~Adam's 1st Journal of 2000~

Hey Fans! It's been awhile since I've written, but it is definitely time to get back into the routine. Man, speaking of getting back into a routine, I can't tell you how ready I was to get down to Daytona and get this season underway. The result of the race wasn't quite what we had hoped for but it's a long season and Daytona, while it is one of our biggest races, is still just one race in a long season. As always, Daytona proved to be hectic but a lot of fun. We're there for about two weeks and it seems that everyday is filled with both appearances or media interviews and well of course racing. With everything going on it is really important to keep focused but really there is no better place to get the season underway. During Speedweeks, the whole town is all about racing. It is a great atmosphere for drivers and fans alike because as a driver it really gets your adrenaline going and gets you fired up about the upcoming season. We had a pretty good week down in Daytona. I was happy to make it in the race during first round qualifying. It really just takes a lot of the pressure off knowing that you've made the race and that way you can get focused on your setup and strategy. I was really hoping for another great finish like we had last year with our sixth place run. Luck just didn't run our way though and we ended up having a tire go down and I ended up in the wall. I'm just thankful that none of the drivers in the race were hurt and that we were all able to head home and prepare for Rockingham. We had a pretty good weekend in Rockingham. That track is always a challenge and we just never really got the car up to speed during practice except when we doing our race runs, which made it tough when it came to qualifying. We got in the race on the next to last provisional based on last year's point standings. Just goes to show the importance of running consistently and even if you don't finish in the Top Five or Top Ten that just finishing the race can really help your cause. The important thing is that we came out of Rockingham with the car in one piece and that my team and I had an opportunity to get some experience on a track that I haven't had an opportunity to run a whole bunch of laps on. Speaking of my team, I have to take this chance to say I have a great group of guys working with me at the shop and at the track every week. Everyone has a lot of enthusiasm and good chemistry with one another and that's real important to building a winning race team. My crew chief, Chris Hussey, and I work really well together and communicate really well and I am just thankful to have him and all the guys helping me try and get to Victory Lane every week. So what do you think about the new paint scheme on the No. 45 this season now that you've seen it on the track? Well it isn't just the car but the whole team has a new look from the transporter to the team uniforms and even my driver's suit. Hey, when we show up at those five Winston Cup races this season we definitely want to look and perform like a Winston Cup team but we'll talk more about that the closer we get to Texas. Before I finish up, I want to say one last thank you and that is to all of my sponsors. Sprint has been absolutely awesome to me and to Petty Enterprises. They have done so much for my career and me so far and they have some really cool stuff planned for me this season. I also want to thank Coca-Cola, Lucky Charms, Hot Wheels and Nike. Hey, without all of these people involved in my career I definitely wouldn't be where I'm at today. By the way, thanks for writing in on my new discussion board. It's great to hear your supportive words once again. Thanks for coming to my website and for everyone who has joined my Fan Club. There will be a lot of cool things going on with both of these things for the 2000 season so everyone stayed tuned in. Well now it is off to Las Vegas. We've got a brand new car to take out there and I'm looking forward to a good run. I'll talk to y'all before we head down to Atlanta. God Bless, Adam