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No. 38 Mahindra USA Tractors Ford (Robert Richardson) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

First, we made it through our Gatorade Duel 150 without getting caught up in any wrecks, causing any wrecks or wrecking on our own. Second, our Nationwide car was pretty damn good in the final practice.

After doing some more interviews and a photo shoot this morning, we had a 90-minute Nationwide practice for the No. 23 Mahindra Tractors USA Chevrolet. I knew we had a pretty good piece after Wednesday’s practice, so I was interested to see what happened on Thursday. The guys said they found a little more speed in the car, and they were right.

I felt real comfortable in the car and how it handled all the way around the Daytona trioval. We were 12^th on the chart and fifth fastest for a five-lap average. We’re supposed to qualify on Friday, but the weather isn’t looking too good. If we don’t qualify, we’re in on points – I’d rather qualify.

For the first Duel 150, I started 23^rd in the No. 38 Mahindra Tractors USA Ford. I was a little nervous and excited as my main goal was to bring the car back in the garage in one piece. Well, I accomplished that mission.

It was pretty cool to do the pre-race introduction, walk across the stage and take the pick-up truck ride in front of the main stretch. We did the whole pre-race thing and then it was time for 60 laps of fun.

We went single file within 10 laps and I was running 20^th by lap 20. The car was pretty free all the way around and I was hooked up with Joe Nemechek for the early going. By lap 24, the first caution came out and we pitted for four tires and fuel. We didn’t really make any adjustments then because we were going with tire pressures more than anything.

The car was loose from the center off and the more wheel I tried to put into it, the more it would slide up the track and then catch right at the end to be loose off the corner. It’s interesting to hold onto a car when it’s doing that on a track like Daytona.

Oh, did I mention I’m running against the best-of-the best in NASCAR out there for the Daytona 500? Yeah, that makes me even more careful with every move I make.

There was another caution on lap 32 and we didn’t pit. I was running with Todd Bodine at this point and we were rolling pretty good around the track. For the lap-29 restart, I was lined up 14^th and hoping to really mix it up with the guys out there to see what our car would do in the pack. But, it didn’t get up to speed as quickly as I would have liked and in one lap I was back to 24^th. But, that’s Daytona for you.

Another caution came out on lap 53 and we pitted for some fuel and put a spring rubber in the right rear. We didn’t change tires, and went right back out there with just four laps left in the race.

Restarted 21^st, and finished 23^rd. That spring rubber helped me stay down on the bottom more and the car felt better through the turns. That makes me feel good about having something to work with for the last two practices before the 500.

Our schedule on Friday is pretty light with one Cup practice and then Nationwide qualifying later in the day. Well, that’s it for now. Thanks for following along with my first full Speedweeks at Daytona here on Catchfence.com.

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