Johnson, team pleased with progress at Lowe's Motor Speedway

By SceneDaily Staff
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
$util.encode.html($content.photo.alt)

Crew chief Chad Knaus (left) talks with driver Jimmie Johnson during the test at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

David Griffin
NASCAR Scene

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.

Mentioned Drivers: Jimmie Johnson

Post a Comment

Disclaimer: All comments are subject to filtering for language, and libelous content. Comments are intended to encourage spirited debate and discussion about the subject matter contained within the articles and ARE NOT intended for personal or demeaning attacks directed at other users. We reserve the right to remove any comments deemed inappropriate. Users who violate this policy may be banned from posting comments on the site.

Comment Preview

Nov 8, 2009 at 7:52 AM
You said:

You must login before you can post comments or rate content.

If you don't have an account you can create a free one here.

2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings

Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500

1 Jimmie Johnson 6248
2 Mark Martin -184
3 Jeff Gordon -192
4 Juan Pablo Montoya -239
5 Tony Stewart -279
6 Kurt Busch -312
7 Greg Biffle -340
8 Ryan Newman -402
9 Kasey Kahne -414
10 Carl Edwards -437
11 Denny Hamlin -448
12 Brian Vickers -556

NASCAR Schedules

abc

Dickies 500

Texas Motor Speedway
03:31 PM, 11/08/2009

Poll PositionView All

Which NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner from the past two seasons is most likely to earn his first victory of 2009 in the next three races?

Promotions

  • Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!

  • Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.

  • Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.

  • Cast your vote for the NASCAR Illustrated 2009 Person of the Year, presented by Old Spice.

  • Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.

NASCAR Community Join the Community

In the Forums View All

Presented by

Don't have an account yet?

Insiders Guide to NASCAR

Register with SceneDaily.com and get access to the following features:

  • FREE Insider’s Guide to NASCAR (available as a PDF download)
  • Daily NASCAR news updates delivered directly to your e-mail
  • Pre-race and Post-race emails delivered each race week
  • Ability to comment on blog and news articles
  • Information on new website features and upcoming contests
Create my Account

Login

Forgot Password?
Login or Create an Account