Marstons Mills, MA –April 23, 2013-Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream Top Alcohol Funny Car team went out in the opening round of eliminations for the first time ever at Charlotte, where the team had amassed four semifinal finishes and three quarterfinal finishes in seven previous starts.

“We got stuck in the wrong lane at the wrong time, and it cost us,” said driver Todd Veney, who ran a career-best 5.52 at this event last year. “We just missed having lane choice, and nobody in the entire first round made it down that left lane.”

After qualifying fifth with an off-the-trailer 5.67 and improving to a 5.66 in the second qualifying session, Veney dropped to ninth after the final qualifying session Saturday morning, when the temperature went from the 80s to the 60s overnight and several other cars picked up. The Permatex/Follow A Dream car lost traction 150 feet off the starting line in round one, allowing opponent Paul Noakes to advance with a 5.70.

“That’s not what we wanted to see, but it happens sometimes,” Blake said. “Usually, it doesn’t matter which lane you’re in, but that’s one time that it really did. Fortunately, there’s another race in a couple of days, so we have a chance to get right back on top.”