Jimmie Johnson in Garage - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

STARTS: 35 WINS: 2 TOP 5: 14 TOP 10: 21
CURRENT DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: 5th (-68)
FINISH IN PHOENIX: 14th 2010 FALL FINISH AT HOMESTEAD: 2nd

RACE NOTES
Homestead-Miami Speedway

Chassis

Primary Car History – Chassis No. 689

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 669

Career Poles

Career Starts

Career Recognition

Jimmie Johnson – Homestead-Miami Speedway

Race 10 of 10 – Chase Stats

Jimmie Johnson – 2011 Results

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics

- GMR Marketing for Team Lowe’s Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS Jimmie Johnson Standing on Pit Wall - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

JIMMIE JOHNSON 2011

STARTS: 34 WINS: 2 TOP 5: 14 TOP 10: 21
CURRENT DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: 6th (-55)
FINISH IN TEXAS: 14th 2010 FALL FINISH AT PHOENIX: 5th

NEWS

Jimmie Johnson will drive the newly designed 2012 Kobalt Tools paint scheme in this weekend’s Kobalt Tools 500.

RACE NOTES

Phoenix International Raceway

Chassis

Primary Car History – Chassis No. 689

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 590

Career Poles

Career Starts

Career Recognition

Jimmie Johnson – Phoenix International Raceway

Race 9 of 10 – Chase Stats

Jimmie Johnson – 2011 Results

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics

- GMR Marketing for Team Lowe’s Racing, Press Release

Team Chevy Logo

DARIN GRUBB CREW CHIEF NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET ON THEIR RACE WIN:

“Everybody, the whole crew just did an awesome job. This Office Depot/Mobil 1 team is a great group of guys there is no quit in them. That is four out of eight, let’s go for two more!”

TONY STEWART NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT /MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET RACE WINNER: YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND YOU ARE GOING TO WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP, HOW MUCH OF IT IS MIND OVER MATTER AT THIS POINT? “I told you guys that last week, nobody listens to me when I talk anymore. No, I mean we are set on it man, this is just the way it is going to be. This is for the Wallace family, Mr. Hendrick and his wife, after last week, they had a long week and I had a buddy that passed away when we were in Charlotte, Jim Duffer, real close friend of mine, forget him last week and I didn’t want to forget about him this week. Do not count us out of this thing; I can tell you that, we did everything we could do today. Got to thank Office Depot, Mobil 1, Coca-Cola and Chevy, Mac Tools, Burger King, Tornados, US Army, Haas Automations, I normally don’t make it that far down the list, so I did pretty good tonight.”

TAKE US INSIDE THAT RACE CAR: “Darin (Grubb, Crew Chief) did an awesome job, it is hard to do for the car and he has made the right calls the whole Chase. It was like we told DJ (Dale Jarrett) on that last restart, if I could get the restart on him (Carl Edwards) and get ahead of him; I thought we could stay there. That was the difference and the guys had an awesome pit-stop at the end. If they would not have had that pit-stop we would not be here.”

NOBODY HAS EVER GONE WINLESS IN THE REGULAR SEASON AND COME OUT AND WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP, YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY, THREE POINTS WITHIN CARL EDWARDS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO YOUR COMPETITION THIS WEEK? “I don’t think we have to say anything, I think our performance today spoke for its self. He knows already, trust me!”

HOW DID YOU AND THIS TEAM PULL OFF YOUR FOURTH WIN IN THE CHASE? “We had a great Office Depot/ Mobil 1 Chevy today. It was pretty balanced yesterday; we just could not put that big lap up, up-front. The big key for us was hanging on for the first ten laps of a run and it seemed like we could start pulling away after that. Carl (Edwards) kept us honest today, but we did everything we could do. We got all the bonus points we could get and got the win. We gained more than we needed to gain on the average for the week, so we are doing good.”

