Jimmy Johnson Articles 2007 - NASCAR Forum - NASCAR Space -Forums, Schedules, Race Results, News

mrsmopar12 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-16-2007, 10:01 AM

GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe's Racing, Press Release

Lowe’s Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travel to Michigan International Speedway this weekend for Sunday’s 400-mile race. Johnson finished fifth and second in the last two races at Pocono and Watkins Glen. This weekend, Crew Chief Chad Knaus rejoins the team after a six-race absence.

With four races until the start of the “Chase for the Championship” Johnson is seventh in points. But, under the new scoring system that equalizes the points for all 12 “Chase” drivers then adds ten points for each victory, Johnson would start the “Chase” tied for first with teammate Jeff Gordon – both drivers own four victories.

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:

MICHIGAN:

“I love Michigan. There are so many lanes to choose from and from a driver’s perspective that’s what makes a track fun. If you aren’t happy with how you are getting through a turn you go find another place on the track. That’s what leads to side-by-side racing and that’s what the fans like to see as well.”

CHAD KNAUS RETURN:

“I have been proud of the team and what we have done without Chad. I think we have kept our pace up. But, we really look forward to having him back this week getting everything in line and getting ready for the Chase. I have to give our guys a lot of credit by staying focused throughout these six races.”

CHASE:

“We have been performing well, but until the last two weeks we have had some crazy bad luck and really didn’t have the finishes we wanted during the summer months. We are certainly not happy in seventh, but with the way the Chase works this year – the seeding process and all that – we just have to focus on transferring and then we will be towards the top if not tied for the top.”

NOTES

Chassis

· Johnson will drive chassis 359 at Michigan. This car won at Indy last year and Atlanta in March. Chassis 297 will serve as the backup. This car won both Pocono races in 2004 and Las Vegas in 2005. (See chassis history below)
Michigan International Speedway

· In 11 starts, Johnson has completed 2,007 of 2,129 laps. He owns an average starting spot of 11.20 and average finish of 15.9.

2007 Season

· Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon are the only drivers with four victories.
· Chevrolet has won 17 of the season’s 22 races.

· Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 of the season’s 22 races.

· Hendrick Motorsports has won 5 of the 9 “Car of Tomorrow “races.

· Johnson has led in 12 of 22 races for 763 laps in 2007.

Career

Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first six full-time seasons.

Johnson’s victory at Richmond on May 6 was the 27th of his Nextel Cup career. This win gives him sole possession of 22nd place on the list for most victories since 1949.

Johnson’s owns nine poles in his career. He has won a pole in each of his first five seasons – the longest streak among active drivers.
History

In 205 starts, Johnson has posted 77 top-5 finishes and 123 top-10 finishes. He has a top-10 finish at every track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup series circuit. Kansas is the only track where he has not posted a top-five finish. Johnson has led 4,958 laps and driven 58,336 laps in his Nextel Cup career covering over 78,485 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 155 times. He owns a career average start of 12.3 and an average finish of 12.4.

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.

mrsmopar12 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-29-2007, 12:49 PM

GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe's Racing, Press Release

It’s going to be a busy week for Lowe’s Monte Carlo driver Jimmie Johnson as he returns to California for Sunday’s race at California Speedway in Fontana. The El Cajon native plans to visit his high school as well as hold the Jimmie Johnson Foundation’s first charity auction and golf tournament in the San Diego area this week. Johnson will drive in Saturday’s Busch Series race with his car painted in a Kobalt Tools paint scheme. On Sunday the Nextel Cup car will carry a Habitat for Humanity/Jimmie Johnson Foundation scheme.
Johnson is sixth in points but, according to NASCAR, needs only to start the California and Richmond races to clinch a spot in his fourth consecutive “Chase for the Championship.” Under the new scoring system that equalizes the points for all 12 “Chase” drivers then adds ten points for each victory, Johnson would start the “Chase” tied for first with teammate Jeff Gordon – both drivers own four victories.

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:

ON GOING BACK TO HIS HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME:

"I’m actually embarrassed to go back to the school, in a weird way. I remember being a kid being in school and somebody would come to class and we were only excited because it got us out of school and were like 'Alright, we got to listen to somebody talk.' I am excited to go back. I am nervous, I don't know why. I'm just going back to (my) hometown and back to the school. It's hard to explain. Maybe I'm afraid they're going to post my grades for everybody to see or my detention slips. It's going to be fun and I'm happy to see that the school is excited to have me back and from what I understand the students are excited and they're going to do some real nice stuff out there. (I'll) just go back and check it out. I don't know what to expect and I assume it's going to be a little overwhelming but fun at the same time. What's weird too is a lot of the people that I went to school with are now teachers and stuff inside the school so it'll be nice to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time."

