New Car Blues!!!

Well we went to test the new Embry-Riddle Jet dragster this weekend, well test isn't really, we put it on a chain in order to get pressure readings and set up the car. We had big plans that if things went well, we were going to rent the track with friends on Monday morning. With great expectations we headed out on Saturday morning. Things did not go as planned. We fired the car up but that is about that. I guess the up side is that we didn't have to rent the track. The new Embry-Riddle car is not ready to ride yet. I can promise you she will be ready very soon. We will figure out the gremlins that are giving us some problems and we will make this car amazing. She just wants us to work a little harder. I guess it will make us enjoy the moment when things do go right so much more.

Okay so on to better things. We are getting ready to hit the road for the next few weeks. We are heading for Maple Grove, PA for the NMCA race this coming weekend June 5 & 6. We are meeting some friends and we are looking forward to a great weekend. Then we head to Milan, MI for the NMRA race. Some of our family will come out as both Chris and I grew up a couple of hours away. We will also meet up with some close friends that we are going to be going on vacation with. AHHHHHH vacation. What a great thought. Sun Sand and many other memories!!!!

New website. Okay so the new website if up and running. YESSSSSSS!!!! Sherry from Firefly has been amazing. She got me up and running and I think it looks amazing. We still have a little more work on the store, but if you get a chance, check it out and make sure you let www.Fireflywebsites.com know what a great job they did.

Right now it is Sunday night and Chris is in the office working on the computer, Andrew is in his room ready for school to be over and Nitro is snoring on my chair beside me. Even though the weekend didn't go as planned, even on my worst day, life is still pretty darn good.

see you at the races,
luv, e

Hitting the Summit!!

Well it is time to get back on the road and race again. Chris and I flew to Norwalk OH Friday morning and met our crew guy Mike to race at the 3rd annual Cavalcade of Stars at Summit Raceway Park. It is always such a pleasure to race with the Baders as they always run an amazing race. We were scheduled to run 3 times on Saturday as it was a NHRA Division race and final rounds were on Sunday.

We set up on Friday and then met up with friends on Friday night for dinner. We went back to the hotel to relax at the hot tub and get ready for a great day of racing. Okay so that is the glass is half full. When we left on Friday the rain chances were really bad. 70% on Saturday and cooling off temps did not look good. I was trying to keep positive, but after the last rain out, it was tough. So back to the hot tub. We figured we might as well make the best of it and have some fun. Well Saturday morning and the alarm went off. I was very nervous to go over and look out of the window. But to my surprise it looked really good, I saw some sunshine. Talk about a mood changer. I hurried up and got ready for a great day of racing.

We pulled into the track and things were still looking good. We got the Embry-Riddle dragster out of the trailer and started getting things set-up. We were racing against 3 other jet dragsters, Bob Motz and Bob Hall finished out the list for the weekend. As the day went on the spectators started coming in and the Lucas Oil racing series was racing on the track. It started clouding over about 10:00 and just got worse and worse. We had our drivers meeting at 1:00 and was scheduled for a drivers autograph session at 2:00. It has sprinkled on and off, but I thought we were going to dodge a bullet. Well about 10 minutes into the autograph session it started to rain. I mean rain. It was cold and wet and that is not good for racing. It was amazing how long the fans stood in line to finish out the signing getting wet. My day was going down hill fast.

I went up to the tower to see what the weather was looking like and by the faces I thought we were done. I was feeling so bad for all of the fans that had hung out all day long getting wet and cold just hoping to see some great racing. Well someone was looking out for us because the sun started to shine though the clouds. Before you knew it I was getting my Vedalo HD's out!!!! We got the okay from the track and we headed up for the staging lanes at 6:30!!!! I made my first run and the crowd was so excited. I think it was more from the heat that got the fans on their feet!!! We hurried up and got the cars ready for the last round. It was a lot of fun as the track at Summit Raceway Park is always top notch.

After the final round we all waited at the end of the track to tow the cars back up the track for our final autograph session right on the track. It is so much fun to have the fans get right out on the track and get up close to the cars. Thanks so much for everyone who cheered me on this weekend. We went back to the trainer loaded up and then headed for the hotel. After 4 hours of sleep the alarm went off and it was time to get back to the airport to head for home.

When we got home Nitro and Andrew was waiting to tell me all about their weekend. Nitro chased the bad Kitty's while Andrew rode on Dolphins at Discovery Cove. It was a field trip that Andrew did not want to miss. I think the entire class had a great time.

