By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
During a rainy Saturday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson spoke to the media and hit on multiple topics that further explain his standing in the 2018 playoffs, his sponsorship woes for 2019 and more.
Coming into Sunday’s Brickyard 400 as a four-time race winner, Johnson has been under the radar regarding performance practically since winning his most recent Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2016. With only six top-five finishes since, along with sponsor Lowe’s pulling out after 2018, questions have rumbled the grounds of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 Chevrolet.
During the media availability, Johnson, with all this in mind, discussed some key topics as he approaches one of his more successful racetracks of the year.
Driving Too Hard in 2018
Following a disaster race at Darlington Raceway last week — where Johnson suffered a loose wheel, missing pit road and an oil pump issue that ended his day premature.
Above that, however, it was driver mistakes that got Johnson’s attention after the night was done. Much of it spoke to his performance in 2018.
“There is plenty to learn,” Johnson said. “The overarching thing for me is compounding mistakes. People make mistakes but let’s not make a bad situation worse. We need to stop making mistakes. I was in a position a drove outside my means over the 100-percent level because I knew I had a good car.
“I am so eager to get back to winning and leading laps. I just try too hard. In qualifying, I made a mistake, coming to pit road, I came around the corner too aggressive… I feel I was too aggressive all weekend.”
Johnson believes this is the second-toughest point of his career, jumping back to his rookie XFINITY Series season in 2001.
“My optimism to turn things around is that I’ll never give up,” he said. “There are a lot of reasons for that. The first is me and who I am. Second is I drive for Hendrick, we will figure it out.
“We’re all human. I made mistakes even when I have been at my peak. I’ve also made compound mistakes, it’s all part of it. When something is not going right, you just try harder and harder. We’re all human. I just need to stop doing it. It’s what needs to happen.”
Sponsorship Still in Question for 2019
A leading factor in Johnson’s “overly aggressive” driving has been based on a level of uncertainty for 2019. For the first time, his sponsor of Lowe’s is in question in returning for next year and Johnson has taken notice by speaking to “multiple” partners this year.
“I know we’ve talked to many, many companies,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to anyone [on rumors of Lowe’s returning]. If that is true, I’d love to see that continue on.”
Despite the questions, Johnson feels it is his responsibility to not get washed into distraction with the playoffs one week away.
“I have to show up every week and have a clear mind,” he said. “Carrying anything is bad and I have carried stuff from track to track. It’s not been beneficial. The best thing I can do is show up as if I’m in the middle of that five-championship stretch and have that swagger.”
Kasey Kahne & Heat Exhaustion
Another driver whose career has gone through significant change over the past three years is Kasey Kahne. Once Johnson’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, the Washington native is now calling it a career in Cup, announcing his retirement from the series after a 15-year run.
Unfortunately for Kahne, that’s not even what’s grabbing headlines this weekend. Following a hot night in Darlington, Kahne suffered from heat exhaustion and its effects have lingered into the Indy weekend, forcing Kahne to sit out and hand his No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet to Regan Smith this weekend.
Johnson has experienced overheating issues in his career, most notably passing out following the September race at Richmond in 2014. He understands Kahne’s move to step away from the car this weekend praising such decision.
“Everybody reacts differently to heat,” he said. “For me, thankfully, the cramping starts first. In Richmond, I passed out from the pain of the cramping, my body shut down. It’s something I’ve worked very hard on it. I found I have to keep evolving as I get older.
“I really applaud him to stand back and say, ‘Look, I need to make sure I know what’s going on before I go any further.’ I’m bummed not to see him here but at the same time I think he made the right decision to sit out this weekend.”
Dramatic 2017 Brickyard Finish/Crash
Speaking of Kahne, the 25th running of the Brickyard 400 stands one year off his most recent Cup victory and the most dramatic running of the event in its history. Kahne grabbed the breakthrough win while heavy attrition and bold racing highlighted the final stage of the day.
Among the moves was one by Johnson, who made a three-wide move for the race lead under then-leader Kahne and Brad Keselowski. With smoke billowing from his No. 48, Johnson spun and crashed in Turn 3 as the three refused to lift and attempted to race three-wide through the corner.
Despite the tough end, Johnson smiles when remembering the thrilling battle.
“I was able to get in position off Turn 2 with Kasey and Brad running side-by-side,” he said. That gave me a chance to build some momentum and pull to the inside down the back straightaway.
“I remember looking into the mirror and thinking, ‘What? Who’s smoking? It must be me.’ I couldn’t really smell it in the car or see it, it took me seeing it in the mirror. I had what felt like a very long conversation with myself wondering if it was going to affect my corner. Where’s the oil coming from? And as soon as I let off the gas in Turn 3, I was sideways.
“I remember hoping I didn’t take out Kasey in the process. For Hendrick, a big win for them and himself. I didn’t want to take him out with me.”
Indianapolis Success
Indy is one of many places Johnson has brought home the hardware throughout his career. However, after 24 years for NASCAR coming to the famed oval, Johnson is the all-time winner of active drivers, crossing the line first on four occasions in 2006, 2008-2009 and 2012. Second only to Jeff Gordon’s five.
Additionally, Johnson said his third-place run in 2016 was what put his HMS team into shape toward what was his seventh title that fall.
“It took me quite a few years to get the right rhythm,” he said. “It is a very unique track like Dover or Martinsville, those difficult tracks I’ve always taken to and have had good success at. Indy now fits in that category.
“Like Martinsville, my first few trips there I thought I’d never win. Once I got it, they started to come.”
Though having just two other top fives outside his wins in 16 Indy starts, Johnson enters the track every year with the feeling of winning… or at least making it close.
“We had a shot to win last year if it weren’t for the oil leak,” he said. “The Nos. 78 and 18 were the classes of the field and we were that next group. If we do our part, I think we can have a shot at the end.
“This could be a big turnaround race for us.”
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