By Jerry Jordan, Editor
INDIANAPOLIS – It’s a story that has been written numerous times in recent weeks – Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion may not make into the sport’s playoffs for the first time since the system was implemented in 2004. But he doesn’t seem overly concerned and is focused on winning the race in his final shot of the regular season.
Heading into the action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Johnson has four career wins and seven Top 10s. The remaining 10 races saw him cross the finish line in 14th or worse with four of those ending with DNFs (did not finish). In short, he is really good at Indy or pretty bad. That makes what he must do on Sunday all the easier, he said.
“I don’t mind coming here at all,” Johnson said. “It’s pretty simple with just a couple of guys to worry about and I know that I need a lot of points in one afternoon but we’ve only discussed how fast we are going to be and how aggressive we are going to be and all the things that can hopefully lead to a victory and just eliminated any need for points.”
Johnson said he really loves the history of Indianapolis and what it means to racing but if he had a track that he would rather be fighting for his playoff life at, it would be Dover, where he has 11 wins and 24 Top 10s. The hard part about his job this week is that he could finish second in the Brickyard 400 and still not make it into the playoffs. That’s the reason he is focused on the win.
“We know that the best plans don’t always play out,” he said, regarding points, “but hopefully we have a fast-enough car that we won’t have to worry about it.”
Johnson has never backed down from a challenge and when the chips were all on the line in 2016 during in his championship battle at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he hit the jackpot and ended up in victory lane with his seventh championship. His car was even been pulled off the starting grid prior to that race, which forced him to start the race from the back. It’s those types of pressure-packed situations that Johnson said makes him better. It is also something that would make for a great story on Sunday – to win in the clutch.
“I have been able to work through some really tough situations and come out on top over the years,” Johnson said. “There are no guarantees on what happens here this weekend, but I do feel like if that opportunity presents itself, the experience I have will help me stay calm and help me do the right things in that moment. So, it helps me sleep better, absolutely, knowing what I’ve pulled off in the past. It helps with my confidence rolling into this weekend.
“Yeah, it would be a heck of a story to tie Jeff (Gordon) with five (wins) here and to come through a drought and all the things that we all know. You guys (media) had to write about it and talk about it. To have all that come to a conclusion and lock myself into the Playoffs would be one hell of a story. Hopefully, that is the story.”