Dodge/Save Mart 350 - Jimmie Johnson Notes

Team 48 Infineon Preview

Lowe’s Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 visit Infineon Raceway in California this weekend. Johnson is first in the NASCAR Nextel point’s race leading Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 7 points.

Jimmie Johnson:
IS THE LOWE’S TEAM READY FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE? "We've had the No. 24 team as a model. Our two teams work together side-by-side. When our guys come in on Monday morning, they're wearing a Lowe's shirt and a DuPont shirt and they work on both cars. From the first day, our team has had that championship mindset. We didn't have to learn that or develop that. We've had that presence around us. From our first race, we had championship on the brain. We let things roll off our shoulders quickly and move onto the next race if we've had a bad one. And that helps. I think we're good with dealing with pressure. I think pressure motivates them in a weird way."

IF YOU COULD MAKE CHANGES TO THE POINT SYSTEM WHAT WOULD IT BE? "I would put the overall points chase back to the way it was last year. If we ran 10 races per year in a NEXTEL All-Star event format, this point system would make sense. It would be great. But when you have millions and millions of dollars in it plus the hard work that goes into it, 500-mile races and 36 races a year, your point system needs to reflect what your series is about and that's consistency. I don't think our system reflects that right now from the competition side. From the entertainment side, you couldn't ask for anything better. From my standpoint in the final 10, I can't have a DNF. I've got to worry about other teammates who are helping their teammates out. There are so many different things that change the competition. It's not about racing and it's not about being a champion. It's about jockeying for position and not upsetting anyone and looking out for teammates and conserving and looking for top-fives instead of wins. So it's really going to change the dynamics of our championship battle. I think a true champion is the team who shows all year long what they can do and what the team is capable of."

WILL THIS BE LIKE A PLAYOFF LIKE OTHER SPORTS? "In any other playoff system, you work down to the best two teams. Right now, you take the top-10 or 15 based on the spread and you give the 15th place football team a shot at winning the championship if they are lucky, and that's not fair. I don't think that's right."

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