Yea, it was that kind of night. When I arrived at the party I picked up my first of what would be at least 5 Cosmopolitans. I hung out and chatted with the people I knew, various PR people for sponsors and racetracks. It was after my second drink that I spotted ESPNs Marty Smith.

Now, if you’re starting to think that I’m a lush, you would be wrong. I don’t drink that often. There is no alcohol in my apartment, save for a couple bottles of wine that I’ve had for years, one of which I only have because it was given to me and it was free. I only drink in social situations, and if it’s free even better. And like I said before, I am shy, so what would take me like 20 minutes of talking up to do sober, took only 5 seconds with a little vodka in my bloodstream. And really, really, when am I going to get an opportunity like this to talk to people just as people and not when they’re technically “working.”

So I go over to Marty and tell him that I just wanted to say “Hello” and introduce myself. He was so nice and we talked about Sonoma County, which is where I live. He was very cool and I told him that I would love to interview him sometime, which is totally true; I think it’d be cool. He has a lot of fans of his own.

A little bit later on I spotted Dale Jarrett in the VIP section hanging with Michael Waltrip. I really wanted to say “Hello” to Dale because I’d done a telephone interview with him last year. I have to say that he looked really cool, if you didn’t know him, or how old he really is, you would of probably thought he was in his 30s. Dale Jarrett knows how to dress. I eventually got to say “Hi” and shake his hand at one point, but it was so loud that I have no idea what he said or what I said after that.

The big story of the night though was when I spotted Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson’s Championship crew chief, with his girlfriend Lisa Rockelmann. I made a beeline for him and just started talking. I don’t remember any decision being made in my brain but all of sudden I was there shaking his hand, telling him who I was and congratulating him on his 4th straight Championship.

I have to tell you that Chad was so awesome and nice. I told him about my site and how I’d awarded his car chief, Ron Malec, with my hottest car chief award, to which Chad said “He has a girlfriend.” Which puzzled me because I was, like, “I don’t care, he’s still hot.” For the record, you can acknolwedge a person’s hotness and not want to jump their bones. It is possible. Besides it’s just fun to write about.

Anyway… Chad said he doesn’t read blogs or Twitter or Facebook and all that. He’s a very private guy. I reassured him that I didn’t want to write about salacious gossip. I was really trying to get that across but again, I’d had many drinks at that point so I’m not sure if it was articulated perfectly. I told him that he had his own fans and he seemed kinda surprised. I have no idea how the conversation ended but it was good and I don’t think I annoyed him. Again, he was a really nice guy and seemed very chill and relaxed, which is kind of what I expected.

Now, I know it might sound like I had no idea what I was doing but I promise you I didn’t make a fool of myself. It’s Vegas and how can you not step outside of your box when you’re in Vegas? And now you know why I woke up the morning of the awards ceremony feeling craptastic.

– Pole Position: There was no way I would have had access to all of the opportunities that came my way this year without my association with NASCAR Pole Position magazine. They really started my year off right and I am so thankful that they asked me to be a part of their publication.

– Flying solo: In attending five races in three different states this year I set a new personal record for myself. This fact alone is just super cool. I’m so proud of myself for following my passion and not caring that I did all of this traveling on my own. To be honest traveling alone is really fun, you always get to do the stuff that you want to and you never have to compromise.

– The interviews: The interviews I obtained this year were truly monumental for this blog. If there had been only one I would have said the same thing. Having the opportunity to ask all of these great people questions was something I will not forget. It’s not like I’m planning to not do interviews anymore, but you never forget your firsts! So here’s a special thank you to Michelle Gilliland, David Gilliland, Travis Kvapil, Paul Menard, Liz Clarke, Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty. Here’s a bit of insider info, I interviewed Shana Mayfield (Jeremy Mayfield’s wife) earlier this year but I shelved the transcription of our conversation, not for any particular reason. She was super nice and very cool. I’m planning on posting the interview eventually. If there’s one thing I learned this year it’s that long conversations equal a super long transcription process.

– Clint Bowyer: He is the subject the greatest photo I have ever taken during a race weekend. As you can see in the photo to the right that is Mr. Bowyer look straight at me like I’m an alien. I love this photo because his expression is priceless. It was one of many cool moments I had during my time at the Chicagoland Speedway in July.

