Pete Farber Racing made the best of a wet weekend Sep. 12-14, at the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals Pro Mod race at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, NC, by helping a special family make some lifelong, unforgettable memories.
Farber and his crew had opened their hearts, and their pit area, to the Gough family whose son is affected by muscular dystrophy for the weekend, and refused to let the tough situation get the best of them.
Working with the Helping Kids Makes Our Hearts Race organization, CRC Automotive sponsored the family’s trip to the races where they spent the weekend getting to know the Pete Farber Racing team, and getting a firsthand look at what it’s like to be a race car driver.
“It was great to be able to make the kids feel good about themselves this weekend,” Farber said. “We’re blessed to be able to do what we do, and that we have a great sponsor like CRC who helps make these kids’ dreams come true.”
During the first round of Pro Mod qualifying, Farber encountered some tire shake and opted to lift in order to prevent damage to his supercharged CRC Automotive Brākleen ‘69 Dodge Daytona. By round two, though, Farber and crew chief Al Billes had resolved the issue and the result was a solid 5.996 at 240.94-mph pass that ranked Farber 12th at the conclusion of qualifying.
On Saturday evening, Farber was paired to run against number-five qualifier Steve Matusek in the first round of eliminations.
“We struggled with conditions this weekend, but come round one, we were on our game,” Farber said later. “The CRC Automotive Brākleen Daytona had the starting line advantage and was in front at the 60-foot clock.” However, the Daytona’s engine suffered catastrophic failure shortly after the launch. “It was certainly a disappointing turn of events, but that’s racing. We’ll keep going, stay positive, and we’ll definitely be ready for the St. Louis race.”
Despite the setback, Farber repeated it was a great treat for the team to have the Gough family share in the excitement of racing their CRC Automotive Brākleen Pro Mod.
For more information, or to donate to the charity that gives once in a lifetime experiences to children with muscular dystrophy, contact Helping Kids Makes Our Hearts Race President Charlie Floege at (704) 785-9774.
Pete Farber Racing will continue its 2014 season Sep. 26-28, at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals event at Gateway Motorsports Park, near St. Louis, MO.
This story was originally published on September 18, 2014. 
