Austin Zimmerline, a 17-year-old from Louisville, Neb., always has wanted to be a race-car driver and win a race for a team. His dream came true in a special pass sandwiched between Saturday's early Pro Stock qualifying session and the start of the third overall qualifying sessions for the nitro cars during the NHRA Toyota Nationals.

It was all thanks to a partnership between the Nebraska chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Terry Chandler-Don Schumacher Racing alliance, as well as considerable help from Top Fuel driving veteran and drag-racing-school owner Doug Foley. Chandler sponsors the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger Funny Car that Tommy Johnson Jr. drives.

Austin Zimmerline, a 17-year-old from Louisville, Neb., always has wanted to be a race-car driver and win a race for a team. His dream came true in a special pass sandwiched between Saturday's early Pro Stock qualifying session and the start of the third overall qualifying sessions for the nitro cars during the NHRA Toyota Nationals.

It was all thanks to a partnership between the Nebraska chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Terry Chandler-Don Schumacher Racing alliance, as well as considerable help from Top Fuel driving veteran and drag-racing-school owner Doug Foley. Chandler sponsors the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger Funny Car that Tommy Johnson Jr. drives.

Zimmerline has cerebellum atrophy, a degenerative disease of the cerebellum, as well as cerebral palsy and leukodystrophy. Despite his challenges, the guitar-playing teenager has thrived in his community. He's a local celebrity in Louisville, a town of about 1,000 people: he's an honorary member of the high school football team, and he volunteers as a clown at Shriners Hospital events at Omaha.

Zimmerline, using hand controls Foley helped rig, and Johnson raced in one of Foley's two-seat dragsters against Johnson's DSR teammates and NHRA champions Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Jack Beckman (Funny Car). It wasn't a typical ride-a-long. At stake was an authentic Wally trophy.

Johnson's Make-A-Wish Funny Car crew prepped the racers and cheered them on during the one-run showdown in front of thousands of NHRA fans, as well as Zimmerline's friends and family. They included a proud Chandler.

"This year has meant so much to me, and spending time every weekend with all of the Make-A-Wish children and families at each race has just been a wonderful and overwhelming experience," she said. "I am so thrilled to be able to work with Don and DSR to help make Austin's wish come true. This [is] a very special day for us, and also for Tommy and our Make-A-Wish Funny Car crew. This is something we are all very happy to be part of, and I'm sure it will be a blessing that none of us will ever forget."

Schumacher said, "I am honored to be able to have DSR assist in making Austin's wish come true. All the Make-A-Wish children who have been with us at races this year have inspired all my teams and staff, and I know how much it [means] to them for Austin to be with us at Las Vegas and see his dream become a reality."

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