WITH THIS BEING YOUR FOURTH TIME IN THE CHASE AND STARTING ON TOP, IS IT EASIER THIS TIME?

"The new format this year definitely is a little more forgiving for me the way I'm positioned right now but looking at the Chase I think that our team is more confident in what we've been able to accomplish and the fact that we've won a championship that we're in a much better place between the years than we've ever been. We're just more relaxed, more confident and more secure with where we're at and really looking forward to the Chase where last year at this point we had that tension inside of us where we were excited to get the Chase going and we've been close and are we going to win a championship. To have the championship behind us and know that we can do it, know that we have the skills and the team and all that good stuff, I'm really excited for it, excited in a way that I haven't been before going into a championship battle."

THE JIMMIE JOHNSON FOUNDATION:

"It has been very rewarding. I heard about dealings that come with having a Foundation, how you are able to give back and how much fan support and the community we would receive as well as our sponsors. But until you live it first hand and you really see how that side of a company, that side of fans where they want to give back and help people, it just hits you in a different way. It is really rewarding and the Foundation does take a lot of work, people want to see that it is important to my wife and I, and that we are really there working on it and leading the charge for it. So, I probably spend more time on the Foundation, thinking about and organizing, Chani does too, than most other things. It is time consuming but so rewarding at the same time."

ON WHAT HAS TOUCHED HIM THE MOST:

"To see the spirit, especially in the Make a Wish Foundation, of these kids that are granted a wish. That have been through all the things they have been through, the outlook they have, the perspective they have--you get so caught up in material things -- and when you see someone is struggling and going through hard times, they go back to the basics and simple things and find satisfaction and happiness through all that - that teaches me a lesson. It really is wild to see a five or six year old child that is going through chemo with a smile on their face. They tell you they are a race fan, telling you that you are making their day, whatever it may be, and to see their fresh perspective on life, their different perspective on life, that is really cool. I am not sure it really pertains to just race car driving, more as a person, it hits you hard inside -- like, yes, I am consumed with competition and success and with that comes other great thing s in life--and you start using those as benchmarks for happiness. When you see someone that doesn't have those things and if fighting for their life, the fact that they are smiling and they are happy, it just re-racks your brain and thoughts. It is the simple things like that; it is not always the other things."

NOTES

Chassis

· Johnson will drive chassis 363 at California and chassis 297 will serve as the backup. (See chassis history below)
California Speedway

· In nine starts, Johnson has completed all 2, 255 laps. He owns an average starting spot of 12.7 and average finish of 7.4. He has led 135 laps. He won his first of 27 Nextel Cup races at California Speedway on April 28, 2002.
2007 Season

· Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon are the only drivers with four victories.
· Chevrolet has won 17 of the season’s 24 races.

· Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 of the season’s 24 races.

· Hendrick Motorsports has won 5 of the 10 “Car of Tomorrow “races.

· Johnson has led in 13 of 24 races for 778 laps in 2007.

· Johnson owns a series high 585 “fastest laps run” and a series high 1,140 “laps in the top 15,” according to NASCAR loop data.

Career

Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first six full-time seasons.

Johnson’s victory at Richmond on May 6 was the 27th of his Nextel Cup career. This win gives him sole possession of 22nd place on the list for most victories since 1949.

Johnson’s owns nine poles in his career. He has won a pole in each of his first five seasons – the longest streak among active drivers.
History

In 207 starts, Johnson has posted 78 top-5 finishes and 124 top-10 finishes. He has a top-10 finish at every track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup series circuit. Kansas is the only track where he has not posted a top-five finish. Johnson has led 4,973 laps and driven 59,038 laps in his Nextel Cup career covering over 79,157 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 156 times. He owns a career average start of 12.3 and an average finish of 12.4.

