Dina ‘the Chef’ Parise
It has definitely been entirely too long since my last blog. But, with having a two car Pro Mod team and running things ourselves, sometimes I do get overwhelmed! I do like to keep our fans in the loop, so here goes.
The winter was long….very long. We tried to re-group. That was hard considering every time we attempted to get in a vehicle to go somewhere, the snow held us back. The weather just added to our frustration.
We did get a bit of a late start this season. With funding being a bit low, we did not have the freedom to go out and test as we had done previously. We are not the type to give up, though and somehow we make it work.
After getting a bit of testing in, we went to Maryland International Raceway for the NEOPMA event in May. It was my first time back at the track since my crash there in August of 2010. As fate would have it, I was not to make a full pass there on this day either. I happened to be racing my arch rival…..Andrew Parise! I treed him and had him to just about half track until I had massive engine failure. The failure locked the rear wheels, and made the car bounce, when it came down, it shot me hard left riding the zoomies (up on the two right wheels) the whole way! Quite a ride! Many thought I was on the brake, and I’m guessing due to the rear wheel s being locked up that was how it sounded. As I got her settled down, my next dilemma was the approaching wall. I got her turned to the right and just clipped the left front tire. All in all, not that bad…..Whew! The staff and safety crew at MIR were right there to help. So was my friend J.J. from Derrick Townes crew! J.J. got my power shut off and helped me with my gear…..Thanks J.J.!
After that we took a well needed break. A month off, time to regroup. It just seemed nothing was going our way. It happens, I guess. Can’t let it get to you, though. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I believe that. We got my car in order took some time to think and went back at it. Trust me one month was enough…..we needed to get back out there! We were making one another crazy! Time to go racing!
We did some testing at Numidia Dragway. A beautiful place to be, with some of the nicest people you want to meet. We spent a few days there and got quite a bit accomplished. Next stop; Super Chevy.
The Super chevy Show at Maple Grove Raceway holds lots of memories for me and for us as a race team. It was the first place I saw my husband race and where I caught ‘the bug’ (much to Andrew’s dismay)! It also was where I took our Super Comp 67 Camaro down the track in a race for the first time. I had high hopes for this race. Last year, I was runner up to Jimmy Barker. This year, not so much. I did not even qualify. The car gave us problems. It’s ok. We will get it figured out. We have the best crew around. Last year I had wins, runner up and semi-final finishes. I know it’s in me and certainly in her (the car). I believe setbacks make you smarter. It makes you sit back and analyze your surroundings. That’s when you catch what you have been missing all along. I’m all about knowing the details. I’m very type ‘A’. I make my husband (and usually anyone in a 5 foot radius) nuts. Anyone who knows me, knows about my ‘quirks’ and usually just goes with it. It easier that way…… Remember, I’m an Italian woman from NY, I’m not easy to argue with. Anyway, Andrew had a good weekend at Super Chevy! He made it to the Semi-finals! That meant I had to crew for him. I don’t think I will be asked back for that job anytime soon. I was told I am annoying. Apparently I am not a good spectator and I am a worse crew member. I need to be behind the wheel, end of story. So noted!
Not sure what is next for Parise Racing, but we will keep you posted. As of now we are planning to continue running the NEOPMA races. If we can add anything else, we will certainly let you know! Be sure you check out (and like) our FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/PariseRacing and check us out on Twitter https://www.twitter.com/pariseracing as well! I update that on a regular basis and yes, it is me (or Andrew). So, feel free to ask a question or post a comment!
Remember if you see us at the races, come by and say hello!
~Dina ‘The Chef’