– Carl Edwards: It was a big year for Carl; he got engaged, brawled with Kevin Harvick and gunned for not one but two Championship titles. He came up short on the Championship front but it’s no small feat to place second in two series at the same time. My teensy, weensy encounters, at Chicagoland and the Auto Club Speedway, with Mr. Edwards were perfect examples of what a great ambassador for the sport of NASCAR he is and display his insanely likeable persona.

– Dale Earnhardt Jr.: I think my post, “fate finally throws me a bone,” is my favorite one for the year. It summed up a lot of feelings and explains where I’m coming from to anyone who doesn’t know me personally. The experience itself was definitely the highlight of my year. I’m hoping for 2009 to bring more experiences like that one, for sure.

– Celebrity: I saw a lot of stars and a couple so-called celebrities this year. I’m still highly pissed and irritated that Heidi & Spencer from MTV’s The Hills were at the Pepsi 500. Gag me. On the other side of the celeb spectrum, ya know the side where people actually ARE celebrities for having actual talent; I was star struck when I was in the same place as actor, and major hottie, Brendan Fraser. I think they should have him as the Grand Marshal of at least one race per year. It’s funny though, no matter what actor, musician or TV personality showed up at the races I was always much more interested in the NASCAR drivers.

– What I sound like: Thanks to invites from a couple really cool radio shows you got the chance to hear me talk about NASCAR. I had such a great time spending time On Pit Row with Steve and Charlie and hanging out in the Treehouse Fort with Matt and Tuffy.

– Twitter racing: When I watched races on my TV at home I kept my cell phone by my side at all times, not because I was waiting for the phone to ring or needed to check my email, nope I kept it with me so I could post Tweets about the race as it was happening. It became such a fun thing to exchange opinions, impressions and laughs with my fellow NASCAR fans. I invite you to follow me, so you can be in on the conversations next year!

– It’s the life: I think I’ve talked before about moments where you say to yourself “how did I get here?” Well I asked myself that question about 50 times when I toured the ESPN mobile production studios while I was at Chicagoland Speedway. I learned a lot, it takes a lot of work to put a broadcast together and rear springs are way heavier than I’d thought.

A little bit earlier Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett were interviewing crew chief Chad Knaus when I happened to see a NASCAR headline crawl across the bottom of my screen. It said that Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick got into an “altercation” in the garage at Lowe’s Motor Speedway today.

Get out! Gosh, I wish I could have been there to see that! Apparently the confrontation stemmed from the comments Harvick made last weekend at Talladega, something about him calling Edwards a “pansy.” I find this all very interesting. Is it just me or does it seem like Carl has been more, uhm, how do I say this, uh… assertive this year?

For the majority of the race things were going relatively well for me and the guys I was rooting for in the AMP Energy 500 on Sunday. Of course it was a big let down when David Gilliland was involved in a crash, but then things got really sad when Carl Edwards’ mistake took out his teammates, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and all of my highest hopes for Travis Kvapil. I was pretty much done at that point. If you follow me on Twitter you’d know that already.

So done that I didn’t care about the whole last lap controversy involving Tony Stewart and Regan Smith. While I think it’s great that Tony got a win after such a long winless streak, he did deserve it and it was so sweet to see his crew chief Greg Zipadelli get so emotional — something doesn’t smell right.

I guess my irritation lies with NASCAR and I don’t understand why Regan would quote what NASCAR said in the drivers meeting about being able to pass under the yellow line on the last lap, if it wasn’t true. It seems silly to draw that distinction anyway, that you can pass when you’re pushed under the yellow line when you can see the finish line on the last lap but not at any other time during the race. So someone obviously said it was ok to do it. And NASCAR’s official statement on the matter didn’t say that they never said it, it only stated that from now on they’ll never be able to pass under the yellow line ever again at the restrictor-plate races no matter what lap it is.

So whatever. Something that I loved about the race coverage was in the pre-race show, when Dale Jarrett interviewed Dale Jr. I looooved it and I really, really wish DJ could interview a driver before every single race. It was fun and I honestly think that they should try to inject some of that E:60 type stuff into every pre-race show, but that’s just me.