Well now Chris is out in the shop working on the brand new Embry-Riddle jet dragster, Andrew is writing book logs for school, Nitro is playing with his monkey and I am watching of course, drag racing on TV!!! Two weeks off and then back on the road. Maple Grove is on the next stop!! See you at the races,
luv e

Rain Rain Go AWAY!!!!!!

Well it is time to hit the road again for Bowling Green, KY. We love this track as both Chris and I think it is one of the prettiest tracks to pull up to in the country. It truly takes you back in time. Just the winding roads with the fences and the cows and horses, if that isn't enough the amusement park is just a must see on the racing stops!! We pulled out very early on Thursday morning as we had a radio interview to do on later that evening so we had to beat feet to get there in time. All was going well and we were making great time that is until we made it north of Chattanooga, TN. We were ahead of schedule until we hit the rest area and our truck decided that it wasn't going to go any further. It just stopped. Not a good thing to happen at the the entrance of the rest area. The security guard walked up to us and said "you can't park here!" Well you can imagine what I was thinking, but luckily Chris got the truck started and we moved it enough to get it in a parking spot. Obviously the security guard did not realize we were having problems. But we still had a problem with the truck. I got on the GPS first thing and found a Ford dealer and Chris called our warranty company and got a tow truck coming. Just so you understand we broke down at 3:00 and we were towed and to the Ford dealer by 4:00. The dealer closed at 5:00 and we had a race to get to. Let me just say "holy cow" they said stay out of the way and I will get you back on the road. Sure enough he had us back on the road and we were haul butt down the road by 6:30 that night. I can't say enough for Ford and everyone that helped us get back on track. I missed my interview, but we pulled into town when things were not looking so good. Thanks everyone.
Well on to the racing. Thursday night we went to bed very early. We were beat, but Friday morning we woke up and it was not sunny and pretty like we had hoped it was going to be. Cloudy and gloomy but we head to the track to set up. You never know, but the weather station did not predict it to be a great racing weekend. So we did a small set up and then went out to eat with friends. Saturday morning and YUCK!!!! Not good at all. We got to the track and people were just hanging out not moving fast. The promoters of the NMCA about 11:00 decided to pull the plug on the weekend. The weather wasn't bad and it wasn't raining, but later that afternoon it started and didn't stop through Sunday. So it was so nice for them to let everyone go early and let us just hang out with friends and spend some well needed R&R!!! Guess what this means???? HOT TUB!!!!! We headed back to the hotel and got into our bathing suits and relaxed for the rest of the day. Later even though we never like rain outs and it costs us so much money, it was sure nice to take a break and rest for a couple days. I called the airline and got out early and made it back home in time to relax on Sunday. Chris is moving the rig to the next race which is the Cavalcade of Stars in Norwalk, OH. I spent the afternoon watching the Bucket List. BOO HOO!!! I cried like a baby. I had heard the movie was good, but I thought it was great even though it made me cry. Now Andrew is finishing up homework for the weekend. He went to a Tampa Bay Rays game today. Nitro is sitting on my chair watching drag racing with me. I figure if I can't race, I might as well watch racing. I hope you all have a great week. Hey we will see you at the races. luv ya,e

Moving to a new Site!!!

Okay, we for those of you who have been so faithful and followed my blog. Thanks so much. A brand new Web Site will be up and running in the next few weeks and I am changing up my blog. as well. I will keep this blog. up for the old posts, but all current posts will be made on my MySpace account. I want to invite you to check out my page. http://www.myspace.com/elainelarsen

Please feel free to add me as a friend. I will try and update more often.

Thanks so much and we will see you at the races.

luv ya,
e

Back home!!!! For now????

Okay, we are back at home and I am sleeping in my own bed, life is good. I flew out to Vegas to meet up with Chris and go to the SEMA show. It was very very cool to fly into Las Vegas at night. The problem was I didn't get there until 9:30 p.m. Vegas time which was 12:30 my time. Now I had a choice to make, I could have some fun and go out, or go back to the hotel and get some sleep..........Okay, we went out. We walked the strip and it was amazing just to see the lights and the different casinos ..... wow!!! We finally got something to eat and made it back to the hotel about 3:00 a.m. Vegas time, so at that point I was up for over 24 hours. Man am I getting old!!!

The next morning we got up early to head out to the show. I had heard so much about SEMA and knew a lot of my racing friends were going to be there, I could tell we were going to have fun. To say that we saw just about everything is an understatement. From the Ghostbuster car to every Challenger on the face of the earth you can see it all at SEMA. Each hall is a different. From Wheels and Tires to Racing and Performance, I walked my feet off.

