February 16, 2001 A Bunny Tale Update!

Yes, we are alive and hopping. 

Yes, we survived the "move from hell."  The second largest challenge of my life!!!

Yes, we are going to race a full schedule in 2001.

NO...retirement is not even a remote consideration.  As long as I am able, as long as I am still having fun, as long as I am driving in a competitive manner and until the charge cards max out!

Yes, our friend, Dennis Whitestone, Automotive Service Garage, will help our team in the 2001 Racing Season, with both knowledge and financial support.  We owe Dennis and Lois Whitestone forever, their hard work and support made it possible for us to get our house.  God has blessed us with a lot of things that money cannot buy.  They are wonderful friends and because of them, we can race a few more races and have a nice home to come back to!!!!!!

Yes, please make note of our new address and phone/fax numbers.

Yes, we will be running all of our normal races, a few NHRA National events, a half dozen IHRA National events, several NHRA Points Events, about 20 match races and another 20 outings, doing auto shows, displays, Ethanol Promotions and personal speaking engagements - along with 5 fair dates in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.

No, we not have our schedule in print yet.  Waiting to confirm all my match race dates, so we can fill in with all the national events.  We can tell you we started the first week of February with our 10th annual VA. Corn and Soybean Conference in Williamsburg, VA.  Our first national event is in Rockingham, NC. for IHRA.  We are booked for 5 weeks in a row, starting March 30th weekend.   (Mo is going to kill me!!)  I told him that I would not run as many races as I have been running in the pas!  I will try to get my schedule posted on the web soon.

Yes, our move from hell will be worth it, we think...    It sure has taken a lot of getting used to.  Mo gets up at 4:00 am and gets home at 8:00 pm.  Bear gets up at 5:30 am and gets home at 6:45 pm.  Figure it out yourself, this does not leave much time for a race car.  The driving to and from their jobs is killing them - but they both like their jobs and their bosses are very good to both of them, so they will just keep on driving.  Mo works for Dennis at Old Town Auto Body in Alexandria and Bear works for Mike at Jim's Transmissions in Manassas.   They both drive about 65 miles one way to work every day.  We had to move this far out to find enough land to relocate our racing team headquarters.  We have 7 acres here in Spotsylvania.  We looked like the Beverly Hillbillys moving in.   It took a month and we took over 3 tons of stuff to the landfill.  We will never get the boxes unpacked.  You just cannot even imagine how much stuff that we had at our home of over 25 years in Sterling.  Right now we have a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a family room that we can use.  Everything else is full of boxes.  Outside is another problem - we must get a garage built real soon.  We took 4 loads of our stuff to Damian Moore's Race Shop in Baltimore until we get the room.   I have to go get items to work on the car right now.  WHAT A MESS!  Our move from HELL!  Thank God for friends like the Moores.  They took us under their wings a few years back and have helped us a lot.  We are making time to get Damian and his Driver's Ed Funny Car on the track for some training, while we finish up his brand new Funny Car - complete with one of my Hemi Engines.  The new Funny Car is in the paint shop now.  This is one project that I can hardly wait to get started on again.  Damian is an important part of my future.  KEEPING KIDS ON THE RIGHT TRACK!  And keeping Bunny and the Boys on the track for a long time.  Damian Moore has provided both Jr. Funny Cars and Jr. Dragsters to my 14 year old godson, Lil Bear, for the last 4 years.  They make a great team.  WATCH OUT JOHN FORCE - YOU HAVE SOME COMPETITION!!  =)

Yes, I will be happy to get back to racing.  We just unloaded the race car with a blown engine from our last race and started our thrashing.   Looking for product sponsors, sending out everything to be certified, sending my heads up to Ladd's Porting, sending the 2001 Dodge Avenger Funny Car Body to J&J Custom Painting for a new look, ordering all the parts to repair our hurt engine, sending the block to Dean at Manchester Metal to see if he can patch it up, sending the crank to C&C, Carrol Carter, hoping it is not broke....but I cannot complain, it has over 40 hard runs on it.  I can go on and on, but you have the drift....

Yes, we are looking for local volunteers to help on the car and go racing with us.  We have several Boys, but they have a family also and cannot go every week, so everyone takes turns.

Yes, I need to update my web site to reflect a lot of Bunny Souvenirs that I need to sell to generate some income.  We are selling all of our old uniforms from the last 25 years.  Since we all know that I cannot drive forever, I want to enjoy my pre-retirement period and make sure that all of my stuff finds a good home.  After all, I cannot take it with me!  Besides, after $42,000.00 to get in the door of this house and a $1,500.00 month mortgage for 30 years, I have no choice but to sell everything that I can in order to keep racing.  I found a lot of racing champions die cast model cars, 1/24, 1/64, 1/144.  Also found in the move were a variety of TY Bunnies and TY Bears.  At one time, I was going to collect them, but now I need the money - so they are for sale.  I am also selling old handouts, magazines, trading cards, hat pins and tons of other items.  I just must let go, contact me by fax! =)

Yes, I am going to sign off for now and I am sorry for my delay, but I was in the "house" mode.  WOW, it almost got me, cleaning floors and dusting, but not for long.  Back to my one true love, DRAG RACING!

Looking forward to visiting with everyone....soon!

Till Next Time... "Run A Bunny"

...and the Boys, too!