Pole-sitter Travis Kvapil (No. 28) leads the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy 500 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Clint Bowyer gets in his No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice for the AMP Energy 500 on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. (Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

American Idol runner-up and recording artist Bo Bice celebrates with Todd Bodine, winner of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Winn-Dixie at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

During NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying, (left to right) Scott Speed talks with Joey Logano, who will make his series debut in Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. (Photo Credit: Ronda Greer/NASCAR)

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Me: In regards to Prostate Cancer Awareness, a lot of the readers of my website are women, what’s the most important thing that they can do for their husband or father to help them to go out there and see a doctor about this?

Petty: When had our STAY ON TRACK for Better Prostate Health booth set up at Michigan I was surprised at the amount of women who came through and would bring their husbands, or would say “My father had prostate cancer, it runs in our family and I’m trying to get my brothers to go and I really appreciate you guys speaking up on it.”

I think prostate cancer for so many people and especially guys, guys just are afraid to go be checked. And just like I said before, as my father uses the example of putting together a pit crew for his prostate cancer, I think so many guys will baby their car, change the oil, do everything they can with their car and their lawnmower, and their fishing boat or whatever it may be but they disregard their body.

It’s easier when your family is part of the decision, part of the process and I think that’s the way we were. My mother and my sisters, when my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer it was almost a rallying cry and a rallying point for us to be a part of the program also, to be apart of the pit crew and the decision making process. So I think as long as the wives and the daughters and the girlfriends and the mothers will get behind it and continue to talk about it and continue to put it out in front of their husbands then obviously it becomes a focal point.

Me: So talking about the current NASCAR season. Are there any drivers that you see that haven’t been getting a lot of attention, that aren’t in the Chase, but that you see as up and coming drivers that you think will someday be Championship contenders?

Petty: Oh yea. Once we get to this stage of the year, and you start looking at the Chase, and you’ve got the twelve drivers in the Chase, and the twelve drivers in the Chase are guys that have won Championships, who have won races and who are really the mainstay of the sport. I think you drop back and you look at guys like Aric Almirola, you look at guys like David Ragan, you look at guys like AJ Allmendinger, guys that are coming in and just coming into the sport over the last two or three years.  They’re the guys you’re going to be talking about in the next five and six years and the next ten years. And then there’ll be another group that comes along; it’s a very cyclical sport. That’s the way it’s always been. As one group ages out another group comes in.

I think the sport is incredibly healthy when young talented drivers that will carry-on and continue to win races and have good rides and work with good teams and are working with people to grow the sport. So the sport is probably getting guys that you didn’t hear much about this year but who you’ll continue to hear more about in years to come.

Me: I actually spoke to Dale Jarrett a couple weeks ago and I asked him what the biggest difference he’s seen in the drivers coming into the league has been over his career obviously. He noted that the age of the drivers is the biggest difference, that they’re so young now. Would you agree with him and do you think that’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the drivers coming in?

Petty: Yea, I think Dale kind of came to the same cycle not to a different degree than I did. He ran late model stuff and all that, so he didn’t get a shot in the Nationwide Series until he was in his mid-20s. And by the time he gets to the Cup level where he’s winning races and has a shot at the Championship he’s in his late 20s, early 30s. Where now you’ve got guys that come in when they’re 18- and 19-years-old and they’ll get their shot at Championships and winning races and stuff ten, eight years sooner than that. So I think when you look at it that has been a major change.

If I go back and look at Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Terry Labonte and Harry Gant and those guys when they came along 30 years ago their rookie year, those guys were already in their early 30s for their rookie year. Now you’ve got guys that are ten or 12 years younger than them in their rookie year, so that has been a major thing. The guys that come along are so talented. There is so much talent in these young drivers. Their marketing potential and what they can do not only on the race track but off the race track is so great that the opportunities that the sport affords them are a lot different than what they were 5 years ago, or 10 years ago or as much as 20 years ago. So that has been the biggest change.

Me: Do you ever think that the marketing potential of someone ever overshadows their actual racing talent? It’s still obviously talent first and then…

Petty: It’s a balance. It is a balance. I don’t think one overshadows and it’s funny we’ve been talking about it over the last few weeks. There’s plenty of guys that can drive racecars that are not marketable and they can win races, that’s fine. But the guy that’s selling Coca-Cola he’s wanting to market his product too and just because you win a race, if you can’t walk and talk and chew gum at the same time and speak intelligently about the product then you’re going to struggle to find sponsors. And no matter how many races you win if you don’t have sponsors it doesn’t work.