Dodge had one of the most impressive displays. I don't think you could turn a corner without seeing their new Challenger, but my heart belongs to the new Camero. I found a couple that I would have liked to take home. I told Chris I would take one in black and one in yellow for Christmas. He said "YEAH RIGHT!!!!!" I won't hold my breath.

We spent two days just trying to soak it all in. A highlight was meeting up with our friends Donna and Danny O'Day with the Super Wench wheel stander. Super Wench unveiled a Danny O'Day signature series of wenches. I know that we need a new one for our trailer and you can bet that will be first on the list.

We only had two days there and flew out Thursday afternoon, not much time, but enough that I know I want to go back. But as much fun as it was, we had a show to do this weekend at the Daytona Beach campus for Embry-Riddle. It was their homecoming event and we took the rig out and set up the display to show the students and Alumni the good ole ERAU jet dragster.

Sunday afternoon and we are back at home. We only have until Friday until we head our for our next show. For the past 3 years we have been invited to the Miami Homestead Raceway for the last NASCAR race of the year. We are meeting up with some drag racing friends, so we should have some fun.

We will return home and I am sure I will have some good stories to tell from the circle track guys. I will be waiting to hear how the NHRA Championship ends up this weekend. We have two races left this year. We are going to the newly opened up Palm Beach International Raceway (Moroso Motorsports Park) and then the final race of the year is in Bradenton Motorsports Park. I hope I get to see some of you at the races. I think the best is yet to come for the Embry-Riddle jet racing team.

luv ya,
e

Filling in the Blanks

Sorry it has been so long since I have checked in. A lot has happened since the last blog. First we finished up the NMCA series in Memphis, TN. This was my first trip to Memphis Motorsports Park. The fans are awesome. We had a display on Beale Street in front of Coyote Ugly before the race and then headed to the track for the season ending party. It is fun to see all of the racers and their families putting the competition aside to have a little bit of fun.

We made 2 passes on Saturday and one on Sunday. The car ran great. Andrew and I flew out of the Memphis airport so he could get back in school Monday morning. Chris repositioned the rig in Gulfport, MS for our next week a couple of weeks later. Chris flew out of the Gulfport airport the following day, so by Monday evening the family was all back in their own beds.

It is amazing how quickly the two weeks can fly by. I always miss the track and can't wait to get back out there, but part owning a business is getting the book work done and there is always looking ahead for the 2009 season. So after getting things caught up back at the shop, we headed for the airport to make our 4th appearance at the Ford vs. Chevy show in Gulfport, MS. This is their 20 anniversary for this event and is always one of the fun stops on our schedule.

After a lot of delays in the Atlanta airport, we finally touched down and got some sleep for the big weekend ahead. We headed out to the track Saturday morning and got everything set-up. Luckily there was enough time to go out and grab a bite to eat at one of Gulfports amazing restaurants. Then it was time to get to work as the gates opened up for test and tune and for me to make one of my passes for the evening.

The pass went on without a hitch, we loaded up the car and headed to the hotel for some rest. Sunday morning and when we headed to the race track we were in for a surprise. The line to get in was sooooooooo long that it took over 30 minutes just to get up to the gates. I had a great feeling about the day. It did not disappoint. The track was PACKED. Like I said before this is my 4th year coming back for this race. I had some wonderful surprises. Several fans have come back every year to see me and they always bring back photos, t shirts and other things they have collected from previous years. Thanks so much, you all have a special place in my heart!!!!

Well after two great passes with the last pass at 286 mph, we loaded up the dragster and headed for home. I don't have another race until Thanksgiving weekend at the Citrus Nationals and then finishing up the year at the Snowbird Nationals, but that doesn't mean we will be resting. We are going to visit the World Street Nationals in Orlando, FL as a lot of our racing friends are going to be racing. Then bright and early I have to take Chris to the airport to fly out to Arizona to Embry-Riddle in Prescott. I am going to fly out and meet him at the SEMA show. Not a lot of rest for us as soon as we get back the very next day we head to the other Embry-Riddle campus in Daytona Beach for their homecoming.

So hang on, it is going to be a very busy fall!!! Keep checking in on our schedule as I will have my 2009 schedule posted soon. I hope to see you all at the races!!!!

luv ya,
e

The NMRA Finals

Well a full year has come and gone and we are back to the NMRA finals in Bowling Green, KY again this year. I have been traveling with the NMRA and NMCA series this year and it has been a lot of fun. As I am not racing anymore, it is fun to be a part of a series that you can feel a part of. The problem is that I get involved with the teams and want them to do well. Now the end has come and all that is left if the banquet at the PRI show to finish off the year. I want to congradulate the winners on a job well done. I will miss seeing you guys. But 2009 is just around the corner.

