So far in 2006, members of my crew and I have volunteered 190 hours to repair the car and trailer and perform any required maintenance. We have spent an additional 140 hours to attend events on our time without pay or compensation. In addition we have driven 1350 miles so far this year to attend the various events. Here is what we have done each month with the program so far this year:

January- After installing an air shifter in the racecar, I took it to Moroso Motorsports Park on 1/11 for a test session. Everything worked fine and now the car is much more consistent. I spoke with 50 kids and young adults while there. I also attended the E.T. Bracket race on 1/14. Unfortunately I lost in the first round as I ran a 6.68 in the eight mile after setting a dial-in of 6.69. However, this is the fastest the car has gone to date and the car was much more consistent. I also spoke with another 50 kids and young adults at this event.

February - Another month is in the books and mother nature and a short month kept our activities limited. I attended the Bracket Race night at Moroso Motorsports Park on 2/11 and competed in the Super Pro Class. The car was once again very consistent running times of 10.687, 10.688 and 10.687 during time trials with reaction times of .014, .019 and .013 respectively. However, I fell asleep at the lights during the first round of eliminations with a .131 reaction time. The car stayed consistent and ran 10.687 on a 10.68 dial-in despite the loss. Now that the car has been consistent for two months now it is time for me to get more practice! I did speak to 100 kids and young adults at the event.

I also attended a Test and Tune session at Moroso on 2/22 at the car was again dead on, running 10.689 and 10.682. I spent the rest of the night talking to 50 kids and young adults.

I had planned on attending the Bracket Race at Moroso on 2/25 but rain forced the event to be cancelled.

March – March was a busy month with several races and a display scheduled. On March 4th and 5th, I attended the Fun Ford Weekend Race in Orlando, Florida. Also attending this event was the Robert Ramos of Orange County Sheriff’s Office Beat the Heat Team. Robert and I competed in the Fast Ford Bracket class on both days. We also ran against each other with lights and sirens on while making our time runs, which the crowd loved. I managed to win 5 rounds on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. There were an estimated 20,000 spectators and I spoke with 2500 kids during this event.

The following weekend was just as busy as I displayed the car at the 8th annual Davie Police Public Safety Exposition in the Towers Shoppes shopping center in Davie, Florida on March 11th. On hand were other Beat the Heat teams from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Police and the Sea Ranch Lakes Police Department. I handed out cards and coloring books to around 200 kids during this display.

On March 12th, I displayed the car at the Super Chevy Show at Moroso Motorsports park in West Palm Beach. I had 500 kids come by the car for pictures, cards and coloring books.

April - This was yet another busy month with several races including the first ever Beat the Heat Eastern Shootout at Moroso Motorsports Park. First I attended a local bracket racing points night on the 8th. I spoke to 50 kids while racing. It was a short night however as I lost in the first round.

I attempted to attend test and tune on the 21st with other members of the Beat the Heat that were on hand to attend the Eastern Shootout. Once I was ready to make a pass, mother nature came calling and rain put an early end to the night.

On Saturday the 22nd, members of Beat the Heat from Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and even California met at Moroso Motorsports Park for the first Eastern Challenge hosted by the Florida Chapter. Despite several great reaction times, including not one but two .001 lights, I broke out of my dial in index in the first round. I also ran in the monthly bracket series and managed to lose in the first round of that race as well. This seemed to be par for the course as the race car was damaged by another racers tent that broke loose in the wind and struck the roof. The car sustained a small dent on the roof. Throughout the day we had around 1,000 kids come by the race car to talk to me.

The 23rd turned out to be a much better day as I entered the Super Pro Bracket class at the Pepsi Jet and Truck Nationals at Moroso Motorsports Park. My good reaction times continued with my worst light of the day being a .036. Mother nature and a small crash on the track delayed the racing but I managed to win the first four rounds of competition. I also had 500 kids stop by and visit throughout the day and evening. This was probably the last race for the 86 Mustang as it is up for sale now. I will be concentrating on getting the new U-Pull-It/Davie PD Beat the Heat Chevrolet Beretta ready for the track. I will keep everyone posted on our progress.

May - The new Chevy Beretta was finally all ready to take to the track to start making my NHRA license runs and I took it to Moroso Motorsports Park on May 27, 2006. As luck would have the transmission broke while doing my first burnout in the car. Our luck continued to get worse on that day as a severe thunderstorm rolled in while my crew and I were trying to find the problem. Although it wasn't the best day, I did have around 50 kids stop by the trailer and ask about the program and new car.

