Pre-Kansas

Hello... Bubba here... just touching base with everyone again before we head to Kansas! First, let's talk about what I have done the past couple of weeks. We had a two-day Rockingham test, which was very successful. We shook down a brand-new truck, chassis #60, and mostly tested chassis #43, which is my favorite truck. This truck knows its way to victory lane. It's been there with Mark Martin and Travis Kvapil, and I'm sure it will soon guide Colin there also. We'll be running chassis #43 at Kansas this week. One afternoon I spent with a camera crew filming a hauler tour for the "Con-way Freight Truck Stop" on the TV show Raceline. I don't see how Colin does this every week, because for me it was very nerve-racking. Something about getting in front of a camera makes even the most talkative person forget what they want to say. In the end, I think it turned out pretty well, thanks to a lot of creative editing!

Kansas is a place where I have been to victory lane with Jon Wood. It was Jon's first-ever victory, so Kansas could be a good place for Colin to get his first victory. Another first for me this week will be that I am flying to and from the track instead of driving. My wife is due to give birth next week, so time is of the essence for me being home. It's nice to work for a company such as Roush Fenway that will accommodate your schedule to meet the needs of your family, so this is me tipping my hat to them! And by the way, I really hate to fly, so this should be interesting! Hopefully, it will be a good story to tell after Kansas. My co-driver, Mike Goins, will take full driving responsibilities to and from Kansas. I am also very grateful to him for working with me.

Hopefully good luck is just around the corner, and we will get out of this sophomore slump that we are in. In case I haven't said it enough, I really appreciate the support that Con-way Freight gives us. They are definitely the best sponsor I have ever worked with. Please keep your questions and comments coming... I really enjoy answering them. Also, keep me in your thoughts as I nervously fly, and become a Dad again, all in the span of a week!

Stay safe...
Bubba

Post-Martinsville

Hello... Bubba here. First I guess we should wrap up Martinsville. The one word that comes to mind when I think of the Martinsville race is WET. It rained while we were unloading on Thursday... rained a little on Friday... and completely rained us out on Saturday. The only positive thing was how well our team and I were prepared for the weather. Luckily everything stayed dry for the most part because we brought a total of four tents. In the race, on the other hand, we didn't fare as well... those of you that watched probably saw our truck hit the wall early in the race. This, in turn, damaged the radiator, which damaged the motor. Needless to say, it was fatal. Where o’ where is good momentum when you need it? If you have any to spare, please send it our way!

In the past week or so, we've spent a lot of our time going through the trailer to reorganize some parts and pieces. There is always a lot of cleaning that needs to be done after a race. We've also been preparing to do another test at Rockingham. This time, all of our laps will be on the big track instead of the small one in preparation for the Kansas race and beyond. We are also on a very regimented pit stop practice and workout program every day. We have a coach for pit stops and also a strength coach in the workout room that spends a lot of time with us during the week. This is yet another benefit of being on a race team and going over the wall. With these long off-stretches, it's good that they are there to keep us focused on the job at hand.

Now to answer a couple of your comments... To answer Sonny F., the hardest track for me to get in and out of is definitely Bristol. The speedway has no tunnel for the transporters to go through. There is a cross-over gate in turn three in which the haulers drive through and down the banking before making a slight left to go in the infield. Getting in is definitely much easier than getting out. A lot of trucks, not including myself, have lost their driveshaft trying to climb the banking. It's a place where you need to lock in your power divider, and keep it in a low gear to climb the steep banking. Now to answer Kelly, the best advice I can give you to become a transport driver for a race team is to live in or around Charlotte, NC. A majority of the race teams are in this area. You also need to be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up. Thanks for the questions Kelly and Sonny! And by the way, tell Rick I said "hello!"

Stay safe...
Bubba