I am leaving this afternoon for Dover with my Gibbs teammates – I love weekends like this when I actually get to be in the car. Some of you may have seen me at the racetrack on weekends where I am not scheduled in the #18 Carino’s Chevrolet – I do that to stay in constant contact with my team and to learn as much as I can from whomever is driving the car. Going to the races on my “off” weekends also prepares me mentally to compete in a full schedule by being gone each weekend and constantly interacting with everyone in the NASCAR garages. August 24th at Bristol was the last time I was in the car, but I will be able to get back in this weekend and instantly feel comfortable because of the work my team and I have continued to do over the off weekends.
Dover is going to be a Monster, but I am not afraid of Monsters. As the youngest driver in the NASCAR Busch Series for most of this season I have had to face a lot of challenges and a lot of new tracks. For many of the races, it has been the first time I have ever laid eyes on the track, yet I am competing against Cup drivers with hundreds and sometimes thousands of laps at these places. Even with the “trial by fire” it usually ends up going great because I seem to have a natural ability to adjust to the track. I am not sure why, but after just a lap or two I am tuned in and ready to go. I think my time in my BRD Racing simulator plays a big role in adapting quickly to the track as does my great race team at JGR. Every race track and every weekend is a learning experience for me and Dover will be the same. I only have two races left on my schedule after Dover (Memphis and Phoenix) but lots of stuff is in the works. Thanks for checking in and stay tuned…
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