Johnson Looking for First Sonoma Win
Sonoma, Calif. -- For the second week in a row, Jimmie Johnson is heading to a track where he has yet to visit Victory Lane – this time Infineon Raceway. While there are only six venues at which the three-time champion hasn’t won, both of the series’ road courses are on that list. But as Sunday’s 110-lap race approaches, Johnson says the 48 team has done what it takes to get the win.
"We've been getting better on the road courses and running the Rolex races have been helpful,” said Johnson. “I think that we've shown at Watkins Glen that we can run competitively and race for the win and stuff, so hopefully we can take all that to Sonoma. We've tested like all the other guys. I feel that we worked in some new areas and I have a very positive outlook on it. I think we're going to be in good shape. We typically qualify well. I just hope that we can get the balance right on race day. We seem to miss the set-up from the practice session on Saturday to what the conditions will be come race time on Sunday. Hopefully we can get that a little closer and have a good run."
The Lowe’s Impala SS start on the outside of the front row at the 1.99-mile track last year, however caution flags waved while the field was cycling through green-flag pit stops several times with Johnson still out on the race track, forcing him to pit while most of the field had already cycled through. He finished 15th.
"Really, Sonoma boils down to luck,” said Johnson. “The rules are so tight and the fuel cells are all the same. The amount of fuel that they pick up is the same. It's really tough to get an advantage. The only thing you can do there is gamble on the number of caution laps. It kind of boils down to how brave you’re going to be and how much risk are you willing to take. And that's the thing that gets us each year. We've been more of a conservative route and worried about a lot of green-flag racing, and we'd pit a lap or two after the big crowd comes and it just hasn't worked out for us and we're back in traffic. So it really is a gamble.”
Johnson also believes that NASCAR’s new double-file restart rule will make for an exciting race at Sonoma.
"I think it's great to be racing the cars you need to race,” said Johnson. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the lead lap car or a lap down car, it is a great situation to be in. I've really enjoyed it. There are times where your lane is the wrong lane, but you're a lot closer to the front than you were with the old format and you're racing cars that you need to race. So I think it's been a good move and will be fun this weekend.”
Sunday’s race will be broadcast live on TNT beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.
RACE NOTES
Infineon Raceway
- Johnson has made seven Sprint Cup Series starts at Infineon Raceway, where he has collected one top-five and two top-10 finishes.
- Infineon is one of only six Sprint Cup tracks on which Johnson hasn’t visited Victory Lane. The others are Bristol, Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, and Homestead.
- The three-time Champion has completed 99.1% (765 of 772) of competition laps at the 1.99-mile road-course and has led 30.
- Johnson has an average start and finish of 21.1 and 19.3
Chassis- Brand new chassis No. 543 will be the primary car for Sunday’s Sprint Cup event.
- Johnson piloted backup chassis No. 442 to a seventh-place finish at Watkins Glen last August.