Q: Is it intimidating having Jeff Gordon as your car owner?

A: At first it was intimating. I went from watching Jeff, a four-time (Nextel) Cup champion and one of the best NASCAR drivers in history, to having him as my boss and teammate. The “awe” factor quickly wore off and I found that Jeff and I had a lot of things in common. He has been a tremendous help to me teaching me about (Nextel) Cup life on and off the track. I'd be foolish if I didn't use a resource like him. He's a (Nextel) Cup champion and has over 10 years of (Nextel) Cup experience. There is more to being a NASCAR (Nextel) Cup driver than driving the racecar on the weekends. It's learning how to balance your personal time and all of the demands away from the track. I'm very fortunate to have a teammate like Jeff who is confident enough in his skills to share his experience with me. When I go to Jeff, I know that I'm getting an honest answer.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time, like when you have a day off and you don't have meetings, interviews, etc.?

A: When I get spare time, which isn't often during the season, I enjoy being out on the water. Growing up in California, I was always near water and learned to love it. I live on a lake in North Carolina and when I'm not working, you'll find me out on my boat or one of my jet skis catching up with my friends and family. If I'm not on the water, you'll find me mountain biking or relaxing on my couch. Driver Casey Mears and I found some great trails near our homes. With the amount of races we have and the limited personal time I have, it's nice to just kick back and relax every once in a while.

Q: You have now raced off-road trucks through the deserts out West, ASA through the Midwest and South, Busch and now Nextel Cup cars across the country. What is your most favorite race-vehicle and where/what type of track?

A: I've always enjoyed racing off-road trucks in the desert. It's where I first learned to race and there is something about the challenge of trying to control a race car at high speeds while going over extremely rough terrain.

Q: What do I have to do to get to race in the Nextel Cup series?

A: I would recommend getting involved in some form of racing. There are so many different types of racing leagues like go-karting, motorists or bandalaros. It is important for you to start getting experience and to develop the necessary tools that will help you become a good race car driver. With hard work and practice, you can work your way through the ranks and one day, be a (Nextel) Cup driver. It's not easy, but I wouldn't want to be doing any other occupation in the world.

Q: What is harder to adjust to, more horsepower than the Busch cars, or the longer races?

A: I would say the length of the race. Not because it's physically harder for me to deal with, but it's because I need to be in a different mindset than when I was driving in the Busch Series. The (Nextel) Cup races are so much longer than the Busch races, you just need to be more patient and try to keep yourself out of trouble. Ultimately, I can keep the fenders on the Lowe's Monte Carlo and start racing with 20 laps left. In Busch, I didn't have as much time to be patient and I need to force the issue much sooner. So, I'm just trying to keep my head about me and try to focus and stay sharp to make sure the No. 48 is near the front at the end.

Q: Please describe your physical fitness program and how you stay healthy.

A: During the offseason I spend a lot of time working out to prepare my body for the grind of 36 weeks of racing. I belong to a gym and will lift weights and do cardiovascular conditioning five or six days a week. Unfortunately during the season, I don't have as much time as I'd like to get to the gym. While there is a mobile workout center that travels with the series, when my schedule permits and I'm at home, I'll try and take an afternoon to go mountain biking. It's a great workout and I enjoy being outside. In addition, it might sound funny to someone that has never raced before, but you get a pretty good workout racing cars. You use a lot of muscle groups and a solid cardiovascular workout battling the g-forces and turning the car for an entire weekend.

Q: Do you ever have time to get on the various NASCAR-type websites and read what people are saying about your performances?

A: Because of my schedule, I don't have as much of an opportunity as I would like to surf the web. I obviously visit my site on a regular basis and I have a few favorite sites that I continually visit, but I wouldn't classify myself as a heavy surfer. I will say this, if there is something on the web about me, I will hear about it from my family and friends. I regularly get calls from them telling me I have to check out this article on this site.

Q: What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?

A: A couple of years ago, while I was driving in the Busch Series, I was involved in a nasty crash at Watkins Glen, N.Y. My brakes failed and I wasn't able to make a turn and I just shot off the track barreling into a wall. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt and I got out of the race car and climbed onto the roof and started jumping up and down with my arms raised celebrating the fact that I was alive. For a minute there, I thought it was over. To this day, I have people come up to me and ask me about that crash. It was an amazing wreck and I was very fortunate to walk way from it without a scratch.

Q: I noticed that a lot of the media likes to ask you the same questions over and over again. If you can ask the media one question what would it be? What would you ask the fans?

A: I've never really thought about what I would ask the media. It does get frustrating at times to answer the same questions over and over, but I understand the importance of getting exposure for Lowe's and the team. As far as what I would ask, it would just depend on the reporter and the situation as to what I'd ask. For my fans, I'd want to know why they root for me.

Q: What would people be surprised to know about you?

A: People would be surprised to know that I'm just an average person who has a really cool job. I still do laundry, pay bills, wash dishes, do yard work, all the same things that everyone else has to do. Many people think that as drivers, we have people that do all of the things, but many of us don't. We're just the average next door neighbors.

Q: How did it feel after your winning your first NASCAR Nextel Cup race?

A: Winning was awesome! It's what dreams are made of. I've been working so hard and there are so many people that have made sacrifices to get me where I am, to finally see it pay off was something really special. The funny thing is, I thought when I won my first race, I would feel some sort of satisfaction, like I had accomplished something huge. However, the following day I just felt hungrier for more wins. Winning just makes you want to win more. That's the drive that keeps us going week after week.