June- The transmission was pulled out of the Beretta and rebuilt by ATF in Davie. I put the newly freshened transmission back in the car and headed out to Test and Tune at Moroso Motorsports park to start making license runs again. I managed to make one pass which was just a launch followed by coasting the rest of the track. Even doing that the car went 10.77! Bad luck arrived again as this time the rear end broke. I put the car back in the trailer and headed home after speaking to 50 or so people about the car and program. I pulled the rear end apart to find a mess. The ring gear set, stock 9” case and bearings were shot. Since this is the most power this car has ever seen in its life I decided to upgrade the rear end components. Currently Chassis Engineering is building a much stronger aftermarket rear end for the car. I hope to have it back together and in the car to make this Friday’s test and tune. I will keep everyone posted on my progress as I work all of the bugs out of the new car.

July- I received the new aftermarket 9” Strange Engineering rear center section from Chassis Engineering as well as a new drive shaft and transmission slip yoke and installed them in the Beretta. However, my busy work schedule and the daily rain showers only allowed me to attend two test and tune sessions. I did make several passes with the Beretta during this time without any major incidents. There are still several minor problems that were found as I try to learn the new car. There has been a minor overheating problem and I upgraded the cooling system with a higher flow water pump and new twin fan with shroud assembly for the radiator. Even after those changes the car is still running hot and that may force me to switch from race fuel to alcohol to get that under control. The Beretta also did not launch and stay straight as it went down the track. I will be dropping the car off at Chassis Engineering to have them check the suspension components and set up on the four link rear end. Hopefully after their adjustments the car will launch better and I can concentrate on making the car more consistent. During the test and tune sessions I spoke with over 100 kids and young adults who were interested about the program.

August- I ordered an alcohol carb and fuel pump kit to solve the overheating problems. I also took the Beretta to two Test and Tune sessions to show the chassis experts what the car is doing upon launch. While at the test and tune sessions at Moroso Motorsports Park I spoke with 150 kids and young adults about the car and program.

They were unable to make the necessary changes at the track, so I dropped the car off at Chassis Engineering to have the suspension looked at in detail. After only a few minutes of disassembling the suspension it became apparent what the problem was. The struts and shocks were so old and the car had been sitting for so long before I got it that the shocks were useless. As luck would have it the car was built in the late 80s or early 90s making none of the new suspension components compatible with the old ones. So this means cutting off all of the old mounting brackets, replacing them with new ones, as well as replacing all of the struts, shocks and springs. Not to mention fixing the four-link mounting brackets on the rear end housing that were welded in the wrong place by a previous shop. As of now the Beretta is scheduled to be dropped off and repaired on 9/5/06. As soon as I get it back I will be swapping out the carb and fuel pump and filling it up with methanol for some testing and tuning.

In the meantime I have decided to temporarily convert my 2001 Mustang GT street car into a Beat the Heat racecar while I take my time and sort out the Beretta. This will allow our program to still attend events while the Beretta is fixed then painted shortly after that. I hop to have the Beretta fixed, painted, marked with Police markings, a light bar and running smoothly no later than the middle of October. For now look for the Mustang to show up at events.

September- While waiting for the Beretta to be repaired, I took the backup 2001 Mustang GT to a test and tune session at Immokalee Regional Raceway on the 1st. Also present were teams from the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Sea Ranch Lakes Police Department. We spoke with 500 kids and young adults while there. We made such a good impact with the track owner that he has requested us to return as soon as possible.

I also attended a test and tune session at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach with the Mustang. The event ended early due to severe rainstorms. I still managed to talk to 75 kids and young adults about the program.

I picked up the Beretta from Chassis Engineering who did an incredible job of rebuilding all of the suspension. While the car was there I also had them fabricate an air pan for the carburetor and old hood scoop. Once I brought the car home, I immediately changed the carburetor and fuel pump to convert it to run on methanol alcohol. I am now ready to take the Beretta back to the track and finish my license runs. I will keep everyone updated on the progress at the track.

October – The Beretta was picked up from Chassis Engineering on the 7th but a busy work schedule kept me from the track until the 28th. On that day I attended a test and tune session and made the first three license runs. The car went straight down the track but I did not have time to make the final three passes needed. I spoke with 75 kids and young adults about the car and program while there.

November – I attended the open test and tune session on the 24th for the Citrus Nationals race at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach. I made my final three license runs including two full passes. The Beretta ran a 9.12@150 mph and backed that up with a 9.10@151 mph. I had planned on racing the car in the Super Pro bracket class on the 25th and 26th, but severe rain forced the race to be postponed until 12/16. I also had approximately 5,000 people stop by and talk with me during the weekend.

In the meantime I will be dropping the car off at the body shop to get a new paint job that matches our police vehicles. After that the Davie Police stripes and a new light bar will also be installed. I hope make a few car shows and another test and tune session before the end of the year. I will keep everyone posted.