Starting with the Atlanta race, we had a lot of friends at the race stemming from my days at Georgia Tech, where I spent a very, very important part of my life getting my education and playing basketball. Georgia Tech has a motorsports program headed by Sterling Skinner, which I had a great time talking to. It was good to fly the Georgia Tech banner even though it is bulldog country. (Laugh!)

After the Atlanta event we spent time in Huntsville, Ala., where I met a friend for life, Lady. She is the local track dog that kept everyone on their toes, because she was constantly running away with loose towels and anything else she could get a hold to. She is my lifetime friend now and every time I go to Huntsville, I will look for Lady.

We tested our car with Jim Yates in Huntsville, which has a very good track. There we had a good test session, and it was good to get to know Jim and his family. I have some good friends in the Huntsville area that I got a chance to see, as well as spend some time with my crew.

While in St. Louis, we went over to Bartelso, Ill., where we had our second school program at Bartelso Elementary School. I had a tremendous time touring the school and learning about some of the things they have going on within their academic curriculum. They were very, very enthusiastic about me coming to the school. It was outstanding. They had the gym decorated in finish line flags and Tom Hammonds posters. Every classroom I went into, they were excited to see us there. It really made me feel good to know our achievement program is having an affect on kids across the country. I realize I am in a situation, where I can make a difference in kids’ lives. I signed autographs for all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in the school, which is something they can hang on to for a while.

On Friday, all the students came out to the track, and Zac Rickhoff was the honorary crew member. He had a tremendous time with the crew, and we got a chance to show him some things about our Chevrolet Cobalt, and about what we do on a daily basis. I think he is a drag racing fan now for life. He even expressed an interest in being a crew person or having a career in motorsports, which is outstanding. Overall, we had a good weekend as far as off the track events are concerned.

We are still working very, very hard on the set-ups for our Chevrolet Cobalt. Jim Yates rented an engine from us and qualified. So that was a positive note for us. I think we are pretty close to turning the corner performance wise on the track. I am looking forward to the next race, coming back and preparing our Chevrolet Cobalt to get a chance to get out there and qualify so we can have a chance to win a race. We have had a hectic two weeks, and at the same time, we have done some positive things and look forward to going to Bristol.