Before the test at Homestead, if you were to ask me about the upcoming first race at Kansas Speedway, I would have told you that I was looking forward to it. But naturally I felt a little nervous about it at the same time. I didn’t know what to expect as I still hadn’t experienced running inches from another car, feeling the draft, feeling turbulence in the corner and all of the things that I have never done or experienced in a racecar before back in Europe.Going into the open test the team had a very intense testing program lined up for me, my eyes widened and I remember taking a big gulp when I first saw the five-page pre-test notes that Don Bricker, my race engineer, gave to me! Firstly, it felt great to be back out on track after a few weeks of Arctic survival back home in Indianapolis! The two days of testing was a lot of fun, and with a lot of hard work from my mechanics, we just about managed to get through our testing program with not a single technical problem or set-back. They did a truly awesome job, as always, so I gladly re-paid them by buying them drinks later at the bar. What we achieved during the test was far more important than any single fast lap time on a time sheet! In a nutshell, I was able to work on the car’s setup with my engineers which allowed me to consistently run the low line. I was also able to move up the circuit and feel what it is like to run the high line; staring the wall in the face throughout the corner and just laughing at it! I also ran two-wide for the first time, with other cars tucked tightly in behind me…those are the times when your spotter REALLY earns his money. Working with Pancho Carter as my spotter is a lot of fun! The guy is brilliant to have around, as he is so laid back and relaxed at the circuit. But when he is in his ‘Zone’ when I’m racing another car on track, he transforms altogether into a different beast, barking out instructions. It was like warfare in my ear! Yet he does it in such an excitable way, the guy has lost none of his passion for the sport that’s for sure, it really pumps you up mentally! So…going back to where I started. If you were to ask me about my first oval race at Kansas Speedway I will probably tell you that, “I’m looking forward to Kansas like Christmas!” P.S. please don’t forget to check out my website martin-plowman.com