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mrsmopar12 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 09:52 AM

this thread is for the Jimmie Johnson articles for 2007

mrsmopar12 · #4 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 09:54 AM

GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe's Racing, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travel to Richmond International Raceway this weekend for Saturday night’s race – the final race before the 10-race 2007 “Chase for the Championship.”
Johnson’s fifth victory of the season Sunday night at California Speedway was his first since May 6 at Richmond and the 28th of his career tying him with Rex White for the 21st most career victories. Johnson is sixth in points but under the new scoring system that equalizes the points for all 12 “Chase” drivers then adds ten points for each victory, Johnson would start the “Chase” in first with 4,050 points due to his five victories.

The 2006 champion hopes to earn Hendrick Motorsports its sixth victory in the 11th race this season featuring the Chevrolet Impala SS “Car of Tomorrow.” Three Hendrick drivers have earned spots in the “Chase.”

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:

THREE HENDRICK DRIVERS IN THE CHASE:

“I think this is a great problem. Rick (Hendrick) has three cars capable of winning the championship with Kyle (Busch), myself, and Jeff (Gordon). We're all very strong mentally. We all want to win. We all want to race hard. We all want to be a champion for our own reasons: Kyle wants his first, Jeff wants his fifth. I want my second. When I first think in my mind of who I'm going to have to fight for the championship, I think of my teammates and that's a huge credit to Rick Hendrick Motorsports. There are a lot of other cars out there and it's going to be a long ten races to say the least. But I think my teammates, out of the three of us, we should get it done.”

ANY DOUBT YOU WOULD WIN AGAIN?

“No, that's not the case. We've been close; we've been running good. I think of Dover, I think of somewhere else in there, Chicago where we were running really good and up front and had problems. So we have been close. It's nice to get the job done and historically we get off to a great start, have a slow summer and finish up strong and it looks like for whatever reason, our cycle is coming back. It's just kind of what happens for us and I don't really know why but I'm glad we are back in victory lane. I didn't think we wouldn't get back in victory lane, but it is nice to get back.”

HAVE TEAMS CLOSED THE GAP WITH THE NEW CAR NOW?

"Yeah, there are certainly a lot of other teams that have closed the gap. That's really by NASCAR's design. I think we did a very good job of sorting out our cars before the season started and had a little bit of an advantage. But as the year went on, we really haven't had anywhere else to go and we're kind of topped out and finding very small subtle teams where the teams below us have been catching up and if not, better at times. It's by design as NASCAR wants it but the competitor in us, we're like 'well, this isn't any fun, we're tapped out, we're there, and everybody's catching us'."

CREW CHIEF CHAD KNAUS ON RICHMOND:

"We are really excited about going back to Richmond, we are taking the same car that we had in the spring at Richmond. We were in Milwaukee last week testing it. For Loudon, we have a brand new Impala SS that we are going to take there that we are really excited about."

CHAD KNAUS ON 48 TEAM RETURNING TO CHASE:

"I think it is phenomenal. I think it speaks volumes about this team. The whole 48 team has just been so, so strong since its inception in 2002. We when rolled out, I was very proud of the way Jimmie was able to drive the race car. The team just gelled and it has continued to get bigger, and stronger. For us to be in contention once again at this time is just incredible. It is a great thing for Lowe's, HMS and everyone involved."
NOTES

Johnson’s Season Track Sweeps:

· 2002 Dover
· 2003 Loudon
· 2004 Pocono
· 2004 Darlington
· 2004 Charlotte
· 2005 Charlotte
Johnson Consecutive Victories:

· 2004 Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Martinsville and Atlanta.
· 2007 Las Vegas and Atlanta

Chassis

· Johnson will drive chassis 424 at Richmond. This car won at Richmond and finished fifth at New Hampshire International Speedway in its only appearances this season. Chassis 419 has yet to race but tested at Road Atlanta and will serve as the backup.
Richmond International Raceway

· In 11 starts, Johnson has completed all 3,968 of 4,393 laps. He owns an average starting spot of 13.7 and average finish of 9.4. He has led 233 laps. He won at Richmond in May leading 105 laps.
2007 Season

· Johnson is the only driver with five victories.
· Chevrolet has won 18 of the season’s 25 races.

· Hendrick Motorsports has won 111 of the season’s 25 races.

· Hendrick Motorsports has won 5 of the 10 “Car of Tomorrow “races.

· Johnson has led in 14 of 25 races for 862 laps in 2007.

Career

Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first six full-time seasons.

