Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Jimmie Johnson Michigan CARFAX 400 Race Preview

Jimmie Johnson
2010  Starts: 22   Wins: 5   Top 5: 8   Top 10: 12
Current Driver Point Standings: 5th    Points Behind 1st: 328
Finish in Watkins Glen: 28th     August 2009 Finish at Michigan:6th

RACE NOTES
Michigan International Speedway
  • Johnson has made 17 Sprint Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, where he has earned two top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
  • The two-mile track is one of only four venues on which the Sprint Cup Series competes that Johnson hasn’t visited Victory Lane. (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead)
  • Johnson has completed 96.3% (3212 of 3335) of competition laps at the facility and has led 510.
  • He has an average start and finish of 8.1 and 15.4.
Chassis
  • Chassis No. 610 will be the primary for Saturday’s event. Johnson has driven that chassis once before – to a 25th-place finish in Chicago.
  • Back up chassis No. 553 has collected three wins in four starts – the most recent coming at Auto Club Speedway in February.
QUOTES
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING TO MICHIGAN THIS WEEKEND?:
 “It’s fun trying to get one (track where he hasn’t won yet) off the list . Really happy to get two very difficult tracks for me off the list with Bristol and Sonoma. Excited for Michigan. It’s been a really good track for us. We had a decent finish there in the spring. Didn’t really perform like we wanted to during the day and we were trying some things. We feel like we’re going to come back closer than what we were in the past. We had a lot of speed in the car during the race and we’ll take it from there. We’re optimistic, excited, no idea what to really expect. It could be a fuel mileage race.
“It’s been a good track for us although we haven’t won there, we’ve led a lot of laps over the years and hopefully we can take home a trophy. Especially after last week with the disappointing finish after we ran so well and passed so many cars to then have a late-race incident take us out of a good finish. I don’t like sliding down in the points any further than I am right now and looking forward to a good finish and hopefully to go up in the points a few spots.”
YOU FINISHED SIXTH AT MICHIGAN IN JUNE; CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT RACE AS WELL AS WHAT YOU EXPECT THIS RACE? “The last race we were trying some things that didn’t really work for us. In practice we saw some great speed, stayed the course with the new stuff we were trying and it just didn’t pan out. Granted, it was our first weekend with that new package and we’re smarter now. Last year, we led both race a lot of laps, ran out of fuel and all that kind of thing. I know that we have it in us to run well there. As long as it isn’t a fuel mileage race, I think we’ll have a shot. We’ll go back and see. It’s a fun race track; I really enjoy going to Michigan. Hopefully we get to victory lane.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES
Career Wins
  • Johnson has 52 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2010.
  • The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, two victories 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 23 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 Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20, 2009.
Career Starts
  • In 22 2010 starts, Johnson has collected five wins, eight top five and 12 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 313 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 125 top-five and 192 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 10,560 laps (of 89,787) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 120,841 miles.
  • He has finished on the lead lap 241 times.
Primary Car History – Chassis No. 610
DateEventStartFinish
07/10/2010Chicago225

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 553
DateEventStartFinish
07/26/2009Indy151
10/10/2009California31
11/22/2009Homestead15
02/21/2010California71

Jimmie Johnson – Michigan International Speedway
RaceStartFinishLapsStatusLed
06/16/20021414200/200Running25
08/18/2002397200/200Running0
06/15/20031116199/200Running0
08/17/20031527199/200Running50
06/20/200434200/200Running6
08/22/200414081/200Engine0
06/19/20051619200/200Running2
08/21/20051010200/200Running0
06/18/200646129/129Running0
08/20/2006813200/200Running0
06/07/2007219199/200Running56
08/21/200773203/203Running15
06/15/200866203/204Running65
08/07/2008217200/200Running12
06/14/2009322200/200Running146
08/16/2009433199/200Running133
06/13/201036200/200Running0

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics
YearStartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesFinal
Points
20013000052
200236362145
2003363142022
2004368202312
2005364132215
2006365132411
20073610202441
2008367152261
2009367162441
2010*22581205
* to date
No. 48 At-Track Crew List
NameShop JobTrack JobHometown
Knaus, ChadCrew ChiefCrew ChiefRockford, IL
Apple, Bart48 InteriorDriver EquipmentColumbus, OH
Barban, EarlFacilitiesSpotterSt. Louis, MO
Barnette, R.J.Pit SupportPit SupportBirmingham, AL
Bazzell, KyleTruck DriverTruck DriverFairburg, IL
Boydston, JohnEngine TunerEngine TunerOswego, NY
Bradshaw, RandyN/APit SupportCharlotte, NC
Brown, AndyMechanicRear Tire CarrierJamestown, NY
Claridge, JoeMechanicMechanicBarrington, NH
Flynn, KeithAsst. Pit Crew CoachAsst. Pit Crew CoachBurlington, NC
Gutierrez, RichMechanicGas ManYorba Linda, CA
Harder, BrandonTruck BayBack-Up JackmanToledo, OH
Ives, GregRace EngineerRace EngineerBark River, MI
Kohn, ChadTruck DriverTruck DriverDecatur, IL
Lingerfelt, MikeMechanicFront Tire ChangerGreenville, SC
Malec, RonMechanicCar ChiefFranklin, WI
Michel, PeteShock SpecialistShock SpecialistCobleskill, NY
Miller, ZackTire SpecialistTire SpecialistMission Viejo, CA
Morin, GregPit Crew CoachPit Crew CoachWaltham, MA
Plemmons, CodyEngineerEngineerCharlotte, NC
Puchalski, MarcMechanicMechanicSan Jose, CA
Purcell, KennethMechanicJackmanSavannah, GA
Simmons, ArtChassis Set UpFront Tire CarrierKirksville, MO
Teague, CalvinN/ACatch CanTaylorsville, NC
West, JeremyMechanicRear Tire ChangerHarbor City, CA
- GMR Live Marketing for Team Lowe’s Racing, Press Release

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