Carters gets going in 2010!

The first show (in January) of the year the NEC Autosport Show has come and gone so quick. It is a show I love; I get really excited about going to it and spending time with Les and all the other people we meet on the Lucas Oil and Santa Pod stand. This year was no different to the other 9 years I have been at the show with the Dragster, it was a great time and it just gets busier and busier. I had spent 5 whole days there, Wednesday to Sunday night, eventually arriving home at 11pm.

The next morning it was no rest as Sarah, Albert and I were up at 5 am to do the 3 hour drive to PFI Kart circuit near Grantham where we spent the day testing with Albert before the racing started at 4pm. It was a rainy, cold day so it was wets all day and get Albert in the Van in front of the heater after each session, but the testing and seat time paid off as Albert got a 3rd in the first heat, 2nd in the next and a 2nd in the Final. The Kart looked great too in its new Lucas Oil colours. Then it was into the Van for the long 3 hour drive home, within 10 minutes Albert was asleep, I don't blame him he had worked real hard and put in extreme effort in the cold conditions. He has that hunger for winning and was crying in the Van before the Final saying his so cold. I said, ''Don't worry Albert you don't have to do this last race, just relax and get warm'', he stopped crying instantly and his reply was, ''no Dad I want to win it''.

About a week later we flew to Florida and after a couple of days getting things sorted, I drove up to see Don and TC and spent a morning with them in Dons office. Don is so excited about helping me and before I left I said, ''see you in Pomona Don'' he gave me one of them strong handshakes and said ''let's get that Dragster qualified''!

I'm still in Florida right now and fly across to Vegas Friday 6th Feb to meet up with Eddie Corr my crew chief for the 3 races, some of Terrys crew and Terry Haddock whose Dragster I'm lucky enough to be driving at the first 3 races of the NHRA Full Throttle Championship, Pomona, Phoenix and Gainesville. I'm planning to make at least one test run at Vegas, I wanted to do this it's so important and although I really haven't got the budget for it I'm doing it, it will give me seat time and it will be good to know that the systems on the Dragster have at least one test run.

Sunday night we drive on to the wrapping company Gatorwraps in California, who are helping me out by wrapping the Dragster for a real good price and giving me the loan of a Cadillac SUV for a week which will help cut my hire car costs. Monday is goner be such an exciting day! the Dragster will be wrapped all Black in Don Garlits colours, other main partners on the car are ProCare Rx and Hol-taj, also supporting me at the first 3 NHRA races are Lucas Oil, BMRS hoses, K&N Filters and Impact and I would like to say thanks to these people and companies for having faith in me, I will be giving it 100% for you all!

After Pomona it's then on to the Phoenix race, then a weekend off and then we will be at Don Garlits museum of Drag Racing in Ocala Florida to help promote Don's museum and also help launch Crazy Horses on the East coast of America. For anyone who hasn't been, get there it really is a fantastic place, better still try and get up on the weekend of the 6th / 7th March, see the museum cars and get up close and personal to our Top Fuel Dragster.

The next weekend it's off to round 3 on the NHRA Full Throttle Tour the 'Gatornationals' this is goner be a real big one being Don's home race! And also a lot of fans come over from the UK for this one.

A week later we fly back to England to carry on with the second show off the season where we will have a stand at the Easter Thunderball at Santa Pod Raceway, then pretty close to each other we have another 4 shows and then it's into round 1 of the FIA European Championships.

I'm looking forward to the FIA European Championships starting and getting together with Karsten, Per and all the Lucas Oil team again, it's goner be tough to live up to what we achieved during 2009 but you can be sure that I'm as hungry as ever and ready to take on everyone, I'm sure most will be gunning for me as usual, just the way I like it.

While I'm talking about the FIA European Championships I would like to say thanks to the companies that are again supporting me in 2010, Lucas Oil, Landmeco, NGK Spark Plugs, Pioneer Print, Binamic, Sigma Signs, BMRS Hoses, Yuasa Batteries, CAAR, AACI, Rainbow Conference Sets, RCS Cables, 3t Creative, Teng Tools, Norfolkline, Ultimate Air Brush, Impact, K&N Filters, Autotel Race Radios, Impact, GPR, VEIDEC, Hol-taj, Auto-reminder.co.uk, Zip Kart and Santa Pod Raceway.

We will be doing our best for these great companies and also this year we will be doing our best to support Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital and RAF 78 Squadron.

I must also say a special thanks to Les Downey, Pelle Lindalow, everyone at Speedgroup, Santa Pod Raceway, anyone who helps me in any way it is appreciated and of course all my fans, friends and supporters.

For those that are interested please check out my full 2010 schedule here at http://www.andycarter.net/schedule.php

Hope to see some of you soon,
AC

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