Q: How much information is actually shared between your team and the No. 24 team? Do you withhold info?

A: Everything is open book amongst the Hendrick cars. It is all there for all the teams to use and ask questions about. We don't hold anything back.

Q: What is the camaraderie like amongst the drivers? Is it hard to develop friendships because of the competition?

A: The camaraderie amongst drivers is good. You are closer to some guys more than others, but for the most part, we all have a mutual respect for each other and our abilities as a race car driver. When you're going 200+ mph nose to tail, you have to trust that the other guys aren't going to do anything stupid that would jeopardize your safety.

Q: What is the best way to get into Nextel Cup as a pit crewmember?

A: There are some companies that train people to be pit crew members. These companies have good relationships with teams and can do the introductions to get the top students with an organization. Also, some race teams will have open tryouts, giving people the opportunity to show what they can do. I would recommend looking into the training classes or if you feel like you're ready now, calling teams and seeing if they are holding tryouts.

Q: What other kinds of sports do you like besides driving a race car?

A: Growing up in California, I really enjoyed participating in water sports. When I was in high school I played water polo and was on the swim team. I raced jet skis and even surfed, so really, any sport that deals with water, I pretty much like it.

Q: Was there a special driver that you liked when you were growing up and looked up to?

A: Definitely. I started out in motocross and Rick Johnson was a guy I looked up to. I followed Rick Mears, since he was from California, thinking I'd take the same path from off road to Indy cars. In stock cars, I was a Cale Yarbrough fan. I also followed the Allisons and Dale Earnhardt. I had always wanted to race against Dale Earnhardt and I'm sorry I missed the opportunity.

Q: What would you have wanted to be if you weren't a NASCAR driver?

A: For the most part, I've really haven't thought about being anything but a race car driver. But when I was really little, I can remember wanting to be a fire fighter. There was just the thrill of saving people's lives and battling something that was out of control that thrilled me. We had a guy that lived next to us in El Cajon and he was a fireman, so maybe that is why I wanted to be one when I was little.

Q: Do you ever wonder where your teamates are during the race and do you ever talk to them on the radio during a race?

A: For the most I don't. I'm usually concentrating on what I need to do and not my teammates. In superspeedway events, I'll ask my spotter and Chad (Knaus) where my teammates are. It's no secret that you need help to be competitive on the superspeedways. Just look at the way the No. 8 and No. 15 work together on those tracks. The Hendrick teams try and work together as best we can and we'll try and get a feel for where everyone is at on the track, but I don't specifically ask each race. We usually do not speak on the radio to each other during a race. Like I mentioned earlier, we're all trying to concentrate on what we're doing and not trying to worry too much about the other guys.

Q: I was curious to hear what track is it that you feel is the most challenging to you as a driver physically?

A: I would say the road courses are, especially Sonoma. There are so many gear shifts, elevation changes, and the seats are designed differently and they don't support you as well. Those are really the most demanding races.

Q: Is there any type of routine you go through to prepare for a race whether it is a superspeedway or a short track? e.g. listen to music, pray etc?

A: Prior to each race, we have a team meeting where we discuss strategy. After the meeting, I'll take a few minutes by myself in the team hauler to just clear my mind and focus my energy toward the race. This will include visualizing laps in my mind and hitting my marks. Following driver introductions, I try to get in the race car and situated early. Once in the car, I block everything out and just focus on the race. To me, it's the calm before the storm and this helps me gather my thoughts and prepare for the race.

Q: Do you ever sing to yourself while driving in a race?

A: Sometimes before a race or qualifying I'll hum a tune or sing in my head. It helps to motivate me and get my juices bumping.

Q: Is it difficult to drive your regular street vehicle and obey all the traffic laws so soon after getting out of your racecar and going 180 mph?

A: No, the speed is all relative to what is around you. When I'm going 180 mph, everything around me is too, so it doesn't seem to be that fast. When I'm driving a street car, I would say that I usually will drive fast, but that's normal for me. I obey the laws just like everyone else.

Q: What do you like to watch on TV (movies, comedy, music video, etc.) and what is your favorite show?

A: Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to watch television. When I do, I'll try and find an episode of "Friends" or "That 70s Show," they are definitely two of my favorite shows.

Q: As the "California Kid," what kind of adjustments have you had to make living in other parts of the country. Where do you see yourself living someday when you're older and retired from NASCAR?

A: Fortunately for me, I haven't had to make to many adjustments moving to North Carolina. Shortly after I moved here, my mom, dad and two brothers moved out here, too. Having them near made it a lot easier to adjust. When I originally moved from California, I moved to Wisconsin. I enjoyed my time there, but it was hard to get use to being away from my family and friends. I'm not really sure where I'll end up living when I'm older? I know that it will be near water, so who knows; maybe I'll be back in California.

Q: What advice do you have for this year's rookie class?

A: Pace yourself. It is a long season. Everything was great until that 20 in a row. You don't realize how much work and how much stress and how much really goes on until you're about 18 or 19 races into that 20-week stretch and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then, you get a break from it. It was a nice offseason for me. I took a lot of time just to unwind and relax. But, you've got to pace yourself in this sport, and that is coming from a driver's standpoint and I get some days off during the week. You look at these crew guys -- especially new crew members that come in the sport. They don't have an offseason. They didn't get the luxury of having two months off, more or less, to unwind and relax, so it pretty much applies to everyone in the sport.