To be honest, once you've driven around for about five, 10 laps, you don't notice a difference.

My first Indy 500 was one of my high points. I ended up qualifying fourth and I finished fourth. I had a win in Japan a few years later, and then qualifying for Daytona was great as well.

I'd love to do well on a big weekend with people watching and cheering, of course. But it's not fair to create an expectation level before I know what is realistic. I want to finish as well as possible. Is that top 20? Top 15? Top 25? You just have to play it by ear.

I didn't want to fall back. But I realized it was more important to make it to the end under my own power than to run flat out in the lead or in second and then run out of fuel with a lap to go.

It looks like I have a thing for dangerous sports, don't I?

I know what it takes to be fast and I feel like every year I learn valuable lessons about how to be better the next time.

Being nervous isn't always the worst thing for me.