CONVERSATION: Jimmie Johnson Talks Streaks, Spins and Other Stuff

Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has not won a race yet this season. Six-Time Nation is reaching for the Pepto-Bismol. Is Jimmie? 

Not so you'd notice.

Johnson reflected on that and other issues Friday at Kansas Speedway, and here are some of his remarks.

Q: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR FANS WHO MIGHT BE CONCERNED THAT YOU HAVEN’T WON YET?  

“Until we are not locked in I mean there is nothing to worry about.  Where we sit in points right now we are locked in.  Of course we want to win; we want to win every race we go to.  We have been in the ballpark and have been very close to victory a couple of times and it got away.  Yes, there have been some poor performances.  We are trying to raise that.  I don’t think that we are where we want to be as a team right now, but we have had a few looks at wins and I know we will get a few more.  We just need to capitalize on that.  If not, points still matter.  There is a bigger window to make the Chase today than there was last year. Last year was 12, this year it’s 16.  I don’t think there is anything to stress out about yet.” 

Q: TALK ABOUT THE SPIN LAST WEEK AND YOU AND CHAD (KNAUS) AND THE TENSION OR HOW YOU GET OVER THAT.  

“Really last week was just plate racing.  We had a very fast race car and felt like a car that I could create opportunities to pass and win.  Was very pleased with how the day was going.  We got caught up in the first big wreck and did some damage to the car.  After that the second wreck was me spinning out. I’m still assuming with the right side damage we had on the car that was a big factor as to why I just spun out.  We fixed the car from there and I was racing through the field again.  I got clobbered at the start/finish line taking the white flag and broke the right-front suspension.  So it is just plate racing.  It’s easy to write it off as to plate racing when the championship is not on the line at Talladega.  When we go back in the fall it’s a much different race for us all.  Our big thing is lets at least see the white flag.  If we make it to the white flag we are happy.  Dale, Jr. has kind of instilled that in our race shop.  We saw the white flag so I was cool.”

Q: NO PROBLEMS WITH YOU AND CHAD? 

“We are going. I mean Chad (Knaus, crew chief) isn’t happy unless we are winning races we all know that. He certainly has had some sleepless nights.  We tested last week at Nashville.  We are working hard.  Chad doesn’t have an outbound filter.  When he hits the button or when he speaks there is nothing slowing down his honest opinion.  13 years of working with him it’s family.  That stuff doesn’t bother me.” 

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WAY BRAD KESELOWSKI WAS RACING LAST WEEK AT TALLADEGA?  I WANT TO GET THE VETERANS PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE CODE IS AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT DID TRANSPIRE THERE: 

“It’s a tough position to be in.  You have to think being six laps down you are not going to get back on the lead lap.  There is an opinion you are on the race track you deserve a right to go race regardless how many laps down you are.  I’m sure that is probably a smaller percentage of people have that opinion.  It’s very easy when you are caught up in that wreck is to go ‘why were you racing, you are six laps down’.  It just depends on where you are.  If you are a No. 2 fan or Brad (Keselowski) you are probably over here.  If you are one of the drivers’ the fan base that was caught up in the wreck you are probably in the majority in thinking it wasn’t right to race then.  Six laps down, me personally I would have just been riding and tried to save our race car from getting torn up.  Just sit there at the back of the pack.” 

Q: FROM A RESPECT POINT OF VIEW DOES BRAD NEED TO EARN MORE RESPECT NOW BECAUSE OF WHAT DID TRANSPIRE?  OR IS THIS JUST WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE? 

“Nobody intentionally tries to crash and take out other race cars.  I personally think that what happened in Talladega just falls into that restrictor plate bucket that we just kind of overlook a lot of things that take place at plate tracks.  Then you move on and you go to a normal downforce track and race.  Yes, cars were crashed, but it’s not like, just using Brad as an example.  It’s not like he went into the corner and just dumped somebody and there is going to be retaliation for a move like that.  It is plate racing and you just again throw it in the plate bucket and move on.” 

Q: ONCE A TEAM REACHES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SUCCESS AND YOU GUYS HAVE OBVIOUSLY SET THE BAR REALLY HIGH, WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES AT MAINTAINING THAT SUCCESS? 

“Successful teams can sometimes be their own worst enemy with expectations that are set in that respect.  We have been through dry spells before.  A 10-12 race dry spell isn’t a very long one period.  We have set an expectation that is less than that.  I get it.  I understand if we didn’t have any looks at wins this year I would have a much different opinion.  I still feel that we are extremely competitive and I feel as an individual I’m a better race car driver today than I was last year.  I just keep learning more and experiencing more and add that to my repertoire of things to do.  Our team is as strong as it has ever been. Our teammates are all running very well this year.  

“Our relationship with Stewart-Haas those cars are quick.  Everything is there we just need to own this new rules package and find the No. 48 set-up in it.  That is what we are searching for.  Some tracks we have been close others not so much, but our drive to compete it really exists within Chad (Knaus) as an individual and me as an individual.  That hasn’t changed one bit. We are still as hungry as we have ever been.  There is no guarantee that success will be as it was in the past, but we are going to show up and give 100 percent each week.  I know we will win our fair share of races.  We will make Chases and certainly be a threat for championships.”