Now on to this weekend. We are finishing off the NMCA series in Memphis, TN. This is Andrew's favorite series, so we are letting him take a day off from school to head to the track to cheer on all of the racers. We get to have a little fun before we head to the track at Coyote Ugly to do a display. Yes Chris is sad about this, but hey we do what we can for the sport of drag racing!!!!

This week has also been interesting, on the way home from picking Andrew up from school, driving home on a road that I travel everyday, we got into an accident. A person was looking at a house and decided instead of going straight ahead, she would go backwards and hit me. Talk about making a day interesting. Luckly we are fine and the only damage is very small to the front of my car, which can be fixed. So it really makes me realize that it is much safer on the dragstrip than the road.

Here are some photos from this past weekend. Enjoy.

Well I guess that is it for this week. I will post more next week. Be safe.
e

Having Fun in Atlanta

Hey guys, well it was time to get back to the race track and what better place than Atlanta Dragway. Always one of my favorite stops and it didn't disappoint. We made a stop on the way to the Dragstrip, we went to the Nitto tire factory in White, GA to do a two day display for all of the employees. This is our second time back to the factory and it was much better this year as the weather couldn't get much better. 80 degrees out and sunny. Thursday and Friday were spent firing up the car for the different shifts and then it was time to meet up with Mike (crew) at the track and get ready for the big weekend event.

NMCA rolled into town and let me tell this series is sizzling hot. Beautiful show cars and slamming fast racecars. Then just for fun throw in the Embry-Riddle jet dragster to blast down the quarter mile.

Saturday we made two passes. The my jet car was right on track running some great times, the best of the weekend was right at 286 mph. After the last pass, we loaded the car up and went to eat a wonderful dinner at Dale and Susan's. Good ole comfort food of chicken, beans and mac & cheese. YUMMMMM It was too early to go back to the hotel, so we hit the go carts. Yes I had to turn. We had so much fun and after a couple of hours, it was time to get some sleep for Sunday's race day.

Sunday morning and we got up early to make it to Racers Church. Then all we had to do is get the car ready to make our one pass later in the afternoon. We hung out for the day after a series of events pushed back the days runs. It was just one of those days at the race track. But when they called us up to the staging lanes, we were ready to go and blasted down the quarter mile in Atlanta for the last time this year.

Our season has just a few more races left to end the year. But as the say, we are saving the best for last. We get a week off and then head out for a couple of weeks on the road. First stop, Bowling Green, KY for the NMRA finals, then the week after NMCA races their final race in Memphis, TN If you haven't come out and seen us yet this year, check out the schedule to find a race close to you, we only have a few left. It seems like the year has just flown by and I want to make sure we go out on top.

Well I hope you all enjoy the great fall weather. It was only 86 here in Florida today, great weather get all of the outside work done that we have been putting off. (I think I would rather be racing!!!!)

See you at the races,
luv ya,
e

Reflections

Well this is my second weekend off from racing, last weekend we went and did some testing on the Miss Ta Fire and this weekend we decided to work really hard all week and take off this weekend for the beach. I always feel so much better after a weekend at the beach. It is hard not to just let all of your troubles go when you are looking out at the sun rising over the water with dolphins playing. Your problems always seem so much smaller to the big ocean.

We had a couple of wonderful days, but there is always work to be done and it was time to get back home to get ready to hit the road to Atlanta for the NMCA race. This will be our third time back to Atlanta Dragway this year and it is one of the favorite stops for our team.

Now for some non-racing observations. Andrew came home the other day and one of his 6th grade teachers, Miss Wimberly, had the kids watch a portion of the Last Lecture from the Oprah show. Now I have heard people talking about this and had my head stuck at a drag strip and really did not know what this was all about. Probably most of you have already watched this and I don't want to say too much for those of you who have yet watched, this is a must see. Here is a link if you would like to take the time to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
Well I guess that is about it for now. Larsen Motorsports has a very exciting 2009 planned. There will be a lot of changes shaking everything up and mixing it around. I can't give it up yet, but keep checking and I will let you know as soon as I can. One last thing I want to make sure all of our friends from Texas and New Orleans know they are in our thoughts and prayers.

luv ya,
e

Pictures from National Trail and World Series

Hey, here are some photos from the last couple of races.

