MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
PRE-SEASON MEDIA AVAILABILITY
CHARLOTTE MEDIA TOUR
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 24, 2017
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Charlotte Media Tour and discussed the new race format, including strategy, points, and pit stops, spending the winter in Aspen, safety, pressure to win another championship and more. Full Transcript:
WITH THE CHANGE IN THE WAY THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE DECIDED, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? YOU ARE THE ONLY CHAMPION THAT’S HAD TO DO IT SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
“The championship piece, we still get to Homestead and it’s very similar for that event itself. How you get there is a bit different. The big takeaway I have is when you put all the smart people in the room and let everybody decide what it could and should look like, from TV owners, NASCAR, and driver representation, I think that’s a smart move. And, I feel that knowing our environment and knowing how to take the best from each of those folks in the room, all the major stakeholders, and come up with this system, I have a lot of faith in that.
“I’m excited that everybody took the time to put their heads together. Another couple of takeaways for me is that it’s all about winning and finishing the best that you can. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Duels, or what it is, there’s incentive to go out there an perform. As a competitor, it’s tough to say that’s going to change much of what I do. But, I know there will be opportunities where that point matters for someone. We’re at 100 percent in those cars, and then we try to articulate that all the time. Some get it and some don’t. It might take people from being at that 100 percent mark to making them a little bit more desperate in given situations, and create more storylines. So, I feel that there has been a lot of time and effort and serious thought put into this and it touches a lot of areas that needed to be addressed in our sport right now and the way things are evolving.”
DO YOU FEEL YOUR POPULARITY WITH FANS IS STARTING TO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT? YOU WERE ONCE BOOED A LOT AND NOW YOU’RE STARTING TO GET MORE CHEERS
“Yeah, I think when a driver has enough gray in his beard, the fans kind of let you off the hook a little bit (laughter). There has been a shift over the last two or three years, for sure. Homestead and even before we won the race and the championship, they introduced us on stage and there was a much larger roar than I anticipated hearing. So, I guess I’ve earned my spot now after 15 seasons and seven championships; well, at that point, six championships. But, I think tenure plays a big role.”
SO ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS GROW OLDER?
“Essentially, yeah.”
IT SEEMS EVERY TIME YOU WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP, THE FORMAT CHANGES. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE TEAMS THAT ADAPT AS QUICKLY AS THE NO. 48 DOES. YOU CAN GO OUT AND WIN EVERY PRACTICE AND WIN QUALIFYING AND WIN THE RACE. ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE A SIMILAR TACT TO THIS NEW FORMAT?
“Absolutely. And, I don’t think you have any option with the way the format is laying out. We all know how important points are. And with the new format, there are two opportunities to earn points before the traditional moment in time. Qualifying has been tough for us. We might leave points on the table in that first segment because our qualfiying isn’t where we want it to be. It’s just not one of my natural strengths. So, it’s going to force people to be more aggressive and more competitive in some situations, not all. I don’t see any downside in that.”
INAUDIBLE
“Yeah, I’m not bigger than NASCAR. There is no way they are changing rules based on the No. 48. This sport is a lot bigger than one person.”
WE ARE USED TO YOU WITH A BEARD. YOU SEEM TO BE CHANNELING DALE EARNHARDT JR’S OLD BEARD. IS THIS ABOUT ASPEN? HAVE YOU MOVED THERE AND ARE THE KIDS IN SCHOOL THERE? IS THAT A FULL TIME THING?
“No, it’s not full time. And yes, I feel very normal in Aspen with a beard like this. I came home and quickly had sticker shock or some kind of insecurity issues going with it, mainly because everybody is like, well who is that?
“We’re not there full time. We’re there for the winter. With the West Coast races, it works to be out there. Chad (Knaus) and Rick (Hendrick) are both very much in favor of me living life and trying to find that balance of being in a place I really enjoy in the mountains. It’s so great for me and my family. So, I’ll be there for the start of the season, but will be back in Charlotte and back to the normal grind in early spring or late winter.”
HOW DID YOU GET SNOOP DOGG TO PLAY AT YOUR AFTER PARTY?
“I just started making phone calls. We had him play the Super Skins Event (celebrity golf classic charity event) that Nick Lachey and I used to put on that was before the Super Bowl. So, we had a contact there. And I worked on it for that whole week leading into the banquet and had a hard time getting to him. I finally did on Thursday and he made it happen. And he got up there and blew everybody’s mind that was in the room.”
WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT ON YOUR PIT CREW WITH THIS NEW FORMAT? EARLY PIT STOPS NOW WILL BE AS MUCH PRESSURE AS LATE PIT STOPS.
“That’s true. The mindset of you’ve got 500 miles to get there, or 400 miles, or whatever the race distance is, doesn’t benefit mistakes on pit road. There is more to lose from poor qualifying and poor pit stops. More consistent qualifying, and more consistent pit stops are key. The trick is to go fast in qualifying and be consistently up front you’ve got to lay it on the line. And then, pit stops; if you’re not in that 11-second bracket at worst, then you’re going in the wrong direction. It’s requiring everybody to execute on a much higher level, more consistently. It’s going to be tough.”
DO YOU HAVE LESS PRESSURE ON YOU THIS YEAR BECAUSE YOU’VE ALREADY GOTTEN A 7TH CHAMPIONSHIP, OR MORE BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING FOR THE 8TH?
“I’m really content with where I’m at and happy with where I’m at, so I guess less pressure. Truthfully, I’ve felt like there hasn’t been a lot of pressure on me through six and seven because I never even thought I’d have one to start with, you know? When we won the five in a row and then lost that sixth, there was a weight taken off me then that I’ve mentioned to all of you (media) before, and I’ve been able to expand on that more and more each year. I feel a larger responsibility in being a real leader at Hendrick Motorsports and being there for my teammates and team members. I feel a stronger calling for being involved in the Drivers Council and a part of NASCAR and trying to help this sport. Absolutely, I’m showing up to win races and championships. But, I feel almost more pressure to handle that part correctly than I do to go out and win an eighth (championship). Some of that could be that with Chad Knaus running your race team, you’re in good shape and I know that starting my 16th season, but I’m trying really hard to not let that pressure be on me. I want to balance life from professional or personal life and the pressure of a professional life can really affect your personal life. So, it’s there. It’s shows up if you want it or not. I’m just trying to manage it and have a good time through it all.”
WITH DALE EARNHARDT JR.’S CONCUSSION ISSUES LAST YEAR, AND CARL EDWARDS MENTIONING IT AS PART OF HIS FAREWELL SPEECH, HAS THE SAFETY AND LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES WEIGH A LITTLE BIT MORE ON YOU THESE DAYS? HOW DO YOU PROCESS THE POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES INSIDE A RACE CAR?
“We all process it and deal with it differently. I’ve firmly believed since I was a young kid watching other racers that the day you’re thinking about it is the say you need to step down. And that shows up at a different point in time for all competitors. And, it hasn’t entered my mind; and so I’m still in the seat and still going. I do also feel that we’ve made some amazing headway in driver safety and concussion-related injuries, and the way I process it and internalize it, I’m good with where I’m at right now. That could change some day. And I want to be very aware of it and do what’s right for me and my family. Certainly for Carl, that’s part of the decision for him. We’re so happy to have Junior back. Of course his safety is a top priority for me and probably everybody else. But, he’s on a journey to come back and we’re going to have him back.”
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