So I think there’s a balance in line there. If you’re on one side and your all marketability and no talent then you’re not going to make it and If you’re all talent and no marketability you’re not going to make it. So there’s that balance in this sport and in this industry that you kind of straddle both sides.

Me: Where do you stand in your career right now and what do you see in the future for you and Petty Enterprises?

Petty: Good question, for me I’m not sure. Obviously where we’re at with Bobby Labonte or Chad McCumbee, or where we’re at with our teams and our sponsors I don’t know where I fit in that program next year. Hopefully I’ll be able to run a few races and that’s kind of what we’ve talked about from the very beginning.

I think Petty Enterprises is headed in a direction that it’s never been in before. We’ve taken on an investor in Boston Ventures. They’re apart of our team now and helping to run the team and I think as we move forward they’ll run it more from a business standpoint but we always run it more from a sports standpoint. It’s a different philosophy but it’s a positive philosophy and I think as we move forward we’ll be able to see benefits in the future. But it’s going to be slow. It’s going to take time. It’s not going to happen next year. We’re just going to have to keep working at it.

It’s one of my all-time favorite NASCAR moments and if you don’t remember check out the video below and then read Dale’s response to my question. So sweet!

Me: Your father called your first Daytona 500 win. It was such a huge moment in NASCAR history and in sports television history I think. It was such a great moment; did you ever get a chance to see the footage of your father calling the end of the race?

Jarrett: Yes, I did, yes.

Me: And what was that like for you, to see him?

Jarrett: Oh, more special than I can tell you. Ya know, as a father and son, and as a son in particular, you’re always wanting to do things to please your parents and to try to give them something back for all the time and effort that they’ve made in helping you to get through the early stages of your life and give you opportunities. Even though most parents and certainly mine were like this, they didn’t want any money back or anything like that. That was the best thing I could do was to make them proud and it was a very proud moment for my dad and myself and for my mom. It was just a very special day.

I had no idea at the time of what I was doing, trying to win the Daytona 500, that it was going to become such a special moment for my dad and myself. And actually for a lot of other fathers and sons around the country, we probably get more people to talk to us about that very moment in 1993 than anything else.

I know that a lot of parents and fathers & sons have special times that they can relate to but as far as being on national TV I don’t know that there was anything that comes close to that. I know that there have been other things along the way. I know Bob and Brian Griese in the Rose Bowl, I believe it was a number of years ago where Bob was the commentator and Brian was the quarterback. We actually had the opportunity to talk to them about that and just how special that was.

It was something that we’ll always have and people, again, remember to this day and say a lot, come to us with expressions of just how gratifying it was for them. It was a very, very special day that we’ll always have.

Jarrett: I think probably the biggest thing that came along as far as a change was whenever they required everyone to wear the HANS device. I look at that as a very positive impact and unfortunately this positive impact came from some negative things that happened. We lost a couple of lives to get to that point, to be able to make that decision and make that happen. To me that’s the best thing that has been done in our sport.

There’s a lot of things that have been changed, a lot of rules, some that would be up for argument whether they were better for the sport or just things that were done from what they felt like was necessity to make changes. The racing back to the caution thing where people could get laps back, that was getting a little bit out of hand and something needed to be done. People will argue they don’t like the idea, that now that it’s changed, that someone gets a free pass to get a lap back but it seems to have all worked out better for the sport.

The safety innovations that have come along inside the racecars were tremendous. The newer tracks, and things, have all been very positive for the sport. So there’s been a lot of things that I’ve seen, but I certainly think that the HANS device has been the biggest and one improvement that we had to have for the safety of our drivers in the sport.

Me: With Silly Season going on for what seems like all year long these days, do you think drivers get enough time to really prove themselves when they come to a team? Some guys have been there for a year, maybe two years, and then they’re getting swapped out again. Does the need for sponsors and money make it harder to get results and for a driver to prove themselves?

Jarrett: This kind of goes back to what we were discussing a little bit earlier about how young the drivers are in coming along now, that’s the positive side as they get those opportunities at a very young age. The other side of it is that as they get those opportunities to make their mark in the sport at a very early age, if things don’t go exactly as planned for them then they can also find that exit to the sport a lot sooner.

