We're working on being consistently in the top 10, top 12 and getting ready for next year's Chase. We need the make the Chase and one way we need to do it is to be consistent and starting running in the top 12.

I just had....my Farmer's Insurance Chevrolet was the fasted car here. In the first run. We were going forward, just taking our time. Regan Smith was pretty slow. I was under him for a couple of laps. When my spotter cleared me in the center, I just took off, and he was there on exit. It is disappointing to have that good of a car and be out this early. Everybody at Hendrick Motorsports is doing such an awesome job. I've had awesome race cars, and I have nothing to show for it.

We started on the pole but by Lap 150 we were ninth or 10th and we were struggling. The car was sliding around a lot, but I did not get upset. I just said, 'Let's just keep working hard.' Last year, I would have been so upset about getting passed by those cars I would have been overly aggressive and would have worn our tires out. You can't do that in a 500-mile race if you want to be strong at the end.

I finally crashed. I drove like an idiot all day.

I work out hard, and I do things that I feel make me better throughout the race and after the race. And I feel better mentally because of working out, being prepared and being in great shape. Driving the car, I think with reflexes and things throw at your so quickly, you have to make adjustments - the feeling of your car, the heat. Some tracks can be tough on your neck and arms, and other tracks, not so much. I think there's a lot there that definitely takes some athletic ability, and I think that helps being athletic and being prepared like that. It helps me for sure.

I'm excited to win a pole at Atlanta, one of the tracks you look forward to qualifying at every single year, and really happy to beat Ryan Newman, who is hard to beat here.

I never even thought the sophomore slump existed. You hear the saying, but you never thought it was for real or anything. But that's kind of what happened to us last year, and I don't know really why that is.