Drag Illustrated Issue 156, May 2020 | Page 55

PHOTO: RICK BELDEN D.I. COLUMNIST The Real Deal with Tommy D'Aprile Here it was, our first quarter-mile race in some time. Heading to the World Doorslammer Nationals in Orlando, I was more than excited to not only get back to racing but back to quartermile speeds. I decided to drive to the track late at night, as the Orlando area can be a bit of a challenge to drive through with an 81-foot rig. As I drove east on I-4 through Orlando and the Disney area, the traffic was light and it was clear sailing. Here came my exit, and also a sign that said, “exit closed.” I was like, “what?” I followed the detour signs and soon found myself in an area that a Smart Car could maybe fit in, and my rig is about a gazillion times bigger. Here is where I made a decision to not freak out and just go with the flow. I kept my temper in check and followed all the detour signs while taking up two and three lanes. Finally arriving at the track, I was relieved to say the least. I was proud of not reacting a certain way and losing my joy. The next day was testing before the big race, and we really struggled. Again, I decided to just enjoy myself. With no quarter-mile passes made yet, we went into the first round of qualifying. I left the starting line and, holy smokes, the car was on a pass. I now had to remember not to lift at the eighth-mile mark. The car made it to the quarter mile under great power. As I pulled the chutes it was another ride of excitement and to my delight we ran a 5.74 at near 249 mph. That was a career-best for me and set us in the top 5 after Q1. The excitement from that run was just fantastic. Well, Q2, Q3 and Q4 were all plagued with small problems and we wound up being bumped out of the quickest Pro Mod field in history by one thousandth of a second. To say I was disappointed was an understatement, but again I decided to just have a good time. Right from Orlando we headed to Gainesville for our first NHRA race in quite some time. We got a great parking spot and set up camp. Shortly after, the generator died and we couldn’t get it fixed at the track, but again I decided to enjoy myself. The next day was beautiful and we got all of our credentials in line. We are now ready to qualify, and based on our good run we felt we could really do well. Then, around noon the call comes in and we hear that the race is canceled due to COVID-19. I was just about to get plain mad, but then I decided to just enjoy myself. We packed everything up and got ready to head out the next day in hopes of getting our first NHRA start soon. OK, so it was a trying couple race outings as we all have had in the past, but one thing was different. Through all the junk, I paused and decided I could either lose it or decide to enjoy myself. I really had to take my own advice on how to live a more peace-filled life and believe it or not, it worked! So to all you today, what I am trying to relay is that life is not what happens to you, it’s all in how you handle it. I am sure we will have trying times, but as for me, I am learning how to not react in the wrong way but yield to a better attitude that leads to more peace in myself and those around me. If you have struggled in this area, like me, try to change the way you normally react to circumstances beyond your control and see if it doesn’t lead to a healthier, happier lifestyle. As always, the choice is yours to make. Email Tommy at [email protected] May 2020 KINSLER © Monster Mesh TM Filter FORD COYOTE 4 BARREL BILLET LS 12AN & 8AN Fuel Rail Largest on the Market BB Chevy Read This 10/3 Element We Do It All Drive By Wire Huge Sizes Available Our CUSTOM Made Manifolds Set Records! WORLD’S Largest Stocking Distributor EXCELLENT FOR EFI Monster Mesh TM Filters Huge amounts of premium quality filter media for minimum pressure drop. Used on 90% of NASCAR Cup and INDY 500 cars 730 lb/hr @ 50 PSI Quick Disconnect Bypass Kinsler Leak Tester Check engine leakage; barrel valve setting. Most accurate and repeatable on the market Kinsler.com We service injectors EFI Injectors, Lucas Metering Units, and all makes of Pressure Relief Valves need 3 micron protection, but 3 micron filters plug up too quickly, so most racers use 10 micron, which is too coarse. We made this new element for NASCAR Cup cars: 10 micron premium paper top layer to take out 95% of the dirt, with a 3 micron precision Fiberglass lower layer. Details: Kinsler.com home page. Tel: [phone] [email protected] Handbook/Catalog at kinsler.com Troy, Michigan USA DragIllustrated.com | Drag Illustrated | 55 ® Zero Failures in 12 Years Since 1st Sale K-140 Pressure Relief Valve