Nextel All-Star Challenge - Jimmie Johnson Notes

Team 48 All Star Race Preview

Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Saturday night in the Nextel All-Star race. This is a non-points paying race. Johnson is the 2003 winner of the All Star race.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THIS WEEKEND? “It’s a great week in general. There are a lot of fun things going on. There is always pressure on the teams to perform, but obviously in a different context because there are no points on the line this week with the pit stop competition and the All-Star event. All in all, it’s a lot of fun for everybody to be around home and be with the families and have friends in town and to go to the race track and put on a great show. I know I’m excited and my team is also.

“The race track is quite a bit different than what it was in the past. It’s going to be tough for anybody to predict what type of racing is going to take place. We’re all just really going to learn as we watch the Open take place and then the All-Start event leading into the 600 week. We’re all going to be learning a lot as every race unfolds.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT POSSIBLY MOVING THE ALL-STAR RACE TO ANOTHER TRACK? “I think it’s in a great place. I’d hate to see it move. I know the majority of the garage feels the same. We travel so much. It is nice being around home. It looks like a 36 race schedule, but with the All-Star event and the Bud Shootout, it’s 38 weekends. We like having another weekend at home. We’re in a great area. All the teams are based here. The sponsors enjoy coming in. The city can support it. The track has put on great races in the past and hopefully it continues to do that with the new surface. All in all, I think there’s no reason to move it.”

(AS THE POINT LEADER, HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE UPCOMING ALL STAR AND 600 RACES AT CHARLOTTE?) “I’m really looking at the All-Star race as having fun. It’s a new surface and I don’t think you can place a favorite right now because the track is so different. It’s going to be changing as time goes on and the more laps that are made on the track the grinding grooves kind of wear down and the grip level changes. So I really think it’s a crapshoot to be honest with you for the All-Star event. We’re just going to get out there and learn and collect all the information we can. We’ll think it through going into the 600 week and then get serious again and get to work and try to win the 600 again.”

Chassis Notes - Team Lowe’s racing will bring car No. 48264 as the primary and car No. 48297 as the backup to the All Star race this weekend. The primary raced at Indianapolis last year where it finished 36th.

RACE NOTES

Rear Tire Changer