Drag Illustrated Issue 151, December 2019 | Page 47

D.I. COLUMNIST The Real Deal A with Tommy D'Aprile s the race season closes on the 2019 sea- son, it’s a great time to look back and reflect. As for me, and I am sure many of you, this season has been a little trying. The traveling alone from race to race can be enough to drive you crazy. Coming off a championship season, we were ready to continue to hammer down and set the world on fire again. In 2018, we qualified No. 1 at almost every race and won regularly. Well, so much for wishful thinking in 2019. Race after race in 2019, we continued to strug- gle. All the way to the last race of the year it was a battle. At times it felt as though we just couldn’t catch a break and our winning streak had come to an abrupt halt. We made some changes and just when we thought we had turned the corner we suffered another first-round loss. We previously had not lost first round for a year and a half. Some of you may be wondering why I am telling you all of this. Well, the reason I share is to encourage all of you in trying times. You see, it’s not always sunshine and roses at the races. Sometimes it’s burnt parts and defeat. Sometimes rain and delays. Sometimes annoying neighbors parked next to you with their generator blowing fumes into your pit area. So, ask yourself this question: If you never won another race, would you still continue to go racing? Do you enjoy it enough to just be happy no matter what the race outcome is? My team and I always want to win, and we strive for excellence every time we go to a race. Even though sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way we want, we al- ways continue to strive to do better the next time. Our passion and desire never falter. Even when we have burnt up parts we continue to choose to smell the roses. My team consists of amazing people who I love dearly and no matter what happens on the race track I never want our relationship as a team to suffer. Persistence is key. No matter what, be willing to persist in your goals and dreams. Defeat for us is not an option. We choose victory each race and that victory can never be taken away unless we allow it. Too many of you are allowing circumstances to get in the way of true victory. You lost a race and now you’re mad and everyone else on the team suffers. Not good! You see, I determine ahead of time that my victory is already secure no matter what happens on the race track. The same can be said for your day-to-day life. If you dread ev- ery day, start making some changes in your mind. Some of you are grouchy and irritable most of the time and no one likes being around you. Can you blame them? The only time some of you are happy is when things are going the way you want them to. Well, that’s just not reality. Maybe it’s your reality, but if so that’s a terrible way to live. Start living with expectancy and when things don’t go your way, just brush it off and come back stronger. Never allow the wrong thoughts to take over your mind. “As a person thinks, so they become.” If your thinking stinks, you’ll stink. Get it? So 2019 may have not been the best race season for us, but I can tell you that 2020 is going to be awesome. You know how I know? Because I have already decided and chose it and you can too. As al- ways, the choice is yours to make! Email Tommy at [email protected] December 2019 T S O M S ’ D ! L O R N Y WO D L U F R POWE SPECIFICATIONS: • Max HP Absorption 7200 HP • Max HP Measurable 9150 HP • Max Torque Absorption 14,520 ft lbs • Max Torque Transmissible 18,300 ft lbs • Max RPM 3000 • Max Speed 300mph International: [phone] [email protected] • www.dynocom.net [phone] Meziere.com Water Pumps • Starters • Flexplates all crafted in the U.S.A. DragIllustrated.com | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | 47