Johnson’s victory at California Speedway on Sept. 4 was the 28th of his Nextel Cup career. This win ties him with Rex White for 21st on the list for most victories since 1949.

Johnson’s owns nine poles in his career. He has won a pole in each of his first five seasons – the longest streak among active drivers.
History

In 208 starts, Johnson has posted 79 top-5 finishes and 125 top-10 finishes. He has a top-10 finish at every track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup series circuit. Kansas is the only track where he has not posted a top-five finish. Johnson has led 5,057 laps and driven 59,288 laps in his Nextel Cup career covering over 79,657 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 157 times. He owns a career average start of 12.2 and an average finish of 12.3.

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.

mrsmopar12 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2007, 11:17 AM

GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe's Racing, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travel to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the fourth of the ten 2007 “Chase for the Nextel Cup” races. Johnson is first among the 12 “Chase” drivers leading teammate Jeff Gordon by six points. Johnson is aiming for his fourth pole in five races. He owns two poles and a victory at the 2.66-mile track. Johnson finished third at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. He has now posted a top-five finish at every track during his career. Sunday marks the first race for the Chevrolet Impala SS “Car of Tomorrow” on a restrictor plate track.

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:

TALLADEGA:

“I feel concerned and worried. But that’s no different than any other plate race. And with all the new things coming along, it’s still going to be plate race and we still have the same issues to deal with. I think it’s a little bit more difficult now. There are a lot of unknowns that we’ll have to sort out. But it’s still the feeling of a restrictor plate race in my stomach.”

BECAUSE OF THE UNKNOWNS, ARE THE PRACTICE SESSIONS MORE IMPORTANT?

“Yeah, I think it’s going to be more of a learning session. Like when we have the current car, set-ups are kind of decided on. We know where we need to be and what to do and we’re really working on small things, where it’s broader right now. So I think as time goes on, we’ll start perfecting the subtleties on the car and looking for certain things, but right now we’re all kind of back on our heels wondering where we need to work and what direction we need to go in, how is the car going to draft and what’s going to go on. So it’s a little bit more back on your heels right now.”

IS THERE ANY WAY TO MENTALLY PREPARE FOR TALLADEGA?

“No, you really can’t. It almost makes it one of the easier races we go to because there isn’t much you can do. When you go to other tracks where you can work on the cars and adjust the handling, you worry or think about set-ups and springs and shocks. There’s a lot going on in my own mind as a driver, about technique and how I’m driving the track and what line I’m using. At Talladega, we’re all the same. We’ve got those plates on and you’re running in a big pack and you can’t really protect a line or a move or whatever is going to go on track because you’re just in a big glob out there racing. So it’s really one of the easier tracks to get prepared for. It doesn’t mean that we’re not going to be stressing out going there and living through it, but mentally, from a driver’s standpoint, it’s one of the easier tracks.

ON THE INTENSITY OF THIS YEAR’S CHASE COMPARED TO PAST YEARS:

“For myself, I’m in such a better position this year, three races in. The intensity is there but it’s more optimism than it was frustration last year. For myself and I think for the competitors, everybody is dealing with something right now. We had a lot of crashed cars that were in the Chase last week and I think there are guys in that spot right now that are frustrated and it seems like are performing, but a lot of people are frustrated with their on-track performance. It’s been more about luck and circumstances during races. So, it’s extremely intense and it’s only going to get more intense.”

NOTES

CHASSIS

Johnson will drive chassis 457 at Talladega. This car has never raced. Chassis 413 will serve as the backup. It finished 16th at Bristol in March and third at Darlington.

TALLADEGA

One win, three top fives, four top 10s; one pole, average finish of 19.3
Completed 1,962 of 2,080 laps leading 180 laps.
Average start is 7.1 and average finish 19.3.
Average running position of 12.4, fifth-best driver rating of 92.0, sixth-best
670 Laps in the top 15, fifth-most
1,338 quality passes, fourth most.
Johnson’s 180 laps led at Talladega is the 22nd most in the track’s history and ninth among active drivers.
2007 CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP

Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the only two drivers to participate in all four “Chase” battles.
Johnson is aiming to post his sixth consecutive season finishing in the top ten in points.
Johnson’s only two “Chase” poles have come this season at Dover and Kansas.
Johnson owns seven “Chase” victories, the most of any driver.
Johnson has led 915 laps but suffered five finishes outside the top 30 in his 32 career “Chase” races.