There’s not as much tolerance this day in time, you’re expected to produce. When you’re given these opportunities at a young age you’re expected to produce quickly. If that doesn’t happen then you can find yourself on the outside looking in and I would say that that can be very devastating to a lot of young people at that time of their life. So again, they have these opportunities early but there’s not as much patience given to these young drivers.

The teams, there’s so much pressure out there to keep sponsors around and to have these major sponsors that everyone wants to be producing and you’re not giving these drivers as much time to do that. It’s a situation that is very difficult. I don’t know that there’s an answer, it’s just if you’re going to take the chance of going in there and getting that opportunity at that young of an age you have to also be willing to accept the responsibility that if things don’t go well then you may be fighting for your job much quicker.

Is it fair? Gosh, that’d be hard to say. I don’t know if we’re given anything and told that anything about it was going to be fair. So you have to know that going in and I think that’s why as young drivers come into this they really, really have to look and focus on decisions that they’re making for their future at a very early age in life and make sure that they’re putting themselves in the right situation because just one wrong move could mean that you’re never going to get that first-class opportunity that you want.

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Me: Do you think that NASCAR could get bigger in terms of media coverage? It’s huge in its own right, but it still doesn’t quite get the respect, I think, that the NFL does and the NBA. Do you think it could get bigger and that the coverage could expand?

Jarrett: It could expand and it has expanded a lot, but what everyone would need to understand is how different our sport is because we don’t really have home teams. That’s the thing that separates our sport from getting more media coverage is that we don’t have that home team in Los Angeles or New York. The teams are based primarily around the Charlotte/Mooresville area.

Even though we go and have these tracks in a lot of different areas and that the media coverage has expanded tremendously you’re still not going to get that weekly and daily coverage because they don’t have the facility to go to, the team to go to there in that market area and talk to them during the week to see what’s going on. So that’s always going to keep us and make us a little more difficult of a sport for everyone else around the country to follow as much. They really have to have an agenda to why they want to do that. We’ve done a good job with that, ESPN’s done a good job with that, Fox has done a nice job, NASCAR has done a nice job and all of the teams and drivers and PR people have really helped in that respect to making their drivers and their teams accessible to the media.

It’s still always going to be something that we’re going to fight and there’s really no cure for it. So are we ever going to reach the NFL level? Probably not, simply because of those reasons that we don’t have those teams based in those areas for the media in those big market areas to cover on a daily basis.

Me: Speaking of the NFL actually. The No. 88 was your car number for a very long time and now Dale Earnhardt Jr. has it. Do you think that NASCAR should retire car numbers the way they retire jersey numbers in other sports? Or is it kind of par for the course that in NASCAR numbers change and numbers move?

Jarrett: Yea, I think we kind of set a precedent that that wasn’t going to happen in our sport. Obviously, NASCAR likes and requires that we keep it to a two-digit number, one or two, on these racecars.

When Richard Petty retired and they didn’t retire his number I think the rest of us could probably figure that our numbers weren’t going to be retired after that. If the guy that won 200 races couldn’t get his number retired then rest of us were probably not going to measure up to those standards or come anywhere close to having our number retired.

It is a little different but I think there again our sport is a little bit different in that respect. Whenever they take one of those numbers away from a team or something like that, or even a number of them, they have others that they can work around.

So I think everybody’s ok with the numbers not being retired. The drivers get, that deserve to be, in the hall of fames and things like that. It’s more the driver than what it is the number that they drove. And a lot of times in this you see where as NFL players go through their career they might be able to stick with the one number and in our situation it’s very rare that someone has just one number throughout their career.

Richard Petty might be the only person that drove the same number throughout his career and only had that one number, and I’m not even positive that that’s an absolute fact. It’s the only number I ever remember him running. But I think that everybody’s ok with the numbers not getting retired.

Jarrett: Well, obviously now that there’s the 18-year-old rule to whether it’s the Nationwide or any of the NASCAR events, the Trucks or anything, I think that’s a good thing.

