Follow A Dream Gainesville wrap-up

Worlds’ Only Totally Blind Crew Chief Leads Dream Team To First Place Finish in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, FL-The motorsports world’s only totally blind crew chief, Jay Blake, lead his Dream Team to victory this weekend at the 37th Annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL. Blake’s racing team, with driver Dave Ray of Plaistow, NH, and tuner Tom Howell of Newbury, MA, race a Top Alcohol Funny Car in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing series of the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), where they finished their 2005 campaign as the 8th ranked car in the World.

The win comes at the team’s first race of the 2006 season with Ray making one impressive pass after another to qualify in the number one spot in a field of 18 cars. In the first round of eliminations Saturday night, Ray’s performance remained consistent, recording a 5.633 second run @ 248.89 mph against John Headley’s 6.567 @ 159.88 mph in round one of eliminations. Sunday’s action began with the Follow a Dream/Permatex Dodge Avenger recording a 5.630 @ 254.38 mph to get the best of Australian competitor Steve Harker’s 5.732 @ 250.48. In the semi-final Ray was pitted against reigning World Champion and multi-National event winner Bob Newberry. Both cars staged and when they left the starting line Newberry fouled, giving Ray the win with a career best E.T. of 5.564 @ 257.80 mph and securing the Follow A Dream team a spot in the final round. Paired against former World Champion Cy Chesterman in the final round, Ray and the Dream Team scored their second National event win with a 5.606 second run at 256.55 mph against Chesterman’s 5.818 @ 206.13 mph.

Jay and the team would like to thank all the supporters and fans that help keep the dream alive, including, Permatex, PPG Industries, Mechanix Wear, Valvoline, JE Pistons, Lincoln Electric, and Fram.

The Follow A Dream Team’s victory will be broadcast on ESPN2, April 1 at 7PM (ET), and again on April 9 at 2AM.

To find out more about Follow A Dream, log onto www.followadream.org

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Contact:

Jay Blake

Follow A Dream, Inc.

P: 508.420.8319

C: 508.566.5200

E: jay@followadream.org

www.followadream.org