Drag Illustrated Issue 139, December 2018 | Page 57
D.I. COLUMNIST
The Real Deal
with Tommy D'Aprile
W
ell, here it was, the World Fi-
nals at Virginia Motorsport Park.
The anticipation leading up to this
race was unlike any other race before. You
see, we were in the hunt for a championship
and had the lead heading into the World Fi-
nals. All we had to do was win first round
to clinch the championship – easier said
than done. As expected, the car count was
high, and so were emotions with many of
the teams battling it out for a championship.
Little did we know this race would be five
days long and would certainly test my faith and patience.
Thursday testing allowed us to get a baseline, but with over 300
cars it was difficult to make many runs. Friday qualifying saw us get
to the No. 1 spot while encountering challenges along the way. Not
only were we trying to win a championship, we were trying to set a
record. Saturday brought rain and a final qualifying shot in the eve-
ning. Here we were ready to deliver the shot heard around the world,
only to have a shifter malfunction and shut off at the starting line. I
could not understand what had happened. They shut us off – much
to my dismay – but little did we know there was oil on the racetrack
that could have caused us to wreck. Thank you, Lord!
So now comes race day Sunday and with it first round, the decid-
ing round for our championship. As it turned out, our nearest com-
petition in second place lost round one, handing the championship
to us while still in the staging lanes. Talk about an emotional roller
coaster. Crying like a baby, I had realized a dream of mine had just
come true. Through all the adversity thus far in my career, my team
and I now sat as world champs. The race continued into Monday,
when we eventually lost in the semifinals. After that we just took it
all in and were so grateful for the blessings we had received.
Here is the moral of the story. I started racing at a very young age
as most of you have, and along the way there have been some ups
and downs. Through the years there were nine straight first-round
losses, a severe crash and numerous other challenges, but through it
all I never lost my hope. When circumstances looked bad and situa-
tions came up that I did not like I chose to see the good in it all and
keep pressing toward the goal. God has truly blessed me with some
amazing people then and now in my career and I hope for continued
blessings in the future.
People might say you can’t, you won’t, or you will never. But I
say you can and you will! People, please don’t let others steal your
dreams. Stay hopeful and treat people the way you want to be treat-
ed. If someone else gets what you want, be happy for them, but never
doubt that you can accomplish your dreams and goals as well. Not
only that, you can enjoy yourself along the way. Surround yourself
with people who love and encourage you and be excited for your
dreams and goals to come true. Our team has something in com-
mon: we all enjoy ourselves and have fun at every race. The true
victory has already been achieved even before we head to the start-
ing line.
To my team and all my competitors, I say thank you from the bot-
tom of my heart for all you do to make this sport so exciting and
fun. To our Jr. Dragster racers, the future of our sport, you are just
beginning on this journey. Stay excited and hopeful, never giving up.
To our racing organizations that give us places to race, we are also so
grateful. All in all, I am always excited and can’t wait to see all of you
at some point at the races. Keep a smile, good attitude and genuine
love for the sport of drag racing. Let others see something different
in you, and always be grateful that you are a part of an amazing mo-
torsport. As always, the choice is yours to make.
Your 2018 PDRA Pro Boost world champ,
Tommy D’Aprile
December 2018
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