2007 SEASON

Johnson is the only driver with six victories.
Chevrolet has won 20 of the season’s 29 races.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 12 of the season’s 29 races.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 6 of the 13 “Car of Tomorrow “races.
Johnson has led in 17 of 29 races for 969 laps in 2007. Only Jeff Gordon has led more laps.
Johnson owns three poles. Only Ryan Newman and Gordon have more.
Manufacturer laps led in 2007:
Chevrolet, 5,525
Ford 1,159
Dodge 1,480
Toyota 145.
CAREER

Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first six full-time seasons.

Johnson’s victory at Richmond on Sept. 8 was the 29th of his Nextel Cup career. This win moves him to 21st on the list for most victories since 1949.

Johnson’s owns 12 poles in his career. He has won a pole in each of his first six seasons.
HISTORY

In 212 starts, Johnson has posted 81 top-5 finishes and 128 top-10 finishes. He has a top-5 finish at every track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup series circuit. Johnson has led 5,163 laps and driven 60,596 laps in his Nextel Cup career covering over 80,987 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 160 times. He owns a career average start of 12.0 and an average finish of 12.2.

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.

mrsmopar12 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-18-2007, 06:02 PM

GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe's Racing, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travel to Martinsville Speedway for Sunday’s sixth of the 10-race 2007 “Chase for the Nextel Cup.” After finishing 14th at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Saturday, Johnson is second among the 12 “Chase” drivers trailing Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon by 68 points. Johnson is aiming for his fourth victory in the last seven races at the flat half-mile track in southern Virginia where Johnson also owns top-five finishes seven of the last eight races.

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:

IF TALLADEGA WAS TAMER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF THE CHASE, ARE YOU WORRIED THAT MARTINSVILLE MIGHT NOT BE AS EXCITING AS IT SHOULD BE?

"I don't think so. I think at Martinsville we'll put on a good show. It will be like what we saw in the spring. I don't think you're going to have the same concerns of a 'big one' on the short track. You certainly have spins and catch four or five cars but you can't clean out 15 cars. So I think everyone will be back to normal and racing hard there. With the bumpers and how tough these cars are, we might actually see a more intense and exciting Martinsville than what we had in the spring."

DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JEFF GORDON:

"We're certainly still close. With him now being a father, our social scenes have ventured in different directions. We still are very close with Jeff and Ingrid. We spend time, go to dinner, and do those things. Jeff lives in downtown, I live in South Park. We're still close, absolutely still close. As time has gone on, he's helped me get off on my feet and I haven't been in the situation of needing as much help with driving the car and maybe some of the business stuff and things like that. So our conversation is probably less on the work side and more on the personal side and how each other are doing and what's new and how many diapers has he changed this week and things like that. The friendship is still there and it's as strong as it's ever been. I think as years go on, from my side I respect him and what he's accomplished more and more, especially how he's carried himself through Hendrick Motorsports, through our sport.

"And the fact that he brought me into the fold and put me in the No. 48 car and how his leadership and the way things work between the No. 24 and the No. 48, it would be easy for them to be sour and to have the dynamic be too competitive and us not work well together. But Jeff's really been the head of that and has led the team through all of that. I have more respect for him today than I did when I started driving for him."

IF YOU ARE CLOSER, IS IT GOING TO BE THAT MUCH HARDER GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE WITH HIM?

"I don't think so, because our relationship has been competitive even though we've been friends. There's no doubt he wants to beat me, we saw that at Talladega. He made a move and got it done. But it's not that he hates me and wants to pass me or I hate him and want to pass him. We're friends and we have respect for one another on and off the track, but it comes down to the end of the race. That's what we're out there for is to get the job done. If we do get together and things happen, that's the stuff that puts a strain on our friendship or relationship. If you get passed and beat fair and square, that's one thing. But if you start crashing each other, that's where it would strain our friendship. I don't want to say we won't crash. You get into each other at some point. But it would take a lot to jeopardize the friendship and it's just not in either one of us to do that. It's just not who we are as racers
on track."
NOTES

CHASSIS

Johnson will drive chassis 461 at Martinsville. It finished sixth at Loudon last month in its only race. Chassis 424 will serve as the backup. It won both races at Richmond this year and finished fifth at Loudon in April.

