Permatex/Follow A Dream Team Earns Biggest Win Since 2006

Permatex/Follow A Dream Team Earns Biggest Win Since 2006

At the SummitRacing.com Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, Jay Blake's Permatex/Follow A Dream team earned its biggest win in nine years and moved into third place in the NHRA national standings. Driver Todd Veney singled in the Top Alcohol Funny Car final when opponent D.J. Cox broke on the burnout, collecting his first national event title and the team's fourth overall.

"Winning an NHRA national event is a dream come true," said Veney, who grew up about 50 miles from the track, in Wadsworth, Ohio. "It's been my number one goal my whole life, and I have Jay and the entire Follow A Dream team to thank for it. We ran 264 mph three times, qualified No. 3, and didn't have any mechanical problems at all, so it was just a great weekend all around."

"This was a true team win," said Blake, whose Permatex/Follow A Dream crew also won the 2005 Spring Nationals in Houston, and in 2006 won the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla, and the NHRA Finals in Pomona, CA . "Everybody on the team did a perfect job, everybody worked together, and now we're as high in the national standings as we've ever been."

Veney qualified No. 3 with a 5.59 at 264 mph and instead of racing No. 14 qualifier Wayne Butler (who crashed in qualifying) in the first round, took down alternate Jay Payne, the winningest alcohol driver now that many-time world champion Frank Manzo has retired. After overcoming an early lead by Dan Pomponio in round two, 5.61 to 5.88, Veney dispatched Paul Noakes in the semifinals with the team's best run of the event, a 5.57.

Cox's car broke on the burnout in the final round, paving the road to the winner's circle for the Permatex/Follow A Dream team. The afterglow won't last long, though - the next race, the Route 66 Nationals, is this weekend in Chicago.

The SummitRacing.com Nationals from Norwalk, Ohio will be televised this Sunday, July 12, at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.