FOLLOW
A DREAM’S MARTY NOTHSTEIN FINISHES SECOND
AT NORTHEAST DIVISION 1 OPENER IN VIRGINIA
Marstons Mills, MA – Marty Nothstein (Orefield, PA)
and the Follow A Dream Top Alcohol Funny Car team continues
to get better with each passing weekend. Nothstein piloted
his Permatex/Wynn’s/Texas Roadhouse 2008 Chevrolet Impala
SS Top Alcohol Funny Car to a second place finish at this
weekend’s Northeast Division 1 season opening race at
Virginia Motorsports Park outside of Richmond, Virginia.
Nothstein lost to defending division and national champ Frank
Manzo in the finals when his car broke at the line and shutdown
about 150-feet into the pass. Manzo also had a tough time
during the run, but his mechanical problems occurred later
than Nothstein’s.
"I'm disappointed that the car broke in the finals,"
said Nothstein, who is a former Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist
in track cycling. "It was a $2 part that caused the throttle
linkage to fail. It's not often that Manzo has trouble getting
down the track, and he did in the finals, and we weren't able
to capitalize on that."
“That’s racing,” added Jay Blake, team
owner and crew chief of the Follow A Dream, Incorporated race
team. “My hat goes off to the entire team for a great
effort in Virginia. We're creeping up on things on the tune-up
side of things. We've now only made nine passes on our 2008
Chevrolet Impala SS, but I feel the team is really getting
close to putting together a great weekend.”
Nothstein qualified second behind Manzo during Friday’s
two-run qualification round, and then beat Scott McNiece in
the quarterfinals and Frank Schuster in the semifinals on
Saturday. Nothstein’s semifinal pass was the best of
the season for the Follow A Dream team with an elapsed time
of 5.662 seconds and a speed of 254.62 MPH.
"Overall, I'm very pleased with the progress we made
from last weekend's Southern Nationals in Atlanta,”
said Nothstein. “The semifinal run felt real good. Jim
Blake did a great job on the tune-up. I'm looking forward
to our next race at Maple Grove, which is my home track."
Nothstein and Follow A Dream will return to racing Memorial
Day weekend (May 23-25, 2008) at Maple Grove Raceway outside
of Reading, Pennsylvania.
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 Marty Nothstein
Marty ‘The Blade’ Nothstein is one of the most
recognized cyclists in the world having won an Olympic Gold
Medal in the 2000 Games in Sydney and Silver in Atlanta in
1996. Nothstein is America’s most decorated track cyclist
with 35 U.S. National titles, three World Championships, four
Pan-American Games Gold Medals, plus he’s a World and
Olympic record holder. Since retiring from professional cycling
in 2006, Marty is focusing his need for speed in the world
of drag racing. 2008 will mark Marty’s third season
in a Top Alcohol Funny Car. Nothstein will drive for Jay Blake,
the Founder and Crew Chief of “The Follow A Dream Team”.
Blake is the only totally blind crew chief in the world of
motorsports. After a successful rookie season in 2006 in his
Top Alcohol Funny Car, Nothstein found the winner’s
circle twice during the 2007 NHRA Drag Racing Series season.
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.
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 Texas Roadhouse
Based in Louisville, Ky., Texas Roadhouse opened its doors
in 1993. In just 15 years, the company has grown to more than
290 locations in 44 states. In 2006, readers of a national
magazine voted Texas Roadhouse as the top concept in the Pub/Grill
category, and Forbes magazine ranked the company as one of
the 200 Best Small Companies.
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