GFS Marketplace 400 - Jimmie Johnson Notes

Team 48 Michigan Preview

Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 race at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday in the 23rd race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Johnson trails Tony Stewart by 115 points in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup points race. There are four races remaining before the “Chase for the Championship.” Only the top 10 drivers and those drivers within 400 points of the leader are eligible for the “Chase.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON:
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THIS WEEKEND AT MICHIGAN? “We had a good race up there last time. We were fair and just didn’t get the finish we wanted at the end of the day. After our run at Indy – even though it looked bad from the outside with the crash and going to the back of the pack and all – we had a very good race car and passed a lot of cars. We started to sort some stuff out and I’m really excited about Michigan. I think we’re going to be able to run up front like we want to.”

SINCE WE’RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE LAST 10 RACES, DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE SOME BONSAI MOVES AT MICHIGAN? “I definitely see the intensity picking up – especially going into Richmond. Last year, Richmond was a real eye-opener for me as far as how aggressive the guys would be around the fringe area. I can definitely predict that Richmond is going to be exciting. Each race, the strangle-hold is getting tighter on those guys who are fighting for it and it’s getting more and more intense.”

IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARE LEADING THE POINTS BY THE TIME YOU LEAVE RICHMOND, OR IS IT MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LOT OF MOMENTUM? “Momentum and leading the points would be the same thing. Last year, we were near the top and lost the momentum. We didn’t lead the points going into it and the reason was that we weren’t where we needed to be at that point. We were doing everything we could, but we really hit our stride four or five races in. Being in the top two or three. I would love to be leading, but more importantly, we need to have our team performing and hitting our stride as we go into Loudon. That’s more important to me.”

CREW CHIEF CHAD KNAUS:
ON MICHIGAN “Michigan is a pretty neat race track. It’s very wide with multiple grooves. There is a lot of room for guys to move around and make some neat passes. So it’s a race track I’m looking forward to. We’re taking a brand new race car and hopefully we will do well.”

HOW IS THE NEW CAMBER RULE GOING TO AFFECT YOUR CAR SET-UP AT MICHIGAN? “I don’t think it’s going to affect much of anything really. I think it’s a rule to prevent people from going any further in that direction. There are not a lot of people out there that are running more than eight degrees of camber anyhow. So it’s really not going to have a huge impact on anything.”

RACE NOTES

Chassis