THE MARGIN IS THREE, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MATH HEADING INTO THE FINAL TWO RACES? “Well, if you can do simple math, you can figure out that we gained over half of it in one week and we have two weeks to go. It does not take much right now, it is one spot if a guy wins the race, we are doing exactly what we need to do, I am really confident right now.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET, FINISHED 6^TH: ON HIS RACE: “Great effort by the Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, real proud of everybody, did not qualify well, we had to start in the middle of the field and this place can be tough to move up there and we moved up right away and at times I thought we had a car that could compete for the win with those guys up-front there, got up to about fourth, but when that sun went down it changed for us and we just could not keep up with the track conditions and lost a little bit there at the end. Compared to the way we ran here earlier in the year, this is almost like a win for us.”

GREAT RUN HERE TONIGHT, YOU HAVE TO BE FAIRLY HAPPY WITH THAT I WOULD GUESS? “Yea, I am. If you look at our history here in Texas, it is not my best track and we struggled a little bit this weekend, so when they dropped the green and we were driving forward I was pretty happy, we made some adjustments to make it even better and at one point in the race I thought we had something that could compete with the guys up-front for the win. When the sun went down, we lost the handling a little bit and got real loose, so we fell back. Still sixth is a great day for our Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet.”

TALK ABOUT THE TIRE STRATEGY? “We took the two tires and we got a couple of good restarts and got up there into third and fourth which I was very happy with. But, we wore the left rear tire out and the car got extremely loose. So, we had to come in and pit. We were just loose in general on that last run and a lot of guys closed up on us. That is why we lost a couple of spots. We took four on that last stop. I thought Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) played the strategy perfectly. We made huge strides and this is really something to build on at this race track.”

ANY THOUGHTS ON THE POINTS BATTLE BETWEEN TONY STEWART AND CARL EDWARDS? “I’ll tell you, it’s incredible. It is kind of fun to watch those two battling. What these next two weeks are going to be like is going to be incredible. I don’t think anybody expected Tony to have a Chase like this, but, you know what, he’s a champion. He’s a great driver and when they get their setups in the cars to where they are right now, watch out for those cars. Carl’s not done yet. Those guys are solid and really strong. I’ll tell you, Phoenix is going to be interesting. To me Phoenix is the unknown with this new pavement and I think we are all going to be anxious to see not only how the race goes, but how this championship unfolds.”

GIL MARTIN, CREW CHIEF, NO. 29 RHEEM CHEVROLET DRIVEN BY KEVIN HARVICK, FINISHED 13TH: NOT THE RUN YOU IMAGINED: “No, not really. I mean, if we just ran it straight out, we probably could have run seventh or eighth if we didn’t take two tires under green. But we had to try something and hope the car would come around and maybe we could steal a top-five finish right there. We had about an eighth place car today which is not horrible, but it’s not what we needed. We gambled right there tryin to steal a top-five and it didn’t work so it probably cost us six or seven points. If it works we gained a few points. It is what it is.

“We just didn’t have the early speed. We were good after like 15 or 20 laps, but we just didn’t have any early speed. The pit crew did good. Everybody did good. It was good, we just didn’t have early speed and I just don’t know why. We had it on Saturday in practice and didn’t have it today.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 MYLOWES CHEVROLET, FINISHED 14^TH: ON TODAY’S RACE: “Just a loose car. I fought a loose race car all night long and I lost it off of four. And I think sliding thru the grass did some damage underneath the car. It may have been the rear-end or something because I didn’t really drive really good after that. We were loose, but fast beforehand and then after the spin that really hurt the car”

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Team Chevy, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson/No.48 MyLowe's Chevy - Photo Credit: HHP/Harold Hinson Photography

JIMMIE JOHNSON 2011

STARTS: 33 WINS: 2 TOP 5: 14 TOP 10: 21

CURRENT DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: 6th (-43)
FINISH IN MARTINSVILLE: 2nd 2010 FALL FINISH AT TEXAS: 9th

NEWS

MYLOWE’S LOUNGE: Johnson will drive the No. 48 MyLowe’s paint scheme in Texas. MyLowe’s is an integrated online tool on Lowes.com that helps keep track of everything in your home. Users will never have to remember paint colors, warranty information or room dimensions again. When using the My Lowe’s card, purchases will all automatically upload to the users MyLowe’s site and can be customized from there.

