Well, that was not only really fun, terrifically exciting, and a total blast, but it also seemed kind of unexpected, in a very good way. I'm not sure why, but this time around it just didn't play out like it did in Seattle. The build-up there was something tangible, and it kind of wrapped itself around us like a blanket as the day wore on. By the time we got to the final round up there, it was nerve-wracking and tense, and when we won it seemed almost as if it was simply meant to be.

In Sonoma, I don't mean to say I was in a negative mood, because it wasn't that at all, I just wasn't really thinking about winning the race for the second week in a row. We were all concerned about the first round, against Jeff Arend, because he's winless on the season still, and that's just too improbable to comprehend. Each week, I think the DHL car is finally going to win one by inches or get a lucky break, but the breaks keep going against them, and since Jeff and I are good friends, I keep wishing him well and hoping for them to get off the schneid.

This weekend, before we knew we'd be paired up in round one, Jeff and Ben Marshall, from the Kalitta team, were both talking to me about "borrowing some of our mojo" after the Seattle win, to help them at least get that first round win. I was all for it, but then we ended up being matched up in the opener, and even Jeff came up to me at driver introductions and said "Well, I guess that's off, eh..." because we had to race each other. Still, I couldn't get the thought out of my mind that he just has to win his first round one of these days... Fortunately for the LRS team, we ran a great lap and Jeff will just have to win that round in Brainerd, as long as we're not racing each other...

That win was huge, in a lot of ways. Lose in the first round there, and it was possible we could give back all those precious points we won up the coast. Win there, and we keep rolling, maybe even moving up some more. Those win lights were fun to see! And speaking of win lights, those are just one attribute of Infineon Raceway that make it such a juxtaposition to Seattle. As a Bruton Smith track, it's all first class and top flight, including the fact you can actually read the scoreboards and tell who won. A small detail, but an important one.

 From there, the day became sort of a blur again, although our win against Bob Tasca was one of the closest races of the day (if not the year). From my perspective, I knew the cars were side-by-side and it was a very tight finish, but it wasn't until I saw the lap on TV last night that I knew just how tight it was. Talk about winning by inches...

Then Gary Densham... Gary is pretty amazing, and he'd just beaten John Force and Cruz Pedregon, so you knew he was on a roll and really flying. Later, at the press conference, Tim told the reporters that he was actually none too happy to have to race Gary, because he's so tough and it seemed like he might be on a Cinderella roll on Sunday. Tim said, a couple of times, "Whoever ends up 10th in the Countdown needs to pick up the phone and call Gary Densham to thank him because if he'd have been out here all year he would've been in the top ten."

Finally, the final round... The fact it was our second in a row, and the fact we were again facing Tony Pedregon, made it a bit surreal. You can't help but wonder if it's even possible to beat those guys two weeks in a row. You can't help but think about how hard it is to win back-to-back races. You can't help but think "Well, even a runner-up finish is really good." You don't want to ponder any of those concepts, but you can't help it. And then those wonderful bright-red win lights went on in our lane again! Wow...

I think it kind of surprised all of the guys... Whereas Seattle was tough and well-earned, and we all were just hoping to win, I think those same seeds of thought must have been in almost everyone's heads (everyone except Tim, of course) because the celebration was much more about laughter and "I can't believe it" sentiments than Seattle's, which was more "Hell yeah!" in nature... We were all just kind of stunned and thrilled and shocked and happy and did I mention thrilled? Wow...

We commandeered a couple of golf carts and drove all the way to the top end as fast as we could. That's not all that easy in Sonoma, because the return road doesn't parallel the track, but is instead the road course there. You have to drive up and down those big hills the NASCAR boys have so much fun on, winding your way about a mile just to get to the top end. Before we got there, the crew guys passed us going the other way, with the car already hooked up to the Ford Flex, while we putted along at a maddening pace in our golf carts. Tim was still down there, of course, because Full Throttle takes the four pro winners up to the Winner's Circle after they all do their TV interviews, so we all piled on him and had our own celebration down there. Rachel and Tim have a great post-win ritual, and as you'll see in the photo gallery "Daddy's little girl" runs at him and leaps into his arms. I was thinking about trying that, but ....

The Winner's Circle in Sonoma is in two places, and it's a pretty neat deal. The winner's meet up with Alan Reinhart on a permanent stage next to the Media Center, and because the main grandstand rises up right next to it, the fans can crowd around behind the fence, or line up along the aisle on the grandstand and look down on the scene. It makes for a wildly fun deal, with lots of cheering and support from the great Sonoma crowd (and boy, what a HUGE turnout it was all weekend!)

After that, over to the Media Center for interviews, and the juxtaposition between Sonoma and Seattle becomes outlandishly stark. In Seattle, the "press room" is a portable trailer, about six feet wide. All weekend, the media and team PR reps are working out of that cramped little room, which you enter by carefully walking up the world's most rickety metal steps, with no view of the track. In Sonoma, the Media Center is a two-story building, with room for about a hundred reporters and PR reps, and after the race the drivers are interviewed in a separate conference room. First class all the way, but I will admit that the Wally feels just as good in your hands in Seattle as it does in Sonoma... LOL...

Once that was over, it was down to the side of the track, to do the hat dance and have photos taken with the car. We had some fun, cherished our Full Throttle hats (mine is on my head, right now) then headed back to the pit. The guys went to work on the car and pit area, while I went to work writing my wrap-up story, and about 90 minutes later it was finally time to leave. For some odd reason, at the end of the massive Western Swing, at the conclusion of our second straight win, I found myself to be totally exhausted... It was all I could do to drive back to the hotel, put the race on TV, and keep my eyes open. A few minutes later, Krista called to see if I wanted to join them at Applebee's, but I was too far down the relaxation road to even think about it....

This morning, I checked on-line to make sure I hadn't dreamed the whole thing, and by 9:00 I was rolling out of the hotel in San Rafael, down 101 and over the Golden Gate Bridge, finally arriving at the airport around 10:00, only to find out my flight is delayed about 90 minutes. No World Club here, and I'm still listed in coach on the flight, so I'm camped out in the gate and at least the delay gave me this opportunity to write. Had we been on-time, I probably couldn't have done this... But boy, I'd sure like to be home right now...

I'll be back with you soon. Thanks for the mountain of great emails and Facebook posts!!! Now, I'm going to try to snap my fingers or twitch my nose and make myself instantly appear in Woodbury, Minn.  Rats, didn't work...

Wilber, out!