I also appreciate the lasting friendships I've made while working with our great sponsors through the years, including Miller Lite, Shell and Dodge.

The Daytona 500 is a big race, and Darlington is just as big of an event, and a lot of people get excited for it.

You really don't put a value on your first win, it is priceless no matter where you are.

I wouldn't say it came easy, but I understood how to win and I determined how I could do it.

It was such a dramatic escalator that I was on. It was at 90 degrees. I was going straight up like a rocket ship into space. And I was thrown in with the sharks. They said sink or swim in this Cup deal.

Leaving a great organization and a lucrative contract is not easy, but it allows me to take a deep breath and work on things that can make me a better driver and a better person.

I am grateful to Penske Racing for six very productive years. Together we won a lot of races - 16 in all. I'm proud that we won on a variety of tracks.