Friends from National Trail

A great night shot from Cordova

Matt from CSK and I hanging out after the race. I think they work a little harder than my guys. Sorry crew. : 0 )

I will post more soon!!!

luv ya,
e

Pinks All Out video

Hey guys,

The Embry-Riddle jet dragster was featured on Pinks All Out on Speed TV. Here is a clip.

Enjoy,
e

World Series and NMRA

Hey guys, well it has been a couple of races since I have written anything. Lets go back to an amazing race, the 55th annual World Series of Drag racing held at Cordova Raceway. We were fortunate enough to be invited to run my jet dragster for this amazing piece of history. We started the weekend with some 80 year old grandmas racing golf carts, yes I said grandma's racing golf carts. Four racing grandma's battled it out for the Grandma Grand Prix. I was lucky enough to be a part of their fun and hand off the trophies to the winners.

Then it was time to get back to the track as we were making a pass later that evening. We were joined by KC Jones and the trains, Diamond Jim Crownheart's two jet funny cars and Miss Fran Peppler in her Rock N Roll Thunder jet funny car. That sounds like an amazing line-up but that is not all. Del Worham, Tony Pedragon, Tim Wilkerson and Jack Wyatt. The TOP NHRA Top fuel funny car drivers out there. That is not all, nostalgia cars, wheel standers and the list just went on and on. This is now a stop for us every year. I have been to a lot of drag races, and this was right up thee on top offering so much for everyone.

It was a privilage for the Embry-Riddle team to be a part of this racing history and hopefully the crowd enjoyed our show. We made one pass on Friday and two on Saturday to end the show. At the end of the night we hung out with Del Worsham's crew enjoying the evening. The next morning bright and early we were back at the track breaking things down to head to the next show.

NMRA in Columbus, OH was our next stop. This is our fourth year back at National Trail Raceway and I have made some amazing friends in the past and it is always great to come back and see them every year. There was this little guy Jordan Nash that is going to take my job in about 10 years.

Andrew and I flew home Sunday evening and Chris went on to the US Nationals to enjoy more Drag Racing. My thoughts and prayers are with all of my friends in the path of Hurricane Gustav. I have heard from some of you and am happy to report that all seems well at this point. We are looking forward to our trip back to Gulfport Dragway in October, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that the dragstrip didn't sustain too much damage.

Well I guess that is all I have for now. I will try and post photos soon. We just purchased a new camera and I need to figure out how to download the files. Thanks for checking in.

luv ya,
e

Wait and see!!!!

Okay, so this is the first weekend that we have not had a race in a very long time and what do we do........well Chris drives all over the state of Florida getting this lined up for the days to come and I clean house. Fun fun.

We are also starting a new project.....I am sooooo excited about this, I have waited for this for 22 years......I am getting are you ready.........a laundry room!!!!! Whoooooooo Hooooooooooooo. I have wanted this for a very long time and Mr. Don is here to put it in for me. Now as excited as I am, I am watching the weather. If you have been paying attention Tropical Storm Fay is trying to head our way. New construction and a Tropical Storm not a great combination. But we are going to wait and see. YIKES!!!!

So in other news, another big landmark is happening tomorrow..........Andrew starts the 6th grade. Yes my little guy is starting Middle School. Wow how time flys. It seems like yesterday he was starting Kindergarten. Now things are all about to change.

Well that is all I have for now. I will leave you with a photo that was sent to me. It was taken right before I was going to run at Oshkosh Airshow. Pretty cool.

I will keep you posted on the first day at school, laundry room and Fay. This week is going to be fun!!!

luv ya,

e

Finally

Okay, sorry it has taken me so long to check in with everyone, but it has been a very busy summer. We left home heading for Route 66 for the Super Bowl of Drag racing with the NMRA vs the NMCA. We had never been to Route 66 before and I had heard great things, well it is amazing. The facility is just breath taking.

We pulled into town on Friday morning as we had extra set-up for this event. The Embry-Riddle team has an addition to our display, a brand new awning, and boy oh boy were we ever happy to have it that weekend. Rainy weather on Saturday morning put a damper on the morning, but sunny skies later that day and into Sunday, made for some of the best drag racing in the country. Andrew never missed a second and kept us up to date, but in the end NMCA came out victorious over the NMRA. It was a great weekend. Chris from Vedalo HD came out to bring the racing action into HIGH DEFINITION!!! Check out the sponsor page to get a set of your own Vedalo HD sunglasses!!!

