Well it's been a whirlwind of activity for the last couple of weeks for me.  I spent a week in Indianapolis at the Future Farmers of America convention and went right into the NHRA race in Las Vegas the following week. 

FFA was fun, but very busy.  Some 55,000 members were in attendance at the convention and, honestly, it was a little overwhelming.  Significantly different numbers from what Drill Sergeants are used to dealing with, being that a basic training company only consists of some 240 soldiers.  It was a good time, but I was happy to come home after that one.

The NHRA race was, as usual, a great time.  Add to that the fact that it was in Vegas and it turned out to be a blast.  Tony Schumacher's crew took me out for a night of VIP treatment on the strip and I may have had a little too much fun, but we jumped right in to race day activities the next day.

All in all it was a great race for Tony and the rest of the Army crew.  Delays, crashes, and oil downs made all three race days late ones, but Tony qualified in first place and even set a new world record for speed in the 1000 foot.  By the end of the last elimination round, Tony was set in first place.  That spelled an even later night for us with all of the sponsor pictures we had to take in the winners circle, but that's what it's all about.  You win, you spend time getting some much deserved praise.

That makes two wins for Tony at races I've been fortunate enough to attend, and we're confident that the race next week in Pomona will add a third, and with any luck, another world championship for the Army car.

Crowds and competitions at FFA

Pushup Competition for Tickets to NHRA race

The Starting Line

Backing up Tony Schumacher in the Winner's Circle