Is it too much, too soon? Well that’s going to be hard to tell, I guess we’re going to have to see. If it’s happened before that an 18-year-old, and I don’t think that it has, has gotten a ride — ya know it’s rare that they get a ride at that age in the Cup Series — but to get a Championship caliber ride that’s what’s so very different this day in time versus things that have happened in the past.

Again, it’s very rare that someone would come along with that kind of talent that someone’s willing to take that chance, that soon, on them. But to put them in that level of competition and a ride with the opportunity to literally be going to his first races, especially if he gets in the next year, to be considered a contender because he has the equipment is pretty rare.

Because everyone is different it’ll be interesting to see how Joey handles everything that goes along with being a Sprint Cup race driver in a high profile situation. He’s shown nothing but class so far and I think that’s probably a tribute to his parents bringing him up that way. And he seems to have a really good head on his shoulders, but he’s really getting ready to be thrown to the wolves so to speak and he’s going to be under the microscope. So it will be interesting to see.

To say that it’s too much, too soon, again, people handle different situations differently and it will be interesting to follow this. There is going to be a lot of times that he’s going to be in a situation to probably receive a good bit of criticism for something but he’s also going to be in the situation for success to come to him very quickly and see how he handles that. And I believe that if anyone can do it, by what I’ve seen so far, he will be able to handle it.

Me: So what are the biggest changes that you’ve seen in terms of the drivers that are coming to the sport, in to NASCAR in general? It seems like the drivers are getting younger and they’re more groomed for the sport, they know kind of what to expect in the landscape of the sport. So what’s been the change that you’ve seen from your career, from when you started out to now?

Jarrett: I think that you hit on it, the age, that’s the biggest thing. We’re talking about an 18-year-old young man here, someone who is literally just out of high school that’s having the opportunity to get in with a first-class organization with a top-notch ride. Before, that was unheard of, you just didn’t see something like that happening, the opportunities that are available now.

These young people, as you said, are being groomed now. Their parents are getting them opportunities because our sport has become such a big entity that they see opportunities out there now. It wasn’t like that before. Not many parents twenty years ago would be setting their kids up, saying ok, you have talent here whether it was driving a go-kart or whatever we’re going to start you on a fast pace here, basically like college or a different type of schooling.

Just like we see young people going to tennis schools and golf schools to where literally at 13-, 14-years-old they’re going off to school to not only get their education but to learn the game or the sport that they want to make a living at and NASCAR is becoming a lot like that. Even though there’s no schools, these parents are taking the opportunity to groom these young men and women to become race drivers.

I think that you see them, they’re much more polished and ready and much more experienced when they get here now to handle these type of situations. To me that’s been the biggest change. Obviously media has had a lot to do with that, not only with helping young people come along but to give our sport the recognition that it’s been trying to get for a long time. There’s a lot of opportunities there and a lot of changes that have taken place but to me that’s the biggest thing, the ages that we see, these young people coming along and getting opportunities.

It wasn’t just a pleasure, it was a freaking honor to talk to this man. I’ve always liked him and I’ve always respected him as a driver. He’s a legend in NASCAR and if you told me a year ago that I would actually get the chance to talk to him I would have told you that you were crazy, but also that I liked your imagination.

So talking to him was fun and it was great to hear his opinion on the topics I brought up. He isn’t one to be closed up and cocky. He exudes niceness and this sort of regular Joe normalcy that I love. Plus he just talks, ya know? He doesn’t lead you around and give you nothing, he’s real.

So without further hubbub here’s the first of five posts devoted to my interview with the awesome Dale Jarrett.

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Me: What has the transition been like from racing to being a sports analyst?

Jarrett: Really everything has gone pretty smooth from my side of it. The biggest thing has been going from competing to trying to learn a new vocation basically. That’s been my biggest challenge. But it hasn’t been to me that big of a challenge because of the people that ESPN has in place and that they’ve surrounded me with.

So, do I miss the competition side? Occasionally but not a lot because we’re still extremely busy in the broadcasting side of it and I’ve really enjoyed the new challenge of literally looking at the sport in a totally different way than what I did for over twenty years.

