Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Jimmie Johnson Daytona 500 Preview

JJ Begins his quest for 6 NASCAR titles in a row Sunday
Jimmie Johnson at Daytona International Speedway
• Johnson has made 18 Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, where he has earned one win, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has completed 97.7% (3053 of 3125) of competition laps at the 2.5-mile track and has led 60.
• He has an average start and finish of 8.7 and 16.3.

Chassis
• Johnson will pilot brand new chassis No. 628 in Sunday’s season-opening Sprint Cup Series race.
• He last drove backup chassis No. 482 at Talladega in 2009, finishing sixth.



JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES

WITH YOUR STYLE OF NEVER SEEMING TO MIND SLIDING THE CAR AROUND IF YOU HAVE TO… NEARER THE OFF-ROAD THE BETTER ALMOST, HOW DOES THIS REPAVING JOB AFFECT YOU AND YOUR STYLE? IS IT A PLUS FOR YOU OR A MINUS?
“Our track record doesn’t show that the old surface was really a plus. Maybe this is a plus. You know our finishes here especially in the 500 we’ve been caught up in a lot of late-race stuff and we haven’t been the dominant car by any means, but we’ve had top-fives, top-tens in our hands and had some situations that plagued us. The July race has been much better to us where it is more slick so maybe there is an argument with that. I feel though as race teams with the new surface we only have a few areas to adjust the car and with the track being so forgiving everybody is going to be set on kill and handling is not going to be an option or an obstacle like we all like Talladega. From our standpoint we have less to separate ourselves with on the track during the race but I think it will be in perspective and for the Daytona 500 we’re going to have the best circumstances and the best race we’ve seen. The only thing that can screw that up is all getting too out of control early and cause a big pile up and there’s 15 cars left on the track. That’s the one thing that can screw this all up but I think for the Daytona 500 we have the best circumstances building.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES
Career Wins
• Johnson has 53 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, 2010.
• The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, one victory 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’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 25 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 Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010.

Career Starts
• 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 327 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 134 top-five and 203 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 10,996 laps (of 94,228) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 126,257 miles.
• He has finished on the lead lap 253 times.


Backup Car History – Chassis No. 482
DateEventStartFinish
04/27/08Talladega1013
01/05/08Daytona3023
02/15/09Daytona731
11/01/09Talladega16
Jimmie Johnson – Daytona International Speedway
RaceStartFinishLapsStatusLed
02/17/2002115199/200running0
07/06/2002168160/160running0
02/16/2003103109/109running8
07/05/20031118160/160running3
02/15/200465200/200running16
07/03/2004192160/160running0
02/20/200525203/203running3
07/02/200536160/160running0
02/19/200691203/203running24
07/01/2006932160/160running0
02/18/20072139173/202accident0
07/07/2007410160/160running0
02/17/2008127202/202running1
07/05/20083023162/162running4
02/15/2009731152/152running0
07/04/200932160/160running0
02/14/2010335185/208axle0
07/03/2010231147/166accident1
Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics
YearStartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesFinal
Points
20013000052
200236362145
2003363142022
2004368202312
2005364132215
2006365132411
20073610202441
2008367152261
2009367162441
2010366172321
- GMR Live Marketing for Team Lowe’s Racing, Press Release

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