As the holidays approach, you usually set back with some time to reflect on the year past. This past year I’d have to rate as a great one for me. From a strictly racing perspective, it was personally my best season ever with a third track championship at WMSD. For that I am certainly grateful for all of the good luck sent my way; however when I look back on 2007 the biggest thing in my mind is how NSDN was started from scratch and has grown in only its first year of existence. It was an undertaking that I could not have done by myself. You, the readers, probably can figure out who those people are but I’d like to personally thank these folks. First off, I have to thank the NSDA for being such a great organization to work with. Everyone has been 100% supportive of National Sand Drag News and made sure that I was always taken care of while at the races. The people throughout the organization make it what it is from the top with Chris Ketron and the Ketron family, Chachy and the Zavala Family, Jody Davis, and Dennis Rieck all the way on through to the race control workers as well as the track crew and maintenance workers. A big thanks goes out to Mario Bramblia, the NSDA’s chief computer operator, as he makes sure we are taken care of with results at any time.
Next I have to thank Rick Morris and Heavy Metal Racing/Chittenden Motorsports for all that they have done throughout the season for NSDN. What a great family and crew. C3 Productions have also been a huge help to NSDN from the start. Joe and Roseanne Madrid not only are top notch photographers, but run a first class operation taking photos of all the NSDA racing events. Sand Sports has also been a huge help to NSDN. Thanks to Mike Sommer for the space in his magazine and helping get the word out about sand drag racing. Some of you may have noticed a new advertiser in the toolbar as 2007 NSDA Top Fuel champion Scott Whipple and his Canidae Pet Foods has come on board for the 2008 season. Without the above advertisers, we would not have been able to become “THE” news source for sand drag racing.
Always entertaining are our contributors to NSDN. Thanks needs to go out to these guys who make sure we have something to read every month. Mike Ellington and Isaac DeHaan do a great job with their articles. You may not realize these two also both do a great job promoting the sport any chance they get. Mike runs www.sanddragcentral.com, which is a great forum to discuss all things sand drag racing on. Isaac does everything from pulling cars to transforming into “Isaac Dunn” on the microphone. He is also a great asset to the sport. I can’t forget the people that send in reports from the middle of the country; Kody Teters and Derek Howard did a great job sending in results for the races at their respective race tracks.
Another thanks I have to give out are to all of the racers throughout the country that I have run in to or talked with. The bench racing and hospitality is second to none wherever I go or whoever I talk to. As you can see, there are a lot of people that do what they can to bring you the latest in sand drag racing. I definitely have a lot to be grateful in these folks. I am really looking forward to the 2008 season as it looks to be the best in recent memory. I can’t wait for our first daily race coverage in January from Yuma. Until then; enjoy the holiday season, and we’ll see you in 2008.
Tom Bray (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)