Johnson, team pleased with progress at Lowe's Motor Speedway
By SceneDaily Staff
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
David Griffin / NASCAR Scene
Crew chief Chad Knaus (left) talks with driver Jimmie Johnson during the test at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
CONCORD, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson has five wins at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, so it might seem natural that he would be pleased with his results in the test session at the track Monday.
But his team has struggled on 1.5-mile tracks in NASCAR’s new car this season, so the fact that the two-time Cup champion was satisfied with its efforts on the opening day of the two-day test session was actually a boost for the team.
“It has been going well for us,” Johnson said. “I’ve run a bunch of laps today. The first thing that comes to mind is watching the track widen already. I think that is a good sign for us when we come back. We will see a lot of side-by-side racing. There is a middle lane right now that a lot of cars are running. …
“From a competitive standpoint, I think the track is coming around, and I think we are going to see some good racing.”
Johnson said that although the test was scheduled at the last minute – NASCAR officials added the session after outcry from the teams concerning the difficulty in managing the new car in its debut on intermediate tracks this season – he says it was certainly welcomed by all. NASCAR only has seven tests scheduled this season at Cup tracks. That means other testing is done at non-sanctioned tracks on different tires than teams use in the races.
Having the chance to work with all the elements of the car is more beneficial.
“It is so tough to get on-track time right now, especially at tracks that we compete at,” he said. “You can go to Kentucky, you can go to
Nashville and these other tracks, but if you aren’t on the real track, it is really tough to get anything carry over and help the team. On top of that, to get tires and have the right tire to test with has been a very big struggle too.
“This test was welcomed by everyone, and we are glad to be out here. I think it will help us advance the car of tomorrow on these bigger tracks and also put on a better show for the all-star and 600 weekends.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup teams conclude testing at the track today. They will compete in the May 17 all-star race and May 25 Coca-Cola 600 at the track.
