Welcome to HickoryRecord.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

HickoryRecord.com - Hickory Daily Record

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

Gentlemen, start your engines

Champ looks good, but Johnson not overconfident

Chuck Burton / Associated Press

Jimmie Johnson gestures during a news conference at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord on Thursday.

By Steve Winzenread | Independent Tribune

Published: October 11, 2008

CONCORD - With six races left, Jimmie Johnson is right where he wants to be.
The two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion holds a 72-point lead over second-place Carl Edwards and 77-point edge over Greg Biffle.
But don't try to tell him he has anything wrapped up as he makes his 250th career Sprint Cup start tonight at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Bank of America 500.
"We still have to go out and lead laps, win races and run up front," Johnson said. "Seventy-two points is nice, but with six races (left), it is not a lot. Anything can happen still.
"We still need to race for every point and don't change anything. I feel through my career the times I have tried to change something are the times I have made mistakes."
Others favor Johnson's chances of becoming only the second driver to accomplish a Cup threepeat, joining Cale Yarborough (1976-78).
"I think the No. 48 car is the one to beat and it's theirs to lose," said Kevin Harvick.
Asked if Johnson is bulletproof, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said: "He appears to look more and more so every weekend. He's really put together a consistent start to the Chase."
For their part, Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon aren't conceding.
"There is no question that they've been consistently better at these next two race tracks (LMS and Martinsville) than the rest of the field," Burton said. "What we have to do is do it better."
Said Gordon: "I think a lot of other guys like ourselves are going to put up a good fight, too. And just like happened at Talladega.
That can happen at (LMS). It can happen at Martinsville. It can happen anywhere."
Johnson, 33, has a strong history both at LMS and in the Chase, especially the final six races. Johnson hasn't won at LMS since 2005, however.
He finished 39th in May in the Coca-Cola 600, but starts first tonight thanks to series owner points after rain washed out Thursday's scheduled qualifying.
Looking to the future, Johnson's car tonight will have his 2009 paint scheme.
With all his success, Johnson is thankful to be where he is now.
"I have always wondered why … everything didn't work out in the ASA or the Busch Series or in trucks," he said. "Now that it is all said and done, I look back on it and I get it. It wasn't my turn yet. Now it's my time and thank God it's this massive scale."
Biffle tested well at LMS in late September and expects an interesting race tonight.
"I'm really excited about being back here," he said. "We had a great test a few weeks back. Two second-place finishes in the spring. Certainly trying to better that by one spot. We think we're going to run good this weekend."
Based on testing, Burton said he expects an all-out race.
"At the test … there were cars running fast on the bottom, cars running fast in the middle, cars running fast at the top," he said. "If you could do that in the test, it's going to be really doable in the race."
While the 12 drivers in the Chase look to improve their standing, Kasey Kahne tries to become the first driver to sweep the all-star race, 600 and 500 at LMS.
Earnhardt Jr. turned 34 on Friday. Tonight he is scheduled to drive an orange car as a sponsor promotion.