Well, my rookie year has come to an end. And man, did it go by fast. From basically just starting our racing team just over a year ago, we’ve made such huge strides this year and it’s only going to get better.

Pomona was such a great racing event. It was a true championship battle that literally came down to just one round of racing. With Robert and Tim and Cruz, who are all friends of mine, battling it out on the track, it was really an exciting time for all of the fans and the drivers in the class. I mean each of the 16 drivers that competed on that Sunday had an impact on the outcome of the championship. My hat goes off to Cruz Pedregon and his entire team. They worked really hard this season and were able to get the round and race wins when needed.

With announcing our team’s alliance with Tim Wilkerson for next season, I was really pulling for Tim to win the championship. He had such a phenomenal year and probably one of the most impressive single car team’s run at a championship ever in the sport. It was tough for him to finish second, but at the awards banquet, the entire room stood up and applauded Tim for his effort this year. It really was a great thing to see, and I’m honored to be racing with him next season.

One of the really neat things that we got to do at the track was that John Force and I put together a run for the fans in the all-new Ford Racing Cobra Jet Mustang. This vehicle is one that is really dear to my heart. Back in the 1960s, my grandfather really was a driving force to get Ford involved in drag racing, and in putting together the original Cobra Jet Mustang. John and I both stickered up our own CJ and made a pass right before the finals on Sunday. It was only the second time this year that I pulled up in the staging lanes for a match against John. The first was in Atlanta earlier this year where he beat me by .003. This time, I got a great jump off the line and ended up edging out John down the track.

The banquet was really neat for me and my family. At our table was my wife, my mother and father, two of the guys on my team, Chris and Sheila Cunningham and Marc and Krysta Denner. I’m really looking forward to working with these guys next year and I know that we’re going to get our hot rod running strong for next season. I was able to get up on stage with the other drivers nominated for Rookie of the Year, and Mike Neff came away with the award. All of us rookies had great seasons this year, and I was glad that if I wasn’t able to get it, another Ford driver was able to bring it home. It was a great night with great friends and family, but the next day it was back to work.

The Tuesday following the banquet I was lucky to be a part of the unveiling of the 2010 Mustang in Santa Monica. The vehicle was going to be officially unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show the next day, but Tuesday night was a special reveal that ran on SPEED. John and Ashley Force and other great Mustang legends were also at the event. We got there in the early afternoon and did about eight runs of the show just to make sure we were perfect. I mean I was able to share the stage with Carroll Shelby, Jack Roush, Bill Glidden, and Parnelli Jones. These drivers are legends and have done so much for Mustang racing, and I was happy to be there with them. The event went great. All of the big names from Ford came out to be a part of the event, and it really was quite a production. We ended up doing an autograph session for about an hour and then it was back to the hotel to rest up to catch a plane to Vegas the next day.

Wednesday and Thursday of that week our team made testing passes in Las Vegas. We’re already getting a jump on next year, and are trying some new combinations in our car to get ourselves consistent and quicker. It was a great testing session and we learned a lot and I was happy to be right back in the car and going down the track.

I spent Thanksgiving in Rhode Island with my family. While I love being out at the race track, it was just so nice to be home with the family and relax with the kids. We had a huge feast and were just able to spend some quality time together. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

This week is one that I’m really excited about. I just got to New York City and I’m participating in the Sports Business Journal motorsports forum with my sponsor. Al Giombetti who is the big guy at Ford Customer Service Division is also speaking at the event. Our topic is talking about choosing the right sponsor and the right driver combination to connect with businesses and fans. And I just have to say that I don’t think that there is a combination out there that can beat what I’m lucky enough to have with Ford. With selling Motorcraft parts in our Ford dealership and also owning Quick Lane stores, you couldn’t script together a better sponsor-driver combination. I’m looking forward to share what we’ve been able to do this year and our plans for the future.

Well that’s probably enough to catch up with me right now. I’ll be enjoying NYC for a couple days and then back to work.