When I was driving a racecar I just had only one thing on my mind and it was making my racecar go as fast I possibly could and beating as much of the competition as I could. Didn’t really look at anything else going on around it. I certainly knew how the sport was progressing and growing and things that were happening in it, but now I find myself, and literally need to, keep up with everything that’s happening in the sport. I used to not really be that concerned with news and notes and what other people were doing and things like that. But that’s what my life’s about now, so it’s been a fun transition and I’ve really enjoyed it. I like going to races, the people that I work with and so it’s actually made it a lot of fun.

Me: Has it made you look at drivers in a new way since you’ve become a member of the media?

Jarrett: It does make me look at it a lot differently and appreciate for what a lot of them go through, and looking back on it how I might have been a little more cooperative at times with the media because I’m on that side now.

But I also have the understanding of, I think, what they’re going through and so I try to respect that as much as I possibly can. I’ve been fortunate that I have a lot of good friendships and relationships with the majority of the drivers. I think they feel very comfortable in talking with me and sharing information with me. I think they know that anything that I’m talking to them about is strictly to help me, to help the fans understand a little bit better. The conversations are different than what I used to have with them but I feel very comfortable in the way that we’ve been able to handle things to this point.

Me: So when you’re calling a race and things are going on on the track, has there ever been a moment where you find yourself having to bite your tongue? Or you feel like you want to say something but you can’t? Do you ever have a moment like that?

Jarrett: Not really. I think that the only reason that I hesitate is that I always try to give the drivers the benefit of the doubt for something that we’re watching on TV because I’ve been there before and I know how totally different things look from a TV perspective and a viewing perspective than what they do actually inside the racecar. How things are so magnified and how quickly they happen, and so I don’t want to be too judgmental.

But I don’t have a problem when I can see something that is very clear and I have an opinion on it and in calling someone out on it or expressing my opinion. And I’ve had that discussion with a number of the drivers too. Hey, I know that things look totally different and there are going to be things that I’m going to say on TV that they’re not necessarily going to agree with but I’ve tried to let them know that I do give them the benefit of the doubt as much as I possibly can.

But again, we’re not always going to agree on what I say and maybe what I see and if they have a problem with that, just as when I was driving a racecar and competing with them, if we have a problem then I want them to come to me. Just as I would go to them if we were in a situation that happened on the racetrack. So I think that the way that I handled my racing career is also helping me in that respect to handle my broadcasting career with these guys.

Me: In the situation with Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch at Bristol, was Carl in the right for bumping Kyle at the end of the race to make the pass? Or is there a lot of grey in terms of what you can do in a situation like that? Or is there any time when it’s just black & white? Because it seems like there’s a lot of grey area where it’s good for one guy at one time versus another and I think even David Poole of the Observer said that there’s a lot of guys doing the same thing all around the track but you don’t always see it on TV, so it’s not what you think it is.

Jarrett: Yea, you’re definitely seeing that a lot and is there any certain rule? No. It’s kind of how you want to be raced. It’s how you race other people and it depends on which end of that bump that you’re on as to who’s going to be happy about it and who’s not.

And that’s something that’s been going on since the inception of this sport. You’re always going to have differing opinions and views on what is the right thing to do there and each of those drivers is trying to win the race and they’re doing what they think they need to do. And drivers are going to go about it differently. There are some drivers that don’t mind doing exactly what Carl did and say that that’s part of this and I think that you see probably a lot more of that in racing in this day in time because the cars are so equal it makes it difficult to pass and a little bump is sometimes what you have to do.

Again, it depends on which end of that bump that you’re on as to what you think is right. There’s just no written rule, other than, there is a lot of grey area there and people are going to interpret it differently depending on certain situations. It’s not only happening for the lead, it’s happening at times for fourth and fifth and even for fifteenth and sixteenth and a lot of times that doesn’t make it on TV and we don’t cover those instances as much as we do something that happens for the lead.

So again it literally goes back, and you heard Carl Edwards say this, basically that he felt like that Kyle had used that against him even though it was in a Nationwide race at a point in time and that’s the kind of thing that drivers remember. That’s kind of the way that the majority of them race now, I’m going to race you the way that you race me and Carl felt like that’s the thing that Kyle would have done to him in that situation and had done to him. So he didn’t have really any remorse about it, he never said he was sorry and [I] don’t know that he needed to. I think that he knew that was his intention and he stood by that, and what it’s going to do is make fans watch for that next time when the roles are reversed and see what Kyle may do to try to take that victory away from Carl.