Well, what can I say? After two years of close-calls and near-misses, we finally got it! We won a race! I’ve been doing a lot of interviews the past few days, and it’s still hard to put all my feelings into words. We’ve gone through a lot since I last won a race, and I can’t thank the fans enough for sticking by me. When it comes down to it, we’re all in the same boat. I get pressure from the media and general public to perform up to expectations. You get pressure from friends and co-workers. We endure a lot, but it makes it worthwhile to have weeks like this. I hope you enjoy it. Other people on my mind right now…

Tony Jr… Man, the guy made a helluva call. You gotta know how difficult it is to make that call to stretch the fuel mileage. You gotta understand how the public beatings you take when your gamble doesn’t pay off are about as humiliating as it gets. I don’t win this race without Tony Jr. It’s as simple as that. So in all the celebration that goes on this week, give credit where credit is due.

The 88 Team… I’ll be the first one to tell you I was hard on them last weekend, especially Saturday during practice. I expect a lot when I get in that race car, and my emotions do the talking. These guys are like brothers to me now, and to see them celebrating in Victory Lane means more to me than the trophy or paycheck. I’ll be honest, when we won the Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade 150 at Daytona in February, we were still in the get-to-know-you phase. Now it’s different. We’ve been through a lot in six months, and we tell each other how it is. I make them strive to be the best at what they do, and they make me strive to be a better driver.

Rick Hendrick… I’m glad he doesn’t listen to me. I told him not to come to Michigan, because I didn’t think we had a winning car. He came anyway. He supports me in ways I sometimes don’t even realize.

My Sponsors… I’m having a good time with my new sponsors, AMP Energy and National Guard, and I’m honored to have shared Victory Lane with both of them this year. Just like working with a new team, the first six months has been a learning experience. It ain’t easy to teach an old dog new tricks, but I’m catching on. AMP Energy is putting all its chips in to become the leading energy drink, and the only way to do that is for you to buy the product. They’ve got the Ride-With-Junior program for Talladega that you need to be a part of, and you can learn all about it on www.ampenergy.com. I’m fortunate to have Amp and Guard on board with me.

My Friends, Family, and Employees at JR Motorsports… I can count on them for many things, but none more importantly than having a big party when I return home after a win. They had it ready to go when I pulled in late Sunday night, and we managed to stretch our gas till daylight. It was a good time!

Junior