Charlotte, N.C. — This weekends Cup and Nationwide race weekend in New Hampshire marks the end of a three week stretch of racing in two different places in one weekend.

As most of you know, we have spent the last three weeks with the two NASCAR Series’ split up and racing at different venues on the same weekend. During this leg of races we log a lot of seat time on an airplane, and needless to say I am ready to stay in one place for both events this weekend.

The month started off with the Cup Series in Pocono, Pa., and the Nationwide Series in Nashville, Tenn. Carl [Edwards] practiced and qualified the Cup car at Pocono and then hopped on a helicopter for a quick trip to the airport so he could jump on the airplane for the one hour forty five minute ride to Nashville. Once he arrived in Nashville on Friday evening, he ran both practices in the Nationwide Series car. After the two practice sessions he flew back to Pocono so he could be ready for Cup practice on Saturday morning. I do not usually make the trip for practice on Friday, as we use one of the guys on the Nationwide team to spot for practice. Saturday morning in Pocono started out with a 45-minute practice for with the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion followed by the one hour Happy Hour session. After both sessions were complete Carl and I both raced to the Heli-Pad to begin our trek to Nashville.

We started the Nationwide race in Nashville in the sixth spot and after running the 225 lap race wound up finishing third. After flying back to Pocono, landing, and driving to the hotel, I think I got into bed around 2 a.m. We ran the 500 mile cup race on Sunday and after Carl led 103 of the 200 laps we finished second.

The second weekend in the three-week stretch included the Michigan, Kentucky double. Although these two race tracks are geographically the closest on the schedule, the race on Saturday night did not start until 8:30 p.m. EST. The late start time along with a couple cautions made it a long evening. We arrived back in Michigan around 1:15 a.m. I was in bed about an hour later. Sunday morning I arrived at Michigan Speedway around 9:30 a.m., getting ready for some pit tours for Motorcraft. The green flag followed for the Cup race around 2:20 p.m.

This past weekend is by far the longest. We left Charlotte for Sonoma, Calif. on Thursday morning for the five hour flight west. Once in California I checked into the hotel on Thursday, grabbed some dinner and got to bed early, knowing that the weekend would be a long one. Friday at Infineon Raceway was a rather easy one. We had only one 90-minute practice with the Cup car and a qualifying session. Saturday began a long 24-hour period.

After running the first Cup practice session we cut the second session short by about 20 minutes. This allowed us enough time to get on a helicopter that would take us to an awaiting jet to begin our five hour flight to Milwaukee, Wisc. for Saturday evening’s Nationwide race. Timing was critical on Saturday having very little time to spare to make sure we made the 7:30 p.m. CST start time. After arriving in Milwaukee with a little over an hour to spare, we ate some dinner and got ready for the race. Carl had to start from the back because he did not make it to qualify the car, Colin Braun, Carl’s Roush Fenway teammate in the Truck Series, qualified the car.

After starting the race in the rear and moving up through the field Carl was able to cross the finish line first with the Save-A-Lot/Scotts Ford Fusion. This was our first Nationwide win in 2009.

After the victory lane celebration it was back on the helicopter and than the airplane for the five hour ride back to Sonoma, Calif. We arrived back in Sonoma around 3:45 a.m. and back at the hotel and in bed by 4:10 a.m. After an 8 a.m. wake up call on Sunday and a 110-lap Sprint Cup Series race with The Aflac Ford Fusion, I was off on a 40-minute drive to the Oakland airport to board our team plane for the four hour ride back to Charlotte. We arrived in Charlotte at 3:30 a.m. on Monday morning. Needless to say I was ready to take a break from flying for a few days.

After a few days of rest I am all ready to head to New Hampshire for this weekends double header. Although it is fun to do all the traveling back and forth I think I am ready for a weekend of staying in the same place for a couple of days.