Next we headed for Oshkosh, WI but had a couple of days to spare so we hit the Wisconsin Dells first. The Dells has the worlds largest water parks as well as the famous ducks and the now famous Lake Dalton. Now why would the lake be famous, we it is no longer there. After severe rain in June, the lake overflowed into the Wisconsin River and disappeared in 2 hours. When we arrived we could walk across the lake. Spooky!!! We stayed in a cabin for a couple of days and enjoyed the town. It was very nice to sit back and relax. If you ever get a chance, this is definitely a place to stop.

Well it was time to get back to work and head for Oshkosh, WI for the EAA airshow. We set up on Saturday with the help of Embry-Riddle. Monday morning and it is time to go to work. During the week over three quarters of a million people will come though the gates. It is amazing and so much fun to see old friends. We we busy everyday trying to do our best to represent drag racing. Now every year we get a lot of the same questions and one question is "Are you going to run out here this week?" Well guess what.......this year I was happy to be able to say YES!!!!! Thursday at 2:57 the Embry-Riddle jet racing team rocketed down the runway at the World's Largest Airshow in front of people from all over the world. It was amazing to see the reaction. I was so proud of my team for giving me the tool to blast down the runway. What a rush!!!! I can't wait until next year. Thanks for all of my friends that took the time to stop and say HI. I have a new theme song and can't wait to do something with it. All in all what a great week.

But that was the airshow. Larsen Motorsports held their first annual sponsor appreciation party and the local bowling alley. Sorry to say NO photos will be posted : 0 ) We finished up the week and Sunday was the mark of another successful airshow. We packed everything up and it was time to head back to New Jersey for the NMRA race.

On the way to New Jersey we made a pit stop in Akron, OH. Now a lot of people may say "what is in Ohio?" But to a jet racer it is where a lot of history began. We went to the late Art Arfons shop and got to take a look at some amazing pieces of jet racing history. It was a honor to meet Tim Arfons and see photos and hear some of the old stories. We spent a couple of hours in the shop and then it was back on the road. No rest.

Curt Eierdam was in the area so he made the trip over to help crew for the Embry-Riddle team. We made a pass on Friday evening to light up the New Jersey skies and then 2 passes on Saturday. We were supposed to make an additional pass Sunday but rainy weather put a stop to the race and sent us on our way early. We said goodbye to Curt and started for our good friends house in Indianapolis. We spent the night and then flew home on Tuesday morning. We have been on the road for almost 5 weeks and I can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight.

Well home sweet home. We are going to get caught up on work back at the shop and in the office before we hit the road again for August 23rd. We have been invited to perform at the World Series of Drag Racing in Cordova Dragway. I can't wait. Check out the schedule page for more information. I hope to see you all at the races.

Catch up photos

Okay, so I have not done my job posting photos of my recent events. Soooooooooooo I thought I would catch you up on some of the high lights. I hope you enjoy.

Skills USA Kansas City, MO

Atlanta Night of Fire

Roush Museum

Time with friends and family

Well after we rolled into the drive last Sunday, there hasn't been much time for rest. It is amazing how much mail there is to answer and the laundry, don't even get me started. It is one of those things where a couple of weeks sounds like we can get a lot done, but here it is a week into it and I am not even close to ready to hit the road again for a month.

There wasn't any time to rest as Chris and Mike installed our new awning for the Embry-Riddle trailer. We will debut it in Chicago for the next race. They worked very hard and I can't wait to use it at the track. Mike and Alli spent the week with us and we had a lot of fun. It was sad to see them head home to Georgia, because Chris would now look to me for the help.

I do hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July. We spent it at my best friends Trish's house on the lake enjoying great food and a wonderful fireworks show. I did of course try and show off that I am NOT an old lady by try to blast down the water slide and beat my son. Well all I ended up is hurting my pride and my knee. Good night. As I was limping back up to the pool trying not to show the pain on my face I decided to spend the rest of the day holding down a chair.

The next day was Chris's birthday and we spent the morning relaxing and getting ready for his birthday surprise. Now in the past I have really gone all out, for example, I sent him skydiving, we went on a cruise and this year I bought us tickets to Blue Man Group at Universal Studios in Orlando. He has wanted to see them for a while and I figured this was the chance. It was very very cool. I better start planning next years present.

Sunday was part two of the birthday present. He has wanted the garage painted so first thing the whole family (including Nitro) woke up and started the day painting. It only took us 8 hours to prep paint and put back to order, but man was he happy. We then went to eat with some neighbors that we hadn't seen in a while. All in all a great day.

