Race 2 Win: AMD at the Glen - Jimmie Johnson Notes

Nextel Cup Series

AMD at the Glen - Jimmie Johnson Notes

Team 48 Watkins Glen International Preview

This weekend Lowe’s Monte Carlo driver Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 travel to Watkins Glen International for the NASCAR Nextel Cup race on the historic road course. Johnson earned his 22nd career victory and first Brickyard 400 on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson leads the points race by 107 points over Matt Kenseth.

DRIVER JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES:

YOU'VE HAD A DAY OR TWO TO LET WINNING THE BRICKYARD 400 SINK IN, HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW? "I'm so proud of what we've accomplished and the fact that we were able to come back and really beat something that's beaten us. So the emotions that go with that have been a whole different set of emotions than the victory at the Daytona 500 or the excitement from winning at Las Vegas or Talladega. It's such a gratifying moment to come back and beat something that's beaten us so many times. So I'm just enjoying the moment and smiling deep down inside."

WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES AT WATKINS GLEN? "I love road course racing. I love The Glen and think it's a great track for our cars. I'm really going to be working on myself this weekend. I have a very similar set-up to Jeff's. I had a little bit different car and set-up in Sonoma and it really didn't work out for us. So this week it's in my hands. I've just really got to understand what I'm doing and how to road course race a little bit better so I can eventually get a win."

AFTER WINNING SUCH A BIG RACE HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR YOU TO GET EXCITED FOR THE NEXT RACE? "This experience has been much different. I don't understand exactly all of it yet. I sat around at the track until probably around 9 or 10 o'clock drinking that wonderful tasting cheap champagne from victory lane with my wife and some high school friends -- just sitting outside the bus still in my driving suit sitting on the asphalt leaning up against my bus just enjoying the moment. I came home and woke up and hit the road and ran four miles and then organized my garage. I just sat there with the biggest smile on my face -- loving every minute of it -- just proud and ready to go to the next one. So I'm ready to go. I want to get in this championship battle and start racing for this thing."

Race Notes

Chassis

Team Lowe’s Racing will take chassis No.48233 to Watkins Glen. This chassis finished fifth at Watkins Glen last year. Chassis 48287 will serve as backup. It last raced at Infineon in 2003 but tested at Virginia International Raceway this year.

Watkins Glen

Johnson has completed 295 of 362 laps in his four starts at Watkins Glen. He has an average starting position of 8.8 and an average finishing position of 16.2. He has led three laps.

Top 10s

Johnson is the only driver with 17 top-10 finishes this season.

Streak

Johnson has been among the top 10 in points for 90 consecutive races, since March 2004.

Career

Johnson’s victory at Indianan polis was the 22nd of his Nextel Cup career. This win tied him with Terry Labonte for 26th on the list for most victories since 1949. Only five active drivers have more victories.

Pole

Johnson’s pole at Martinsville was the ninth of his career.

History

In 168 starts, Johnson has posted 61 top-5 finishes and 103 top-10 finishes. He has a top-10 finish at every track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup series circuit. Kansas is the only track where he has not posted a top-five finish. Johnson has led 3,704 laps and driven 47,948 laps in his Nextel Cup career covering over 64,613.2 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 130 times.

2005 Watkins Glen Race

Johnson rebounded from a crash at Indianapolis a week earlier to post a fifth-place finish on the road course at Watkins Glen International. Johnson started second and never left the top five except during pit cycles.