That's what I try to do each and every week is give my best effort and not give up, no matter what comes at us.

Dale Earnhardt told me it doesn't matter if fans boo or cheer, as long as they're making noise.

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.

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.

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

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.