The whirlwind continues. How are you guys doing? I kind of feel like I've been going non-stop, but I don't know what I would do if I wasn't. I've had a good couple of weeks, getting the chance to do a bunch of racing. Before going to Iowa two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go back home to Illinois and race a dirt modified car. The first night at Lincoln Speedway was a bit rough, but the second night in Peoria was much better. We finished third behind Kenny Wallace and Kenny Schrader, two guys whom I've looked up to my whole life. I think I just had to get the dust knocked off there that first night, and we were good to go. It was a ton of fun to do that and give the folks at BRANDT a night to come out to the local dirt tracks for a good time.

We had a good weekend in Iowa. I love going there because the fans are just awesome. They come out in droves and pack those stands along the frontstretch, which is really cool for us to see when we drive past. I knew we had a good car after our practice, but that was backed up in our qualifying effort. It was fun to race up front and mix it up for the lead all afternoon. I think this was a race where we were able to show our strength as a team, too. While we were hoping for a little bit more in the finish, it was something we felt we could build some momentum with.

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The Charlotte race week is always a crazy time for us and the teams. It's obviously nice to be at home with our families, but I think we try to pack as much as physically possible into the days we are around. Last Tuesday, I got the chance to attend the Muscular Dystrophy Association Muscle Team event at Bank of America Stadium. This is a really great fundraiser to help raise money to send kids suffering from neuromuscular disease to camp as well as to help find a cure. For the second year in a row, I was paired with my buddy Peyton. He is absolutely amazing. To know what he and his family have been through and where he is today, as well as to see how excited he is about life, is such an encouragement. It was a great night.

The fun continued on Wednesday night with a trip to Millbridge Speedway to join crew chief Jimmy Elledge on the dirt track. A lot of my team showed up with their families to cheer us on, which was so cool. Jimmy and I started side-by-side in the feature, but he ended up winning it as I had an issue with the brakes late in the race. Regardless, I had fun, and I think everyone there had fun.

* All Access: Allgaier hits the dirt track

After all that, we could finally get to the track and get racing. It was great to have our practice sessions when they were because it gave the teams a chance to see what the cars would do in the dead of the afternoon, when it would be the warmest. And warm it was on Saturday. The track was incredibly slick, but it made for some good racing. We came away with another top-10 finish, and I'm ready to turn that into three in a row this weekend in Dover.

This is another busy week for me. I raced my dirt modified car Monday night at home in Illinois, and we are spending some time road-course testing Tuesday, preparing for the road courses we have coming up. On Thursday, I will join No. 30 crew chief Trent Owens at DuPont Country Club for the 11th annual Drive for Autism Celebrity-Am Golf Outing. This is my first time participating in the event, but I've heard nothing but good things about it. I might not be the best golfer in the world, but I enjoy being out on the course, and it's great to raise money for a worthy cause.

Even in all the busyness that we encounter every week, it was awesome to pause and reflect this weekend, remembering the sacrifices of those who have laid down their lives so we can enjoy our freedoms. I know we take it for granted sometimes, but I'm thankful of the reminder this Memorial Day for the many that paid the ultimate price. My grandfather served in World War II and was such an inspiration to me. Thank you to him, as well as all the other many service members past and present for what you do.

In the Draft with Justin Allgaier is a twice-monthly blog and the opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Follow him and the No. 31 BRANDT Racing team on Twitter: @J_Allgaier, @BrandtRacing or @No31TurnerNNS.