By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Top-10 finishes like Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway are steps in the right direction for Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports.
The improvement of the four-car powerhouse was showcased again at Bristol on Friday when they swept the front row for the second straight week with drivers Chase Elliott and William Byron.
For Johnson, a top-10 starting spot was enough to give him optimism for the Food City 500, a race where the seven-time champion ran top 10 for much of the afternoon.
“We did make a jump in our performance,” Johnson. “I hope we can find another chunk quickly that will put us in that top-five mix consistently.”
Though that didn’t happen on Sunday, Johnson scored his fourth top 10 of 2019 and second in a row, ending the day as Hendrick’s top driver in 10th.
“I think we are going the right way and I am very optimistic about that,” he said. “I am very thankful and grateful. We will celebrate these small victories and get ready for the big one.”
With speeds higher than ever around the high-banked half-mile Sunday, Johonson didn’t see much difference with the new package.
“I didn’t think Phoenix was any different, I didn’t think Martinsville was any different, here,” he said. “So, sure we have more downforce but I don’t think the end result is going to make a big deal.
“Bristol is Bristol. I know we have a new package here, but at the end of the day, it’s just more downforce, not a new vehicle. So, there isn’t anything really new on that front.
“More downforce is way more forgiving than less. They just put us in an easier position to create speed here.”
With mid-corner speeds higher, the two corners are where Johnson struggled most.
“It is more grip in the center of the corner,” he said. “We can get the balance on either side, which was what we had at the beginning of the year. But we just have two-tenths of speed in the car.
“I’m not sure there is such a thing as free speed, but if there is such a thing, I will take it and we’d be right there in the mix.”