/24-7PressRelease/ - MARSTONS MILLS, MA, May 06, 2008 - 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 Blitz Group LLC
Blitz Group is a Chicago-based, award-winning boutique media company specializing in media strategy, event planning and television production.
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. For more information go to http://www.followadream.org.
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 http://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. For more information, visit http://www.texasroadhouse.com.
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