Johnson: This Talladega race should be 'exciting'
By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor
Monday, April 21, 2008
Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
Many fans didn't think last October’s Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway was a typical, exciting Talladega race, and some blamed the Chase For The Nextel Cup.
Defending series champion Jimmie Johnson wouldn’t disagree, but since the Chase is 18 races away, Johnson figures this Talladega race – Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 – will be much better.
"I think Talladega is going to be an exciting race,” Johnson said. “Being in the points [in 2007], we held back and really tried to stay out of harm's way. I think it led to a not-so-exciting race at Talladega. I remember some criticism for it.
“I would expect this race to be completely out of control and wild. The points are always important, but with the Chase format, I think you will see a much more competitive race. A lot more guys taking risks and getting in the middle of things and racing four-wide. I am predicting a great race in Talladega."
Johnson also said NASCAR’s new model car, which was used last year for the first time at Talladega, should add to the excitement of the race.
“I think that the car of tomorrow and the new pavement that we have down give more opportunities to different cars and drivers in the closing laps,” Johnson said. “The track is racier now because of the whole package. With the car of tomorrow, there is enough room now where it’s not like Daytona, where you need to handle as much. So with the big hole that this car punches in the air, you can take advantage of that.”
Johnson has one victory and five top-10 finishes in 12 starts on the 2.66-mile Talladega track and will be gunning for his second consecutive Sprint Cup victory after winning at Phoenix on April 12.
But though the Phoenix win was “great medicine” for his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team, the second-place finish a week earlier at Texas was as important, Johnson said.
"I think our second-place finish in Texas did as much for us mentally and emotionally as the victory did in Phoenix,” the two-time defending Cup champion said. “I felt like we were going to be on par with our short track stuff, and Martinsville showed that. … We have been worried about our intermediate-track stuff, and having a successful race in Texas and being competitive validated all the testing that we did and gave us a shot in the arm.
“Really the last two races have done a lot for the 48 team and a lot for all of Hendrick Motorsports. We have a lot of testing ahead of us, and we are playing a little bit of catch up on the mile-and-a-half tracks, but I think our short-track stuff, our road-course stuff and speedway stuff is going to be just where we need it, and we are going to be as everyone would expect on those tracks."