Now I am sure a lot of you have already gone to see the new movie Hancock, but we never do things on time, so off to the movies and it was pretty cool. I won't spoil it, but a great surprise.

Now we are back home watching Pinks All Out enjoying the rest of the night. Soon it will be back on the road and we better enjoy this while we can. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Make sure you check out the schedule, we would love to see you at the races!!!
luv ya,
e

Home Sweet Home!!!!!

Well I am writing this in my family room watching what else, drag racing!!!! We have been on the road for the past 4 weeks racing up and down the country and as much fun as it is......it is good to be home!!!!

I want to take a minute to say a little about Scott Kalitta as all of our thoughts and prayers are with his family and race teams. It is always a hard time when something like this happens in our drag racing family. But we all know the the consequences when we put on our helmets and accept what will happen. It never makes it easy, but we are all living our dreams.

On to better days. When I last checked in we had just left Milan and had to take care of some business then it was off for some R&R. We spent a week at my sisters house on the lake and man was it wonderful. Andrew played with all of his cousins and Nitro ran free!!!! On Saturday we were scheduled to do our favorite event of the year. The St. Johns High School held its 14th annual car show. Larry Button was Chris's auto shop teacher in High School and was a huge influence in his life and our family owes him so much, it was an honor for us to be a part of the car show this year. We fired the Embry-Riddle Jet Dragster up in the parking lot and lit up the skies at Chris's old high school!!! Larry suprised Chris with a 1/5th scale replica of our Willys. Now give us a little time and you will see us buzzing around the drag strip on our new pit toy!!!

We left Michigan and stopped in to say HI to Al Z. another jet car racer. It is always nice to see Big Al!!! Then on to Kansas City to Skills USA for the rest of the week. We were on display for the second year to help promote Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and careers in Aviation. It was packed this year and we had beautiful weather the entire time. I want to congratulate all of the winners of the competition.

Then it was off to Atlanta Dragway for their Night of Fire. This is always a very fun race and we were ready to have some fun!!!! My crew guy Mike and his daughter Alli came out to help and stayed at the track. Alli was a great help. The Embry-Riddle jet dragster blasted down the quarter mile 3 times and ran awesome!!!! I think it was the largest night of fire ever and it was a great way to end our race tour!!! We headed home for some R&R and get everything ready for our next tour leaving July 16th.

I hope everyone enjoys the 4th of July holiday with friends and family. Chris's birthday is this Saturday July 5th and I have something really fun planned for the day. I will take a lot of pics and let you know how it comes out. Stay safe, see you at the races!!!

luv ya

e

Northbound

Hey, well it has been a while since my last update so hopefully I don't bore you. The LMS team flew out the first of June for the NMCA race in Atco New Jersey. Now as the temperatures are heating up in the south, I was looking forward for some cooler weather.......HAAAAAAA It was record temps reaching in the high 90's and when we checked the temp it was 105. Still it was a great racing weekend for those who braved the heat to come out to watch. The Embry-Riddle jet car is doing a great job with no problems. We made three passes over the weekend and met some great people I am looking forward to come back in August for the NMRA race.

We hit the road on Sunday evening and headed back to our home towns in Michigan. We dropped off the trailer at Uncle Johns and then headed to my sister's house. We were all ready to stretch our legs. We had just enough time to unpack when it was time to hit the road to do a display for Jack Roush a couple of days later. I was honored to be invited to display the car at his private museum in Livonia, MI before the NASCAR race. It was wonderful to meet some new people and hopefully make some new drag racing fans.

Packing everything back up and it was time to race. We dropped the truck and trailer at Milan, MI which was our destination for the weekend. Unfortunately the skies were cloudy and it was raining off and on. They did get some qualifying in later that evening. We were invited to some of our close friends house for dinner. We met the Kempfs about 8 years ago on a cruise and have been close friends ever sense. They have a beautiful little girl and a new dog named Daisy. Nitro didn't know what to think.

Saturday morning and it is race day. I get nervous when my family comes to watch me race, and just hope that all goes well. My sisters Nancy and Diane with their families all were in attendance along with some close family friends Larry Button and Paul Beck. It was time to put the show on. I think they all had a great time and can't wait to see us again.

