Daytona Beach, Fla. — People have always ask me what I do in the off season to keep busy, and for the past few years we traveled just as much in the off season testing as we did throughout the racing season. There was hardly any down time because we tested at Daytona in early January and usually went to Atlanta or another mile-and-half track as part of a NASCAR test before the season even started.

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With the ban on testing this year, we still worked just as hard putting our trucks in the wind tunnel, seven-post shaker and k-rig, but the extra few weekends without travel afforded me some time to work on my latest hobby—flying.

I’ve always been interested in obtaining my private pilot’s license, and until recently, there never seemed to be time. Well, I talked it over with Mr. Mitchell, Circle Bar Racing’s owner in Ozona, Texas, and he also thought it would be a good idea. Besides being able to step away from the rigors of racing, he thought it would help me keep my mind and reflexes sharp. After going through the numerous tests and classes, before I even took my first flight, I couldn’t agree with him more.

After more than 30 hours of in-flight training, I made my first solo flight on Jan. 13, in a Piper Cherokee 180 (that’s 180 horsepower). Even after years of running a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford F-150 with nearly 700-horsepower that reaches speeds in excess of 200 mph, it’s an amazing feeling to reach air speeds of 140 knots (160 mph). I’ll tell you something, the Piper Cherokee flies as smooth as my International Truck and Engine Ford circles the track.

My instructor, David Calhoun, from FlyCarolina (he’s the one in the pictures with me after my first solo flight) has been by my side the whole time coaching me, kinda a mix between a crew chief and a spotter. I still have a few more hours of training before I get my pilot’s license, but with the break in the season after Atlanta, I hope to have it completed before too much longer.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to this off-season, besides focusing on the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season and looking forward to racing on the high banks of Daytona.

Rick