Team 48 Phoenix Preview

Lowe’s Monte Carlo driver Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 will enjoy a rare off weekend before traveling to Phoenix International Raceway for the 500-kilometer NASCAR Nextel Cup race on Saturday April 22. Johnson leads Matt Kenseth by 15 points in the season’s point’s race.

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:
Plans for Off Weekend: “As many races and as many nights that we are away from home, having an off weekend is a good way to recharge your batteries. Chani and I have plans to spend some time together with a couple of our friends, kind of get away and enjoy our alone time. It feels a little bit weird with nothing to do but it is enjoyable right now. I think come Monday I will be ready to get to Phoenix and start racing again. I’ve learned I’m not a real good race fan. If I start watching races on television, it makes me want to race myself.”

Off Week: “We’ve had a busy week so far. I went and watched my good friend Marcus Giles play on opening day for the Atlanta Braves. He hit a home run which was awesome. Then, we headed to testing at Richmond. It has been a tough track for us over the years and this week was no different. We didn’t set the world on fire with out lap times early on, but definitely worked on some things. The key isn’t winning the test. The key is learning as much as we can about what makes the car good on long runs. I don’t think you ever really know if you have had a good test or not until you finish the actual race. The race pays a lot more than testing so we let our race results decide what was or wasn’t a good test.”

Phoenix: “I’m looking forward to Phoenix. Phoenix is normally a pretty tough track for us. It’s flat and fast and you have to really work traffic. Now throw in the fact that we will be running in sunlight and at nighttime and you have made it even more challenging. The surface changes because of the temperature changes. That changes the way the car handles. As a driver I have to always be thinking about not only what will make our car good now, but what will make it good Saturday night at 6 p.m.”

Phoenix Elements: “I know everyone says Phoenix is a dry heat, and that’s true. It’s hot there no doubt. But places like Indy and the final Martinsville race, and some of the races we do in the South and Midwest in the summer are worse that what we encounter in Phoenix. The sun going into turn one is always a problem but I think we have gotten use to it and can deal with it.”

Race Notes

Chassis