HARTFORD, Conn. — Permatex, a leading innovator in chemical technology for automotive maintenance and repair, will continue its perennial sponsorship of the Follow A Dream Race Team as the team’s corporate sponsor for the 2017 NHRA Championship Top Alcohol Funny Car Series. This year marks the 13th consecutive season that Permatex has partnered with Jay Blake and his Follow A Dream Race Team in the NHRA series. As the Follow A Dream team enters the new season on the heels of a 2nd place finish in the Eastern Region in 2016, the team hopes to parley the positive side of ‘lucky 13’ with some solid car preparation and teamwork throughout the 2017 challenge.
“We have been working hard over the winter on the Permatex Camaro and can’t wait to get to Florida with the Permatex Follow A Dream Team and get things started,” said team owner Jay Blake on the upcoming season. “The entire team is excited to start the new season and to build on what we learned last year.” Over the past seven years, the Permatex Follow A Dream Race Team has been nationally ranked in the NHRA Top 10 four times.
The Permatex Follow A Dream Race Team will compete in the 2017 NHRA series with veteran driver Phil Burkart behind the wheel. Burkart joined the Follow A Dream team as the full time driver in 2016. He will help the team compete in 14 races this year, across the United States.
Veteran, Anthony Terenzio, will also continue as the team’s tuner. Terenzio joined the team in 2016 season after the retirement of long time tuner Tom Howell.
Information and season updates on the Permatex Follow A Dream Team can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FollowADreamRacing and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jayfollowadream
About Follow A Dream
Follow A Dream Race Team is a remarkable story in itself, and winning at the national level is only part of it. Follow A Dream’s owner and crew chief, Jay Blake, is totally blind. Jay lost his eyesight in a tire explosion over 20 years ago, but he did not lose his positive attitude on life, nor his desire to pursue his dreams. Jay had always wanted to form his own race team, and in spite of his serious setback, he continued to focus on his goals. Through years of incredible determination and perseverance, he was able to realize his dream and founded Follow A Dream Racing. Since then, the team has worked its way up the rankings to become one of the top Funny Car teams in the world.
Jay Blake’s mission to motivate others
While he has worked incredibly hard to build his team, Jay Blake has also worked to encourage others to overcome adversity. He has toured the country as a motivational speaker at community schools, vocational institutes, corporate events, social club gatherings and hospitals, encouraging people to believe that they can rise above adversity and achieve their life’s goals.
Permatex is a leading manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of premium chemical products to the automotive maintenance and repair markets. Since 1909, Permatex has been an acknowledged leader in the development of innovative new products and services for the automotive aftermarket. Permatex markets a wide range of products under well-known ITW brand names such as Permatex, Fast Orange, Spray Nine, the Right Stuff, Gel Twist, Ultra Bond and Dr. Bond, Ultra Cherry, and Grez-Off.
Permatex currently operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the U.K. and exports products to more than 85 countries around the world. North American operations include Permatex’s headquarters in Hartford, CT and a state-of-the-art manufacturing, distribution and technical center located in Solon, OH.
Permatex is a division of ITW (Illinois Tool Works Inc.), a US based, NYSE listed corporation, founded in 1912. ITW is a Fortune 200 diversified manufacturing company.
2017 Permatex/Follow A Dream Race Schedule*
March 9-12 Gainseville Points Race Gainseville, FL
March 16-19 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gator Nationals Gainseville, FL
April 21-22 Virginia Points Race Richmond, VA
April 28-30 Four-Wide Nationals Charlotte, NC
May 26-27 Maple Grove Points Race Reading, PA
June 22-25 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, OH
June 30-31 Lebanon Valley Points Race W. Lebanon, NY
July 6-9 Route 66 NHRA Nationals Chicago, IL
July 21-22 New England Dragway Epping, NH
August 4-5 Atco Dragway Atco, NJ
August 18-19 Cecil County Dragway Cecil County, MD
August 30-Sept. 4 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, IN
September 15-17 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, NC
September 22-24 NHRA Keystone Nationals Reading, PA
*Schedule is tentative and subject to change.
