Catchfence

2010 NSCS Jimmie Johnson - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

2010   Starts: 3
Wins: 2
Top 5: 2
Top 10: 2
Current Driver Point Standings: 5^th
Points Behind Leader: 63
Finish in Las Vegas: 1^st
March 2009 Finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway: 9^th

Jimmie Goes Shopping with Local Students in Atlanta

as part of Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Program

Lowe’s and Kobalt Tools in partnership with SkillsUSA are helping the next generation of trade professionals develop their skills through their Toolbox for Education program. Lowe’s is donating over $1,000 worth of Kobalt tools to qualifying schools as part of the national program, which will total over $450,000 to 400 SkillsUSA automotive service technology programs across the nation for use in their classrooms.

This year’s program will kick off with Jimmie Johnson helping a group of SkillsUSA students from Jonesboro High School shop for the donated tools at an Atlanta-area Lowe’s store on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. For interview opportunities, please contact Tara Gudger at tgudger@gmrmarketing.com.

RACE NOTES

Atlanta Motor Speedway

• Johnson has 17 Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, collecting three wins, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
• Johnson has completed 99.2% (5414 of 5457) of competition laps at the 1.54-mile track and has led 402.
• He has an average start and finish of 7.8 and 10.7.

Chassis

• Chassis number 558 will be the primary for Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500. Johnson last drove that car from the pole to victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.
• Backup chassis No. 534 was last driven to a 13^th-place result at Pocono Raceway last August.

QUOTES

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT QUALIFYING UNDER THE LIGHTS AT ATLANTA AND DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE OF QUALIFYING DURING THE DAY?: “It doesn’t really matter to me when we qualify.  I think Atlanta is such a fast track that when you strap in for qualifying I think you have to pull them tight and know that you have to step up and get it done, but then when you have the night factor I think you take another 20 percent with you and just drive the car sometimes way over your head and way over what you think you can do because the grip level is so high and hope that it’s fast enough to lead you to the pole.  I don’t really have a preference, but it does usually add a little more grip and makes you attack harder with the night qualifying session.”

WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR CAR TO DRIVE LIKE AT ATLANTA?: “It really reminds me of Darlington where you just have to be very conscious of what end of the race car is taking the abuse or what tire is slipping and sliding too much.  Every time you slide that tire, you’re just taking speed out of the car and especially off the tail end of the run.  You’re just trying to be very aware of what tires work and looking for ways to get around that, the balance and the load between all four tires.  When you’re able to do that, your car typically drives very comfortable and you’re going to need that for 500 miles at Atlanta.  It just kind of comes down to that — making sure you feel all four tires being worked equally.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES

Career Wins

• Johnson has 49 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Feb. 28, 2010.
• The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 12^th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.
• He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).
• Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first seven full-time seasons.
• Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but six (Bristol, Michigan, Infineon, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.
• Johnson is the first driver to win three of the first five races in The Chase.
• Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.
• The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.

Career Poles

• Johnson has collected 23 poles in his Sprint Cup career.
• The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.
• He had a career-high six poles in 2008.
• Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20, 2009.

Career Starts

• In three 2010 starts, Johnson has collected two wins, two top five and two top 10 finishes.
• Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.
• Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.
• In 294 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 119 top-five and 182 top-10 finishes.
• He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.
• Johnson has led a total of 9,800 laps (of 84,512) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 113,563 miles.
• He has finished on the lead lap 228 times.

- GMR Live Marketing For Team Lowe’s Racing, Press Release