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

Completed 5,446 of 5,500 laps
Led 724 laps
Three wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 6.6, average start 13.9
Average Running Position of 7.9, third-best
Driver Rating of 117.2, third-best
224 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
147 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
Third-fastest Green Flag Speed
2,093 Laps in the Top 15 (83.7%), third-most
111 Quality Passes, fifth-most

2007 CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP

Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the only two drivers to participate in all four “Chase” battles.

Johnson is aiming to post his sixth consecutive season finishing in the top 10 in points.

Johnson’s only two “Chase” poles have come this season at Dover and Kansas.

Johnson owns seven “Chase” victories, the most of any driver.

Johnson has led 1,016 laps in “Chase” races but suffered five finishes outside the top 30 in his 35 career “Chase” races.

2007 SEASON

Johnson and Jeff Gordon are the only drivers with six victories.
Chevrolet has won 22 of the season’s 31 races.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 14 of the season’s 31 races.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 7 of the 14 “Car of Tomorrow “races.
Johnson has led in 19 of 30 races for 1,069 laps in 2007.

CAREER

Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first six full-time seasons.

Johnson’s victory at Richmond on Sept. 8 was the 29th of his Nextel Cup career. This win moves him to 21st on the list for most victories since 1949.

Johnson’s owns 12 poles in his career. He has won a pole in each of his first six seasons.

HISTORY

In 214 starts, Johnson has posted 82 top-5 finishes and 129 top-10 finishes. He has a top-5 finish at every track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup series circuit. Johnson has led 5,264 laps and driven 61,121 laps in his Nextel Cup career covering over 81,994 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 162 times. He owns a career average start of 12.0 and an average finish of 12.2.

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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mrsmopar12 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-18-2007, 06:54 PM

Gateway Speedway, Press Release

MADISON, Ill. - Jimmie Johnson, the defending NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, was at Gateway International Raceway Tuesday for a Car of Tomorrow test. The session focused specifically on the Nov. 11 race at Phoenix International Raceway, the penultimate event in the NASCAR Chase for the Championship.

The California native has eight starts at Phoenix with eight top-15s and two runner-up finishes, but he's leaving nothing to chance when it comes to possibly winning his second consecutive NASCAR Nextel Cup title.

"We're trying to find some more speed," Johnson said during a break in the test session. "We're trying to work on some things that, due to the lack of testing we have with the Car of Tomorrow.

"We're trying to find some speed, trying to work on some ideas we've had. We think at Gateway, out of the tracks that are out there, it's the closest to Phoenix that we can find. We're just here to sort out some new stuff."

The #48 team had a late start Tuesday morning due to some overnight precipitation, making it necessary for GIR's track crew to bring out the jet dryers. Johnson took to the track at approximately 10:40 a.m. to cheers from fans in the grandstands, who were invited to come out and watch the NASCAR star turn laps on Gateway's 1.25-mile oval.

The 2006 Daytona 500 winner is second in points to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, who won last weekend at Charlotte. Johnson finished 14th at the track he has dominated in recent years.

He is currently tied with Gordon with six wins this season and has won the past two races at Martinsville, where the series travels to this weekend. Johnson said sometimes it's difficult to race hard against the man who he considers a mentor and a friend.

"Well, he stood up (with me) at my wedding," Johnson said, "we've had a lot of good, good times. He's not only my employer and my car owner, but he's a great friend.

"He's done a really great job and the thing I'm most impressed with is how he tries to teach me how to be competitive and still try to maintain a friendship. It's hard that the guy I'm aiming at and shooting for is also my buddy."

Another driver Johnson has been impressed with is Richard Childress Racing's Clint Bowyer, who finished second to Gordon at Charlotte Saturday night. Bowyer, who was the runner-up at GIR in the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series event, is currently third in the Nextel Cup Series points and is poised for a potential upset.

"I've always been impressed with Clint's driving," Johnson said. "This year, when he won at Phoenix in the Busch car, I just saw a different type of driver during that race. He had to race hard against...some of the other Cup regulars to win that race and in my mind, I thought then that he's really clicking now and understands these cars and is getting more experience on asphalt and is going to be a threat. Sure enough, here we are racing with him for the championship."