Sunday morning and back out to the race track. A new group of friends and family came out to watch and the good ole Embry-Riddle car did not let me down. This was my first trip to Milan Dragway and I would love to come back. It was a great facility and we all had a warm welcome. After my sister took Andrew and Nitro home while Chris and I took care of some business. Now we are sitting here getting some R & R. Now our plans at first was to enjoy the outside swim and play in the lake. Mother Nature has had other plans. It got down to 45 degrees last night and the high today is only 62. It is called be careful what you ask for as I was hoping for cooler weather.

Andrew has had fun with his cousins and Nitro has enjoyed running around Uncle Johns farm. We are having dinner with more family tonight and then we get to go to Chris's home town of St. Johns, MI to do their annual car show and fire up the jet car for the home town crowd.

We want to send out our thoughts for those who have suffered so much with the crazy weather lately. From the tornado's to the flooding. I guess mother nature has a mind of her own. Take care and we will see you at the races!!!!

luv ya,
e

Sparky is growing up!!

Well I can't believe it, but Sparky aka Andrew is growing up. This week he will be graduating from the 5th grade. Wow I can remember the 1st day of school in his brand new uniform. Now it is off to middle school and all that goes with that. Eye's rolling, loud music and oh yeah, GIRLS!.!!

So this week we are putting racing aside and totally focusing on him this week. So Thursday we are grilling 120 hamburgers and 120 hot dogs!!!

Well I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day, we spent it with friends out on the lake. Not to bad. Nitro enjoyed the day playing in the beach swimming in the pool and wearing us all out.

This weekend I am going to enjoy a girls night out with my best friend Trish and 15 of our close friends going to see the Sex in the City movie. Chris and Andrew are going out in the Hot Rod and going to cruise up and down main street at Old Town. We better rest up because right after schools out, it is time to get back to work and we will be heading to Atco, New Jersey to kick off our summer schedule.

Well the long hot summer is coming up with some great racing action. Check out the schedule and we will see you at the races!!!!

luv ya,
e

Heading for the Summit

Well the Embry-Riddle Jet Racing team headed for Ohio to Summit Raceway Park for the Cavalcade of Stars. We were full of expectations as I had heard that this was the premiere drag strip in North America and I will say that it did not disappoint!!! The facility was beautiful and the staff was amazing. From the minute we pulled into the gate it was an experience. They treat the fan and racer so great, making sure that both get the best of the best.

So on to the good stuff. We dropped the trailer on Friday and set up the display. While we were there, Dick Rosburg arrived and we met up with some of our good friends from the Torco Alcohol team. After setting up we hit the road as we had made plans with Dick for dinner and a movie. Iron Man had come out the weekend before and we just had to see it. Great movie!! It was back to the hotel and in bed as it was going to be a long day on Saturday.

Saturday morning and the weather had called for cold, windy and possible rain, not a great outlook for racing, but hey it is race day so we headed out to the track. They had planned a full day with four jet dragster two wheel standers, motorcycles, snowmobiles and some of the fastest and best race cars it was going to be a great day. After all of the car arrived, we had our morning meeting. I was able to meet the new Queen of Diamonds, Jill. I had heard nice things about her and am happy to say she is did a very nice job this weekend. I was also racing Ernie driving the Beast from the East. Ernie was sooooo much fun and he knows how to take a joke!!!

We were scheduled to make 3 passes on Saturday, the first pass was a qualifying run. I was running Dick and made a good pass. Unfortunately Dick has a problem toward the end of the run and his weekend ended quickly. Jill ran faster than Ernie so round one went to the girls!! The second run, I was up against Ernie, well he wanted me to shave my head if I lost and I wanted him to wear a dress and dance on the starting line. Now if that isn't motivation, I don't know what is. Unfortunately things did not go my way and it looked like I was going to have to start wearing a hat. Ernie, being the gentleman that he is, said that it was unnecessary as he didn't want to see what I would look like without hair!!! So for the third round I had the single and it was Jill vs Ernie. Well experience won out and Ernie took home the win for the weekend, but I will tell you Jill and I will be back real soon and I am sure that next time we will both give him a run for his money.

The fans were treated to a live marching band, Beechcraft T-34 airplanes flying over and a wonderful fireworks display. The Baders sure know how to put on a race!!!! Sadly the race was over and it was time to pack up and head for home.

We will be home for a couple of weeks getting things ready for the summer runs. Andrew will graduate from 5th grade next week. I can't believe that my little sparkplug is growing up!!! Before you know it he will be in middle school. If you thought driving a jet dragster was fast, try keeping up with an 11 year old.

The next race is in Atco, New Jersey and then we go my home state, Michigan. Keep checking the schedule. I hope I see you on the road!!!

luv ya,
e