Pocono 500 - Jimmie Johnson Notes

Team 48 Pocono International Raceway Preview

Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 race at Pocono International Raceway on Sunday in the 14th race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. Johnson leads the points standings by 41 points over Greg Biffle. Johnson swept both Pocono races in 2004, leading 250 of the 400 laps.

Jimmie Johnson:

(WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THIS WEEKEND AT POCONO?) “It’s going to be a much different race for us this year at Pocono. With the gear rule we have, we won’t be able to shift. That’s going to be much different than what any of us have done before. And I expect the times to probably be a lot slower since we’re not able to optimize the power band of the engine. And then with the smaller spoiler, at Pocono it’s very tough to get stopped in Turn 1 with the speeds we carry and I would expect that the smaller spoiler is going to be a little tougher on the brakes as well. So it’s going to be a different race track – probably one of the tracks we will have the most difficulty adjusting to with this new rules package this year.”

(DO YOU LIKE THE POCONO TRACK?) “I like it. It’s always been a lot of fun. It’s a very demanding track because of the three different corners and the shifting that’s usually been required there. So I’m not sure what to expect without shifting this time. What made it so interesting and fun for me was the shifting and the demands on the braking and getting your downshift done right at the right time. So I don’t know really what to expect. It’s going to be a lot different.”

(WHAT DO YOU THINK WE’LL SEE AT POCONO AS A RESULT OF THE NEW GEAR, AND WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THAT?) “I think drivers who search out a new line and keep their cool and not get frustrated (will benefit). It’s going to be aggravating not to be able to pass as easily and having the cars be so low in the power band coming off the corners. It’s going to be frustrating so once again, I think the tempers once again will be high. So whoever can keep a cool head and really search out a new line (will benefit). I don’t think you can run the same line we have in the past. You’re probably going to have to move up and you may see a higher line around this race track than you’ve ever seen before.”

(EVEN THOUGH POCONO IS A SUPERSPEEDWAY IN LENGTH, IT’S NOT A SUPERSPEEDWAY. IS IT MORE LIKE A ROAD COURSE?) “Yeah, in the past I’d say it’s more like a road course – especially with the downshifting. But now, I think it’s still it’s own place. You have three different corners with different banking and different radiuses and definitely different speeds you carry through it. So, that’s what makes it so fun and challenging in every corner. It’s hard to really get a rhythm on a track that big. So it makes it a lot of fun.”

Crew Chief Chad Knaus: (ARE YOU NOT IN FAVOR OF THE GEAR RULE?) “I just don’t think that with the speeds we’re running at Pocono now and the length of the track and the types of turns they are and the different configurations, I think it’s going to be very difficult to have a good show without being able to shift. It’s very much like a road course. We’ve always considered Pocono as a road-course style track and that’s why we’ve always shifted there. And that’s what they feel is the direction they want to go, so we obviously don’t have any say in it whatsoever, but I feel like if we were able to shift there we’d definitely put on a better show. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of single file racing. Getting off of Turn 3 is going to be very difficult now. And your rpm is going to be so slow that if you do get up underneath somebody and get the least little bit tight, you’re not going to be able to complete the pass I don’t think. Obviously we have not been up there and tested. I don’t know this for a fact, but we’ll know here in a few days.”

RACE NOTES

Chassis Team 48 will bring car No. 48297 to Pocono this weekend. This car won at Las Vegas in March. Car No. 48264 will serve as backup. It raced in the All-Star race last month.

Dover