Team Lowe’s Racing – Jimmie Johnson – Texas Motor Speedway Preview

RACE NOTES
Texas Motor Speedway

• Johnson has made 14 Sprint Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, where he has earned one win, seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has completed 95.6% (4482 of 4686) of competition laps at the 1.5-mile quad-oval and has led 117.
• He has an average start and finish of 8.8 and 10.1.

Chassis

• Johnson will pilot chassis No. 623 in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race. He has only driven that car once – to a third-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.
• Johnson finished third in backup chassis No. 580 at Auto Club Speedway in October.

QUOTES
IN THE PAST GOING IN THE LAST THREE RACES OF THE YEAR YOU’VE HAD ONE GUY CHASING YOU. NOW YOU HAVE TWO. HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC FOR YOU? “For me we’ve always really approached each race with the mentality that we needed to win. You can go back to the Texas race a few years back where I worked hard to get by Matt. We’ve been able to win at Phoenix. Our Homestead performance has been getting better and better each year. I felt last year we had a chance to run with the lead group of guys and didn’t need to, played it smart.

“It’s really the same mentality. We need maximum points. Of course, it’s a little bit more forgiving or easy on your team and yourself with a big points lead. But we don’t have that this year. We’re going to have to race, and we’re ready for it.”

YOU’VE SAID ALL ALONG FOR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR WEEKS, LET’S GET THROUGH TALLADEGA AND WITH THREE TO GO I’LL DEVELOP A STRATEGY. WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY NOW? “All out. We need to be as competitive and as fast as we can possibly be at this point. We’re going to three tracks that are good for all three competitors. As Kevin (Harvick) was saying earlier, you’re going to have to run in the top five to stay in the game. Then obviously take advantage of things and win if you can. Ten extra points from first to second are going to be important. Leading laps, leading the most laps, you’re going to have to be on your A game from here on out.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES
Career Wins

• Johnson has 53 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, 2010.
• The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, one victory behind Lee Petty.
• He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).
• Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).
• Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.
• Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but four (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.
• Johnson was the first driver to win three of the first five races in The Chase.
• Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.
• The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.

Career Poles

• Johnson has collected 25 poles in his Sprint Cup career.
• The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.
• He had a career-high six poles in 2008.
• Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010.

Career Starts

• In 33 2010 starts, Johnson has collected six wins, 15 top five and 20 top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.
• Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.
• In 324 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 132 top-five and 200 top-10 finishes.
• He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.
• Johnson has led a total of 10,994 laps (of 93,315) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 125,043 miles.
• He has finished on the lead lap 250 times.