In addition, this weekend fans will have the opportunity to visit the MyLowes lounge located in the Midway at Texas Motor Speedway. Fans will play Jimmie Johnson’s new video game Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine, currently available for purchase on major gaming consoles.

JIMMIE JOHNSON FOUNDATION/LOWE’S TOOLBOX FOR EDUCATION CHAMPIONS GRANTS: Jimmie and Chandra Johnson will be in Oklahoma Thursday for a special event to announce the recipients of the 2011 Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Champions Grants. For the third year, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Lowe’s Toolbox for Education initiative have partnered to award grants in the areas where Johnson and his wife grew up and currently reside.

Chassis

Primary Car History – Chassis No. 681

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 669

Career Poles

Career Starts

Career Recognition

Jimmie Johnson – Texas Motor Speedway

Race 8 of 10 – Chase Stats

Jimmie Johnson – 2011 Results

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics

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

Tony Stewart celebrates in Martinsville Speedway's Victory Lane after getting his third win at the track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 on Sunday. - Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR

Team Chevy Drivers Claim Four of the Top-Five and Seven of the Top-10 Finishing Positions

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 30, 2011) – Tony Stewart made a statement today at Martinsville Speedway by capturing the win behind the wheel of his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, Stewart took the lead on the final restart and remained on the point for the final three laps of the 500-lap/263-mile race.

It is the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion’s third win in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and catapulted him to second in the standings, just eight points out of the lead with three races remaining in the season.

Today’s win in the TUMS Fast Relief 500 is Stewart’s third at the tough .526-mile track in southern Virginia. He led three times for a total of 14 laps on the way to his 42^nd NSCS career win.

Five-time defending NSCS champion Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Mylowes Chevrolet, finished second just .170 seconds behind Stewart. Johnson led twice for a total of 61 laps and sits sixth in the standings, 43 points behind the top-spot.

Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, finished third. The four-time NSCS champion led twice for a total 113 laps and remains 10th in the standings.

Kevin Harvick brought the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet to the checkered flag in fourth place. Leading twice for 35 laps, Harvick is now 3rd in the standings, 21 points out of the top-spot.

Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet is always good at Martinsville and today was no different. The South Boston, Virginia, native scored a solid 6^th place finish in today’s TUMS 500 and had a shot at the win late in the race.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the No. 88 Diet Mt. Dew Paint the 88/National Guard Chevrolet showed why Martinsville Speedway is one of his favorite tracks as he powered around the .586 mile short track inside the top-ten for most of the day and after some beating and banging and hard racing, came home in 7^th place and maintained his 9^th place in the overall standings.

Ryan Newman overcame a late-race spin and brought his No. 39 HAAS Automation Chevrolet home in 10^th place in today’s race at Martinsville. The top-ten run was not enough to help him move up the standings and he still resides in 12^th place overall.

Denny Hamlin (Toyota) was the final driver in the top-five.

The Series’ moves to Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 6, 2011.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

TUMS FAST RELIEF 500

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

OCTOBER 30, 2011

POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

TONY STEWART AND CREW CHIEF DARIAN GRUBB, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET – RACE WINNERS

KERRY THARP: Let’s go ahead and hear from the crew chief from today’s winning race team, Darian Grubb.

Darian is a native of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Floyd, Virginia. I’m told this is your first Sprint Cup win here in your native state. Congratulations on that. Talk about the ebb and flow of the race, some of the things maybe that y’all had to do on pit road, strategy.

