~Richmond Journal (Adam's Last Journal)~

Hey Everyone! Well it's about time to head back to the track and up to New Hampshire. It seems as if for the past couple of weeks that I haven't been sitting still too much (not that I every really do) but it definitely seems that I've either been on something with either four or two wheels. Many of you know that we finished up my dad's Charity Ride last Sunday with the big concert at our farm. We had an awesome turnout of people and I really wanted to start this week's journal by saying that it was really great to meet so many of you, and to see those who I had met before, especially when everyone was coming together for such a great cause. I was really amazed at the fact that so many people traveled from some places that were really far away just to come to the concert. I've been reading on my message board all of your stories and it's been cool to hear what everyone had to say. Hopefully everyone made it home safely and is already planning to come back next year. About Richmond, what can I say? It seems as if I have a really tough time qualifying at that place. With it being such a short track, it's tough to move your way to the front but once the race started my car was really good. Chris kept telling me that I was one of the fastest cars on the track and just to take really good care of the car, especially the front fenders because down force is important at that track. I just couldn't seem to get that long green flag run that I really needed. I mean every time I started to get up to speed a caution flag would come out and slow us up and then it just took us that many more laps to get back to where we were running real, real fast. Sixteenth place is nothing to complain about though especially with all the cautions in that race and plus it helped move us up in the points. I just know that we had about a top eight car. With the right circumstances on my side we could have come out with a lot higher finish. Monday and Tuesday we tested at Charlotte. We brought both a Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a Pontiac Grand Prix to test. We were the third quick Winston Cup car there in the Monte Carlo out of fourteen or fifteen cars. I think we'll be alright when it comes to qualifying for second Winston Cup race but we'll see when the time comes because that track can change so quickly. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ready to run 600 miles in the Winston Cup race the day after I run 300 in the Busch race if we make both races and the only answer I can give is that you have to be mentally prepared. I try to keep myself in really good shape but of course you're going to be pretty tired after all that time in the car. I mean remember last year when Tony Stewart ran the Indy 500 in the afternoon and then the Coca-Cola 600 the same night. He was really worn out by the time he finished but he did it and that was in the same day. Most important is that I have to keep myself really hydrated by drinking a ton of water and just keep up the healthy habits of eating right and working out that I do every day and I should be fine. Well I guess that's about all that has been going on here. Be sure to go and check out the feature on Chris Martin on my web site. It's something new that we have started because I have an awesome team and I want for you to get to know those guys a whole lot better. So let me know what you think and who you want to hear about next. I'll talk to you later after New Hampshire. Be sure and tune and see if we can pull of our first top ten of the season. I have a good feeling that it is our turn this week. God Bless, Adam