make sure you check out the schedule to see if we are coming close to you!!!

Now for all of the other exciting news, Blown Away is getting ready to start filming. This is going to be so much fun. The film crew is going to out at many of the races coming up capturing what we do behind the scenes. It is going to be a crazy ride, but I can't wait for it all to start. I will keep you all up to date as things unfold!!
luv ya,
e

ALL COMING TOGETHER!!!

So much has been happening these past few weeks I don't even know where to begin. Lets start with my new car. Larsen Motorsports is proud to announce partnering with Miller Electric. This has been a long time in coming and we are very excited. The dragsters have all been welded with Miller equipment so we will definitely have the Power of Blue behind us. The Miller Jet Dragster will travel around the country not only racing, but going to many different shows. You will have to check the Miller schedule to see where the dragster will be. Now lets talk about how the dragster is getting from race to race. She is riding in comfort in the Miller Road Show 1. They have totally refitted their rig for my new baby. New graphics inside and state of the art equipment. My new Miller Jet Dragster will live the life of luxury. I just want to know if there will be room for me????? You can find more about the new Miller race team on our website and choosing the Miller team.

So where does that leave me with the Embry-Riddle team? We are also racing her across the country adding some Western dates to our schedule. This is the brand new Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster, the sister car to the Miller Jet Dragster. We have all new uniforms, graphics on the trailer and are working with Embry-Riddle with new projects. So if you want to see the where the Embry-Riddle team will be, you can go to the site and choose ERAU team.

Now of you thought that running two race cars was going to keep us busy, come on. We are working with McCabe Productions and they are producing a Reality Show about what goes on behind the scenes at Larsen Motorsports. The show is schedule to air in 2011 and we will be filming at several of the race tracks across the country. Nitro better be ready all of the girl pugs will be after him!!! I think he wants a dog house with a star on it and chicken 3 times a day!!

I know that this is a lot in just a short time. We have been working on everything for several years and it has finally all just come together. This is just the tip of the iceburg. Keep checking back because things are moving faster than my jet car at this point. Look for a lot more photos, a lot more up dates and a lot more fun!!!

We are heading out to Norwalk, OH this weekend where we will debut our brand new Miller Jet Dragster, so if you are in the area, make sure you come out and say HI.

luv ya,
e

Where is Spring???

So all we hear about is global warming and how the earth is changing. I want WARM weather!!!!! I am ready for the heat. Sitting in a hotel in White, GA and it is only 46 outside, YUCK!!!! I want to pull out my summer clothes and complain about how hot it is!!! I know how about a little cheese to go with all of this.

We are in White, GA doing a display at Toyo tire factory. Last night we fired the Embry-Riddle jet dragster up in the parking lot. We will do it one more time tonight and then head to Atlanta Dragway to run the NMRA race. I am still getting used to the new car. She is a different dragster, with a GE J-85 in her. She doesn't like some of the things that my Pratt and Whitney J/60 liked, so I am in the middle of a learning curve. All good.

Last weekend we raced in Bradenton, FL for the NMCA races. Lots of fun on Saturday, but Sunday left a lot to be desired. It rained so hard on Sunday we were looking for the no wake zones in the pit area. After the race, we had dinner with some new friends. I will keep you posted on some new things that are happening with Larsen Motorsports. We meet up with them and went over the next days schedule. I did a radio commercial and had a lot of fun. I will post pics and news very soon.

After playing MISS SUPERSTAR, time to get back to my real job and we headed back to the track to tear down as was too wet to take things down on Sunday. The NMCA finished up their race Monday while we were there. Then it was off to boot camp. This boot camp was HARD. Miss Brenda knows how to make us dig very deep and get the most out of work-out. I am feeling stronger than ever. Now I just need to eat healthy.

Well lots going on for Larsen Motorsports. If you go out to the track to see us, at some races you will notice a lot of cameras following us around. I will keep you posted on what that is all about. I guess that is it for now, back to the hotel room where I should be doing work. Focus Elaine, Focus!!

Luv ya,
e

OUCH!!!!!

Okay so before we get to the title of this blog. we will go back a little. After the last blog. We were going to head back to the track and get the new graphics for the trailer. We are getting there. The new graphics are on the sides and the trailer is at the shop right now with the guys working very hard on the rear door. I will post photos later this week. The new fire suit has not come in yet, but Simpson is working hard. I received my new helmet freshly painted by Joe Graska this weekend. I let him have a little fun and he did not disappoint. It is really cool. I will post a photo later this week. I am getting geared up and ready to go for the first race of the season. I turn on the TV and watch the weather and what do I see.......80% of rain on Saturday. You have got to be kidding. This race was already rained out and here we go again. No time to complain, you pack up and head to the track no matter what.