DARIAN GRUBB: It’s a really tough race, especially the way the weekend went with the rainout, not a lot of practice. We had to do a lot of practice in that little bit of short time to figure the car out. Once we did that, started the race off, the car was pretty good to start. As the rubber was laid down, we got handling issues. We played with that. The ebb and flow of the track position strategy here is tough because if you’re the guy that stays out, we went from the front to the back two or three times, major adjustments on the car, ended up being well and being in the right spot at the right time at the end.

KERRY THARP: Questions for Darian.

Q. With all the crashes that were going on, what was your game plan? How can you figure out what sequence you wanted to be on?

DARIAN GRUBB: It really didn’t happen until right at the very end. We were playing our sequence to make our car right. It’s easier to make those calls when you’re in the front because you can decide, the strategy is going to play out, we’ll be back at the front when it matters. Mid race we made some major changes, long pit stops, guys did an awesome job of getting everything done. When we got up there and got the lead, he thought he had a left rear tire going flat. Pitted. Took four tires to be safe. We thought that was going to kill us. But the way the strategy played out after that with a few more cautions, we were able to stay out, pit when we needed to. And at the end being able to take those two tires was a big deal for us. We were in the right position to be able to do that. Restarting on the inside with that the first time, that let us march forward. It was tough to start on the outside, and Tony figured out what he needed to do to pass the 48.

Q. Did you have any help from the 39 with the setup today?

DARIAN GRUBB: We started out with the exact same baseline when we came here and unloaded Friday morning. We evolved to quite a different setup between the two teams. We take a lot of each other’s notes from each other. It’s always a learning experience when you have a teammate with another strategy, setup and driver’s input. That helped. They’re really good teammates for that.

Q. Multiple times after the race Tony was forthright about challenging Carl Edwards, saying he should be worried, not going to sleep for the next three weeks. What have you seen from Tony today? Seems he was in a good mood all weekend, maybe he has a different outlook on the season.

DARIAN GRUBB: He does. We all have the attitude that we feel we should be leading right now. We made the mistakes that gave up those points there in the third, fourth and fifth race. We’re ready to get back in this game and show everybody what we’ve got left.

Q. You have gone from Tony upset, not really focused on entering the Chase, saying, If we’re not going to compete for wins, we shouldn’t be in the Chase. Now you have three wins in seven races. Where did things get turned around to get you this confidence?

DARIAN GRUBB: It was way before those comments in Michigan. That just put a little bit more fire in everybody, I guess. We’ve been working hard all year. We’ve had good cars ever since the Daytona 500. We just never got the finishes we needed to get every weekend.

We had some bad strategy calls on my part. We had some cars that weren’t the greatest. We had some situations on the racetrack that didn’t work out.

We had a good team that just keeps fighting. They dig every week. When those comments were made in Michigan, we all fought just a little bit harder to make sure we got 110% out of every person there, to make sure we’re all doing the right things and moving forward. We’ve been trying not to look back ever since.

KERRY THARP: Let’s go ahead and hear from Tony. This is your 42nd career Sprint Cup win, your third win here in 2011, all in the Chase. You now have nine Chase wins in your career, second behind Jimmie Johnson. Congratulations to all that.

Talk about that victory here today being textbook, the pass. Talk about everything that fell your way.

TONY STEWART: It was a long day, for sure. The first 200 laps, Darian was making changes. We just couldn’t get the car to respond to anything. He made some good changes the whole last half of the race that got us in the ballpark. He had two awesome pit calls with pit strategy that got us track position.

The first time I screwed up and gave it away thinking I had a flat tire. Then at the end of the day, he got us that track position back with another great call. That is what truly gave us the shot to have that opportunity at the end of the day.

For a guy that grew up 22 miles from here, he had than a All Star day today. He made the right calls that gave us that opportunity, kept making changes. We have not been good here for probably the last two or three races. I think two races ago we were decent and I messed up and changed lanes before the start/finish line and got us moved back. Today was a fight, for sure.

