~Darlington Journal~

Hey Everyone! Well by the time you read this I will already be in Texas. We're coming off of a rough finish at Bristol but that is the type of track that Bristol is. If you start in the back, you have to think that a wreck could happen in front of you, I didn't think that it was going to happen in Turn One of the first lap but it did. I really have to thank my team. They worked real, real hard on Saturday in the pits trying to get my car back out on the track but sometimes things just don't work out and you have to put it behind you and look ahead to the next race and that's what we plan on doing. This week is going to be a great week for my family and myself. There are a lot of things planned for us (like appearances and media interviews) and I am really excited about all of it. We have a busy schedule and it's a lot of work. It just comes with the territory though and I wouldn't change it for anything because it is also going to be a lot of fun. It's hard to believe Texas is finally here. I've tried not to think about it too much so far this season and just tried to stay focused on the races we've had to run before this weekend finally came. I guess everyone could tell from my journal last week that I was getting pretty excited. Since we got to test last Monday and Tuesday at Texas in a Winston Cup car it really got me thinking about what this weekend means to me and my family and overall just how much my family means to me. I'm really not that nervous about this weekend and trying to qualify for Sunday's race. I think that if I hadn't have tested at Texas last week that I would be nervous but we ran around 30 or 35 practice qualifying laps last Monday and Tuesday so that I would have a feel of what that would be like in a Winston Cup car. This race in Texas is a big one for me for a lot of reasons. The first reason is if I make the race on Sunday it will be my first time ever to run a Winston Cup race and this is the Series that I eventually want to drive in full time. It's the number one place where most NASCAR drivers want to be and the drivers that are currently running there are some of the best there are. I feel really lucky to get a chance to run in this series at such a young age because since I am so young it gives me a chance to experience this level of competition early and learn a lot from it. My focus is still definitely on my Busch Series team and I know that I have a lot of work to do before I run Winston Cup full time. I feel that running these five races this year helps me start taking some steps to where I eventually want to be. I've said it all along this season I want to be patient, run competitively and improve my driving style week-in and week-out and these are still my goals no matter what type of car I am driving. The other reason this weekend is so special to me is because it's the first time I'll have a chance to run against my dad. My dad has always been the biggest help in telling me what to look for on certain tracks and now in telling me what to look for in driving a Cup car. This weekend really won't be any different from all the rest because he's been there just as much for me in the Busch Series as he will be in the Winston Cup Series. I can tell how proud my dad is of me, really how proud my family is of me, and it just means a whole lot to me knowing they support everything I do. It's going to be a big family weekend for the Petty's with my aunts and grandmother and grandfather there. Plus my mom will be there. For her sake I hope my dad and I qualify pretty close to one another so she doesn't have so much running back and forth to do. I guess the thing that has meant the most to me so far is my dad telling me how much it meant to him to run against my granddad when he started racing. I know I'll feel the exact same way my dad did, if I qualify for the race, because that is what will mean a lot to me also, a chance to run alongside my dad. Hey, I also want to say thanks to all of you for all of your support so far. I can tell by everything you have written on my website how excited you are. Man, sometimes it sounds as if you are almost as excited as I am. Please keep writing in this week because it will be awesome to read what y'all are thinking as I experience one of the biggest weekends in my career. So stayed tuned in to see what happens on Sprint Pole Days this Thursday and Friday. Hopefully we'll have some really good news to tell you after both qualifying sessions and then we can focus on the races. I'll talk to you next week. Trust me, I'm sure there will be a lot to fill you in on. God Bless and Thanks, Adam