Friday came and I was waiting for our newest crew member to come over as I was riding with him to the track. His name is David Crohe. I have known David, his wife Melissa and their two girls for a very long time. When we were starting to look for some extra help, we thought of our friend David. He accepted and here we are. So Andrew, Nitro and I loaded in his car and it is off to the races. We get in have some dinner and call it a night. Our other crew, Mike Mathes, is driving in from Georgia to help show David about the dragster. Great Guys!!!

Well Saturday morning and I am afraid to look outside, but it has to be done. Guess what, it doesn't look half bad. The weekend just looked a whole lot brighter!!! We head out to the track and things are getting ready to roll. We unload the car and guess what, we are back in the ball game. It is race day baby!!!! I am racing a friend Jerry McCart this weekend and we are ready to have a little fun.

We gear up for the first pass and to say that the butterflies are making a home in my stomach, is an understatement. It is always the case for the first race of the year. But as soon as the helmet goes on and you get strapped in, it is game on!!!! We had a lot of friends that came out to cheer us on and even though the sun wasn't shinning, we put on a great show. The Embry-Riddle dragster ran straight and true. It sure felt great to be back behind the wheel. As soon as we got back from the pass, it started to sprinkle. But the owners of Bradenton Motorsports Park did the right thing, they canceled the race for the rest of the day, as the rain was only supposed to get worse as the day went on. They gave everyone that came on Saturday FREE tickets to get back in on Sunday and had the jet cars come back on Sunday to finish the show!!!! YES!!! More racing!!!!

Sunday morning and it has gotten a little chilly overnight, but we are ready to go. We arrived to the track early to attend the RFC chapel service, where something magical happened. Nitro met a women. She is a 3 1/2 year old pug named Gabby!!! She was soooo cute. The looked each other over and decided us humans were just weird.

After we separated the Pugs, it was time to go racing again. We get the car ready to go and made one more great pass down the quarter mile. 287 mph, not a bad way to start off the new year. We are heading out west from here. Lots to do and see. Check the schedule to see where we are going next. I have a few more races to add to it, but we are pretty much sold out at this point. Not a bad thing to have happen. I will dust off the camera and get you some photos of the new stuff and post them very soon.

I hope you all are going to watch the Superbowl this weekend. GO SAINTS!!!! Just a little shout out for my No Problem buddies!!! Okay so back to the title of the blog. OUCH is what I am feeling right now. I thought I had friends, but obviously thought wrong. Somehow I was talked into joining this workout boot camp. What was I thinking. There is a reason I not like lunges!!!!! There will be NO photos of this!!!! Even my fingers hurt, how does that happen. But hopefully it will pay off in the long run. DON"T mention RUNNING!!!


luv ya,
e

Hello 2010

OK so when I last checked in I told you about my fun schedule that I had for the end of 2009. You hopefully will understand why I haven't posted anything for a while. After a very full 2009 racing season Larsen Motorsports finished out the year with a rain out in Bradenton for their Snowbirds. It was so disappointing. The race tracks now more than ever need our support and for them to have a loss like this really did not help. But you can't fight Mother Nature.

So, we headed for the Performance Racing Industry show that is held in Orlando, FL If you are into racing, this is show for you not to miss. Everything that you love about racing is there under one roof. We had a lot of great meetings and ran into friends that we hadn't had a chance to see through the year.

After that it was time to get ready for Christmas. Wait back up I forgot to tell you that we had a bunch of friends staying at our house, a bunch of jet racers and friends a like. We all hung out around the table and told great stories from the present and the past. It was really cool. OK so now it is time to get ready for Christmas. Lots of cooking and shopping and then Christmas is here. We went to the Christmas Eve service with my Mother in Law. It was really nice. Christmas morning and paper is flying. We all got way too much, ate way too much and made way too much mess. Then it was time for rest. Chris wanted to get away so we purchased a cruise that left a couple days after Christmas. We sailed away, no cell phones, no e-mail and best of all no work. We slept in and took naps. It was a wonderful way to spend the holidays.

Okay that sounded good, but man do I miss the sights and smells of the race track. I got a call from Bradenton Motorsports Park and they said they were going to reschedule the jet portion of the Snowbirds for January 30th. So guess what baby.......It is time to get back to what we love to do. It is time to go racing. YES!!!! We have a lot of work to do in the off season. New graphics for the trailer, new firesuit, new helmet and HUGE surprises!!!! (NEW CARS!!!!))) I have never been more excited about a race season yet. So hang on things are just starting to heat up!!!

luv ya,
e