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are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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mrsmopar12 · #8 (**permalink**) 10-24-2007, 04:45 PM

GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe's Racing, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travel to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday’s seventh of the ten-race 2007 “Chase for the Nextel Cup.” After posting his 30th career victory at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Johnson is second among the 12 “Chase” drivers trailing Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon by 53 points. Johnson owns two victories and top-six finishes in seven of the last eight races at Atlanta.
The 1.5-mile tri-ovals like Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, Atlanta and Texas Motor Speedways often produce dramatic finishes. Johnson finished second to Carl Edwards by 0.028 seconds at Atlanta on March 20, 2005 but he beat Bobby Labonte by 0.027 seconds at Lowe’s on May 29, 2005.

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:

ATLANTA STRATEGY: "Well, you're trying to be in the top five after the last pit stop. That's a goal I typically have. It would be great if you're leading and defending. But if you run in the top five, there is enough that goes on in the last pit stop that you can pick up some spots.”
LAST LAP STRATEGY: “On the last lap, if you're chasing someone, you're going where they're not. And that really dictates your move and what you do on the last lap. If you can break the plane of the guy you are chasing and get to his quarter- panel off of Turn 4, the way we side-draft each other even on the 1.5-mile tracks, you will slow him down and you will beat him to the start/finish line. It's just the cycle of it. If the start/finish line were down another couple hundred yards, that inside car would side-draft you and cycle back by and he would win. But the way the tracks are laid out, if you can break the plane of his bumper off of Turn 4, you will win the race. I've had a couple work out that way for me, and I also lost one to Carl (Edwards) that way.

"I see a lot of guys now that if it comes down to the last lap, they know how that cycle works through, and they'll give the bottom to the guy that's chasing them almost saying ‘go ahead and take it, not a problem.’ You can even let the guy get all the way up alongside of you because the side draft will work and get you back to the start/finish ahead of him. In a lot of cases, the high lane is the place to be. And I see from Busch and Truck racing and obviously, the Cup series, guys leading the last lap just give up the bottom lane because they know that will work. So I think that is kind of common practice now. If you're on a short track it's not going to work for you and the guy is going to motor right on by. But it depends on the track."

JEFF GORDON: "I do lay it all out there against him, but I don't feel that it's because of a friendship situation. It's basically because he's good. He's arguably the best to sit in a stock car. Statistics show that. So I know, especially in this stretch for a championship, that if I'm going to beat him, I've got to bring my A-game. And that goes for the No. 07 and the No. 20, the guys who I think are really still in this points battle. So our friendship makes things tough from time to time, considering I'm worried about teammate situations or friendships as you get into that cutthroat, decision-making process at the end of a race. But the intensity and all the things that go into it, I've got to bring my A-game and be that intense just because he's Jeff Gordon."

NOTES

CHASSIS

Johnson will race chassis 363 on Sunday while chassis 359 will serve as the backup. Chassis 363 won at California and Las Vegas this season and won the All-Star race in 2006. Chassis 359 won at Indianapolis last year and at Atlanta this year.

ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Two wins, seven top fives, eight top 10s, average finish of 10.1
Series-high Average Running Position of 5.4
Series-high Driver Rating of 118.3, 150 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
1,505 Laps in the Top 15 (92.6%), third-most, 148 Quality Passes, ninth-most
2007 CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP

Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the only two drivers to participate in all four “Chase” battles.
Johnson is aiming to post his sixth consecutive season finishing in the top ten in points.
Johnson’s only two “Chase” poles have come this season at Dover and Kansas.
Johnson owns eight “Chase” victories, the most of any driver.
Johnson has led 1,163 laps in “Chase” races but suffered five finishes outside the top 30 in his 36 career “Chase” races.

2007 SEASON

Johnson is the only driver with seven victories leading 20 of 32 races for 1,216 laps.
Chevrolet has won 23 of the season’s 32 races.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 15 of the season’s 32 races and 8 of the 15 “Car of Tomorrow “races.

CAREER

Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first six full-time seasons.
Johnson’s victory at Martinsville on Oct. 21 was the 30th of his Nextel Cup career. He is 21st on the list for most victories since 1949.
Johnson’s owns 12 poles in his career. He has won a pole in each of his first six seasons.

HISTORY

In 215 starts, Johnson has posted 83 top-5 finishes and 130 top-10 finishes. He has a top-5 finish at every track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup series circuit. Johnson has led 5,411 laps and driven 61,627 laps in his Nextel Cup career covering over 82,260 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 163 times. He owns a career average start of 12.0 and an average finish of 12.1.

