Jamie McMurray Diary: Indy a great experience

Indy...what else can I say other than what an incredible experience last weekend was for me and everyone on this Havoline team. We finished third, and should have won the Brickyard 400 had it not been the late race caution and some blocking moves by another driver.

	Jamie McMurray

While I'm disappointed that we didn't win, I'm very content with our third-place finish. To come to Indy for the first time with a rookie driver and rookie team and finish third I think says a lot about how strong this team really is.

The car we ran at Indy is a new car and the same one we ran with at Pocono the previous week, so obviously it makes us feel good to know we have another great car in our stable.

Indy was such an unbelievable experience for me. There's so much history at the track and I was blown away at the number of people that were there. It was unreal. That whole experience is one that I will remember for a long time.

We gained some spots in the points and closed in on Greg Biffle's lead in the Rookie points after Indy, so it was a very good day for the Havoline team.

I'm testing at Nashville Superspeedway Tuesday and Wednesday of this week with the 40 team, and then it's off to Watkins Glen on Thursday.

I've race at Watkins Glen once before in the Busch Series back in 2001, so this won't be a first for me. We're taking the same car we ran in Sonoma back in June, and if I can keep all four tires on the track and out of the gravel traps, I think we'll have a strong showing in the Havoline Dodge.

I really think the strong run we had last weekend at Indy will provide momentum for this team and you'll see us be a contender on a consistent basis. I think the second half of the season is when this team is going to shine.

Now, on to some questions.

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Do you think you'll be able to beat defending Kansas Speedway champ Jeff Gordon this year at the track and will you be holding any autograph sessions in the area during that weekend?

--Meredith Templeton, Emporia, Kan.

Meredith, I sure hope we'll be a contender at Kansas when we go there in October. That's probably the closest thing to my "home track", so it would be nice to have a strong run there in front of family and friends. As for public appearances during that race weekend, I know they are working on several public functions during that week in the Kansas City area. I'd say keep checking back as it gets closer to see what dates have been scheduled.

I was wondering if you are married and if you have a child? I saw a picture from Chicagoland Speedway of you and a child.

--Erica Fernandez, Chicago, Ill.

Erica, no, I'm not married, but do have a girlfriend. The picture you're referring to was a picture of me and my niece that was taken at Chicago during the race weekend. My niece gets to come to a handful of races each year.

When you are getting interviewed do you every get nervous?

--Kim, Waynesboro, Miss.

Kim, no I don't really get that nervous anymore doing interviews. When I first started in racing and people started paying attention to me, yeah, I would get nervous about what I would say and how it would come across. But now, I get interviewed so much that it almost is second nature. Most of the media are great to work with and I've gotten to know them pretty well, so there's a level of comfort there now.

Jamie McMurray drives the No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. His diary appears weekly on SI.com.

Each week Jamie will devote a portion of his diary to answering questions from SI.com users.