If Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) is to win his third consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race this weekend at Bristol, it will have to come at a track where he has never visited Victory Lane. Johnson won his 24th and 25th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races the past two weekends at Las Vegas and Atlanta. That ties the reigning series champion with Joe Weatherly and Jim Paschal for the most victories since 1949 – 23.
In 10 races at Bristol, Johnson’s best finish is third, coming in the second race of the 2004 season. He finished 30th and 10th, respectively, in the two races at Bristol a year ago. His average Bristol finish is 15.5.
The Car of Tomorrow could help make Johnson a Bristol believer, however. During the test session two weeks ago, he ranked fifth fastest in the first day’s morning session and was the fastest in the evening session. Johnson ran ninth fastest in the second day’s only session.
“Well, right now it’s easy to feel good about things and there’s no doubt the championship is what’s on our minds, ” Johnson said. “We’re doing the right things, but it’s just way too early to get excited. We’ve got to stay focused on the goals and that is making the Chase and then once we are in the Chase, deal with the circumstances at that point. ”
Johnson says he’s anxious to see how his team performs at the first Car of Tomorrow race this Sunday at Bristol.
“Right now it’s a rat race to figure out what that car wants and the first team that finds it is going to have a nice advantage, ” Johnson said.
He has won three consecutive races one other time in his career, winning three in a row in October, 2004 (Lowe’s, Martinsville, and Atlanta).
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