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Curves24 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-27-2007, 08:54 AM

Johnson to Donate Race Winnings to Red Cross: In response to the Southern California wildfires, #48Jimmie Johnson, Lowe’s, Hendrick Motorsports and Speedway Motorsports and Sonic Automotive Chairman Bruton Smith will each donate to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts for the California Wildfire Relief Fund this weekend to benefit people affected by the fires. Johnson, through the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, and Hendrick Motorsports will donate their winnings from Sunday’s Nextel Cup race at Atlanta to assist Red Cross relief efforts throughout Southern California. Lowe’s and Smith will each match those contributions dollar for dollar.(GMR/Hendrick PR)(10-27-2007)

mrsmopar12 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 11:53 PM

GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe's Racing, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travel to Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday's eighth of the ten-race 2007 "Chase for the Nextel Cup." After posting his 31st career victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Johnson is second among the 12 "Chase" drivers trailing Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon by 9 points.

After victories at Martinsville and Atlanta, he hopes to post his third consecutive victory this weekend equaling the performance in 2004 when he won at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Martinsville and Atlanta. With only the Texas, Phoenix and Homestead races left on the 2007 schedule, Johnson hopes to become the sport's 13th back-to-back champion and first since Jeff Gordon won titles in 1997 and 1998. Johnson will race a Chevrolet Impala SS "Car of Tomorrow" with a special Kobalt Tools paint scheme this weekend in Texas.

JIMMIE JOHNSON ON WHAT HE LEARNED LAST YEAR REGARDING PRESSURE:

"It's being in the right frame of mind and having the patience for the season and for the Chase; you only learn that from experience. And that experience of really the last five seasons, including last year's Chase and championship, have just continued to make me smarter and stronger, and the same for the team. Experience is everything. You can talk to anyone in sports and they'll take experience over age regardless of the discipline."

WHAT HE LEARNED FROM JEFF GORDON AND THEIR DIFFERENCES:

"I think his big picture perspective is something he's really helped me with in trying to understand if it's business or race-related or whatever it may be. There is usually a lot that leads into everything; a decision or a point of view or whatever it may be; and how you drive the car, and what you're looking for in the race. The big picture point of view has been very helpful as something that he's taught me. I think that one of the opposites is the type of race cars that we like and look for. He likes a car that he can really pull on the steering wheel with and likes the feeling in the front of the car, where I like a car that I can drive with my foot and with the back or the car and rear tires and how you drive it with the throttle makes the car corner. Those would be the opposites."

ON TWO-MAN RACE & NOTICING ATTITUDE CHANGES AT THE 24/48 SHOP:

"No, and I'm not sure if it's a two-man race yet. But I have not seen any change in our guys. I see a lot of excitement out of them and that excitement continues to build. I think the 24 and 48 guys as we break out into the race weekend and maybe they are swayed one way or another but these guys come in wearing one shirt. One side of it has the Lowe's logo and the other side has the DuPont logo. They just want championships. So I see a lot of camaraderie inside the shop and a lot of energy to try and win this thing. It's exciting to have our two cars fighting for it. It's very exciting and proud moment for these guys who put in so much time and effort to have their two cars fighting for the championship."

NOTES

CHASSIS

Johnson will race chassis 363 on Sunday while chassis 359 will serve as the backup. Chassis 363 won at Atlanta on Sunday as well as at California and Las Vegas this season. It won the All-Star race in 2006. Chassis 359 won at Indianapolis last year and at Atlanta in March.

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Three top fives, six top 10s in 8 starts, and led three laps.
Average start is 9.8 and average finish of 10.2
Average running position of 11.0
Driver rating of 99.9, fourth-best, 71 fastest laps run, seventh-most
Third-fastest green flag speed, 1,219 Laps in the top 15 (72.8%), fourth-most
133 quality passes, sixth-most

JOHNSON'S CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES

2004 Lowe's Motor Speedway, Martinsville and Atlanta.
2007 Las Vegas and Atlanta
2007 California and Richmond

2007 CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP

Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the only two drivers to participate in all four "Chase" battles.
Johnson is aiming to post his sixth consecutive season finishing in the top ten in points.
Johnson's only two "Chase" poles have come this season at Dover and Kansas. Johnson owns nine "Chase" victories, the most of any driver.
Johnson has led 1,171 laps in "Chase" races but suffered