Although my name won't appear on appear on the NASCAR Busch Series rookie list this season, 2007 will be a year of many firsts for me as I strap into the JR Motorsports No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.

Since I competed in 10 races last year, I'm not eligible for rookie-of-the-year honors this season. However, the rear bumper of my No. 88 Navy Chevrolet will still sport a bright yellow rookie stripe for many of the races this year. The extra seat time I gained at the end of last year will be a big advantage to me and the No. 88 Navy team as we work our way through the 35-race schedule that lies ahead. As we prepare to head down to Daytona, Fla., next week, I'm looking forward to a season that promises to bring many new things my way.

A few weeks ago I made my first laps around Daytona International Speedway in a Busch car. That place holds such a special meaning in this sport. Driving through the tunnel knowing that I was preparing for my first Busch race at the famed track was just unbelievable. We leave in about a week to go back down for Speedweeks and I can't wait to get down there. We've done a bit of testing here in the last few weeks, and I'm just ready to get out there and race.

Many of the tracks we'll visit during the first half of the season will be new to me. I've never been to most of them, and haven't competed on even more, but I'm up for the challenge. My crew chief Wes Ward and the Navy team he leads have assembled some really good cars for this year and I can't wait to get out there and prove what a great program we have at JR Motorsports.

The Busch Series trip to Mexico will mark another first as well. I've never really competed on a road course before. In January I completed the Bondurant Road Racing School out in Arizona. Fellow driver Aric Almirola was there at the same time and we had a lot of fun mixing it up out on the course. I learned a good bit about braking and a few other tricks I plan to put to use in Mexico.

I'm sure the boss (team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.) will go over some things with me before I leave for Mexico, like he does most weeks. That's one of the cool parts about having Dale Jr. as a team owner. He's been in my position before. He knows what it's like to go to most of the tracks I'll be going to for the first time and is there to help me when he can. Despite my limited Busch Series experience, having him there is like having an ace in your back pocket.

In addition to all of the on-track firsts I'll get to encounter this year, I'll also have a few new experiences courtesy of my sponsor, the U.S. Navy. One trip they're working on will put me thousands of feet in the air flying with the Blue Angels. They're working on some other really cool stuff as part of my "sailorization" process with the Navy. I started the process when I took over the No. 88 Navy ride last August, and it's been incredible so far. Last year I got to land on an aircraft carrier and spend the night on a submarine, all in an effort to educate me on the ways of the Navy and what it's like to be a sailor. I can't wait to see what else they have in store for me this year.

One track that won't be new to me is Kansas Speedway. It was one of the places I raced at last year and I'm looking to redeem myself there this season. Like the rookie I was there last season, I tried to get just a little too much from the car during qualifying, ran out of room and destroyed a great car. The Navy team had to pull the backup out and we started the race from 42nd spot. We ended up finishing 21st. Given the circumstances it wasn't too bad, but at the same time, not nearly good enough. I learned my lesson that weekend. This year I plan on running up front and showing all of the fans in Kansas how good this Navy team and I are.