Q. We’re talking about the Chase now and that should be the biggest story in the final ten races, but we keep talking about Danica. How important is Danica Patrick to the future of our sport?
RICK HENDRICK: I don’t think it’s—I don’t think she’s important to the future of our sport. I mean, she would add a new dimension, maybe, if she participated in the Nationwide Series or the Cup Series one day. But I don’t think that’s going to make any difference where NASCAR is.
Q. Talk about Juan Montoya and his development and how concerned you are about him?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, week in and week out he keeps scoring points, running up front for qualifying, racing really smart on the track. I, in some ways, hate to see it because he’s doing a great job. But in other ways, I’m proud of him. I’m proud of the commitment he’s had for the sport. To come over and to start over here in the U.S. and race a totally different vehicle, you know.
He’s putting in the time. He’s a very talented driver. Erases people out there well, and I’ve got to commend he and his team. The team has been going through some tough times with the merger and they only have a two-car effort and things like that, so they’ve done a really good job. Hopefully they just do a decent job the rest of the year, but they’re doing a great job right now.
Q. You weren’t involved in any of the silliness that went on the radio yesterday in the nationwide race. But how do you feel about everybody being able to listen in? Do you feel like you wish you had a private place where you could talk amongst yourselves without everybody in the world hearing it and commenting on it?
CHAD KNAUS: You know, honestly, from time to time, yeah. It’s difficult. We’ve had to develop ways to communicate inner-team wise so other teams didn’t know what we were doing as far as chassis adjustments and things like that. It’s as simple as writing down the information on a post-it and what have you to coordinate things with the car chiefs and the pit crews.
With the drivers and spotter that gets more difficult. You can’t do that. So if we could, it would be nice. But I think there is an element of uniqueness in our sport allowing the fans and the press and the media to get ahold of some of that stuff.
Some of it, yeah, drivers and crew chiefs act like fools and say things we shouldn’t in the heat of battle. It comes out, and we have to deal with it for about a week and then it goes away. But I think, ultimately, it’s a good thing.
JIMMIE JOHNSON: You nailed it. You did a good job.
Q. With the changes this year in the Chase tracks, not only the addition of this track, which obviously was a really good track for you and worked out well, but more specifically the moving of Talladega to later in the Chase to the seventh race the Chase. Is there any change in mindset or strategy for you or do you see it for any other teams given now that the wildcard comes later in the Chase and you have less time to make up points in case a disaster strikes?
CHAD KNAUS: That’s a good point. It’s very stressful going into Talladega, obviously. We made it through there. We crashed five times last year and didn’t hit anything. So it’s a difficult race to go into. I prefer it being earlier in the season because you do have a recovery period.
Leading up until, I think, last year, we hadn’t finished the fall race at Talladega. So it’s been a stressful race for us, and it can be one to turn the tables once we get there. It will make it pretty exciting.
Q. Talking about the restarts, the one on lap 190 where you and Montoya and Hamlin got involved. Could you take us through that?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, we came up through the gears. I got a good start. Was pushing Montoya, and the 11 got a really good start. That’s what I was saying earlier. It really depended on what went on behind you.
So Hamlin gets an awesome start. Montoya didn’t get the best start. I start pushing him. The 11 thought he could move down and protect and block the inside lane, and we were just coming. So he moved down to block the 42, and the 42 was there.
Q. Can you characterize any differences between this chase and the ones you’ve been in in the past? Particularly because of the intensity that is added with the double-file restarts at the end, and that there will be a number of tracks that you’ll be going to where you haven’t run the double-file restart yet?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Every chase so far has been different for me. I think I’ve had questions about the last three for the Championships and the differences. All three have been much different.
This year there are new elements from the double-file restart, and also tracks like Martinsville where we haven’t had it yet. We’ll get in there and just see what happens.
There are a lot of things to worry about out there, and I’m really trying not to worry about that stuff. If I look forward to the rest of the season, I can worry about Martinsville if I get stuck on the outside on the restart. I can worry about Talladega and go through a variety of things from mechanical issues to tires to whatever it is. I’m not going to do that.
It’s one thing I have learned over my experience in the Cup Series and especially the last three years. Just put my blinders on. Worry about my little world I live in and the things I can control that day. If I look any further, it’s easy to get lost and worried and concerned and stress out on a lot of things I don’t need to.
So I’m just worried about getting home, I guess.
Q. For a while now you’ve been saying how much you like the addition of Auto Club Speedway to the Chase. Would you have been satisfied with anything less than a win here?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: It would have depended on how the race went. If we led all day like we did and lost, it would be like last week where I would have been pretty bummed out.
You know, I try not to have the mindset that we come back to a track that we’ve had success at that we’re expected to run well. You have to go out there and earn it every week. It’s the same thing for this championship. Just because we’ve done well the last three years doesn’t mean that we’re a shoe-in for the fourth.
So I’ve just got to stay focused on my job. Go out and earn it each lap and see where things fall into place.
We needed to run well today to get points, because obviously, the 5 and the 42 ran well. I think we obviously had a good opportunity with the 11 having troubles. I saw the 14, I saw them post a number at one point. So hopefully we were able to spread things out a little bit. I’m glad that we had a good day today.
Q. That was a pretty exuberant celebration to the point where you had to get called to victory lane by NASCAR. Looked like you were celebrating like seven years ago when you had your first win. Was it because it was I couldn’t a home state win or was it a relief getting this win after being dominant last week and being able to seal the deal this week?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: No, just having some fun. It’s weird. Climb out and relax, and people ask me why I relax. Then I have fun, and everybody asks me why I had so much fun. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t, I guess (smiling).
I just saw a really nice wide back straightaway, and I could do some cool cop stops. I had a little fun with it. Just had a little fun.
| 
|