When you win a race today with the obstacles that we overcame, that’s what makes winning races like this so special.

KERRY THARP: We’ll continue with questions.

Q. You kind of grabbed everybody’s attention winning the first two races of the Chase, then dropped out of the picture. People were starting to say on Friday, Don’t forget about the 14. You were excited in Victory Lane. Jeff Gordon was, You guys better pay attention to Tony. Talk about how that feels, Darian, to have people looking your way.

DARIAN GRUBB: It’s funny to us because we never lose that feeling that we can win the championship. It’s just that the media doesn’t pay attention to it. We work as hard every week. We’re doing 80 hour weeks every week. Doesn’t matter whether we finish 34th or 1st. I’m proud of the guys for doing that. Everybody shows up for work every day with their game face on no matter what circumstances they’re going through and get the job done. I’m very proud of everyone at Stewart Haas Racing for doing that.

Q. In New Hampshire you said it was too early to address this. How extra special is it to be able to bookend Jimmie Johnson’s reign on this sport?

TONY STEWART: Come check with me in three weeks. We’re closer than we were at Loudon. But it’s awesome we have that opportunity, to get three races in the Chase like this. It’s an awesome feeling sitting here tonight. We got three tracks that we feel are really good to us coming up.

I’m excited about it. It’s a great feeling obviously. To be honest, it’s really not the fact of beating Jimmie as much as it’s just hard to win in this series to begin with. You cherish the opportunities. You make sure that when you have the opportunity, you make the most of it.

This is a tough series. It’s been a tough Chase. There’s the best Chase field that we’ve ever had. The cool part will be, the stuff I pay attention to, to have three of those trophies that are different in two different formats, three different sponsors, that would be a cool deal.

Q. Tony, at the beginning of the Chase you made the comment that you hadn’t listed your guys as one of the true title contenders. What changed? Were you just using us?

TONY STEWART: I would just use you, Dustin. I’ll be honest. You’re easy to take advantage of. I don’t think anybody cares if we take advantage of you, so it’s not like you feel a huge amount of guilt in that process. Sorry, but…

You know, at the point when we talked about that, I mean, I felt like there were some things that were missing. I think our Chase run here, obviously Dover was not what we were looking for. But every race since then, we have been a contender. The result hasn’t always shown at some of these races. But we’ve been pretty solid in this Chase here.

I don’t know what changes. The guy beside me is the guy to ask that. He’s the guy that’s orchestrating it, organizing the people to do the job. It doesn’t matter what it is that’s changed; the good thing is that it has and it changed at the right time when we need it. That’s all you can ask for.

Q. Tony, during that long green flag run, you were ready to be lapped by Denny Hamlin, how important was it for you to fight him hard on the outside, maintain that lead lap status, and back up the determination you talked about in Victory Lane of your crew members not giving up on you?

TONY STEWART: I was reminded by Darian this morning, I was reminded by my spotter this morning, and I was reminded before the race by many crew members to not be so nice today, which I know sounds odd of me.

You know, this is a tough race. I think right at the end, a perfect example is having Jimmie there racing you, Jeff, Jeff Burton, the guys that we were around at the end of the day. You race these guys with respect and they’re going to race you back with respect.

Could Jimmie just hauled it off in the corner, blown the corner to try to take us down? Absolutely. He could have done that to anybody. He didn’t do that to us. I think he knows we respect him and have that level of respect. I messed up and got underneath the 43 car, probably the big bonehead move of my race today. Luckily I really only feel like I put myself in a bad spot one time that you couldn’t get out of. That was with the 43 car. I got underneath him in a spot where he was already coming down. I screwed up, he got sideways. I just checked up and let him have his spot back. I never saw anybody give anybody a spot back in a situation like that today. It wasn’t his fault.

I think later after that I got back by the 43 car and instead of dumping me like the other guys were doing to each other, I think he knew I gave him that spot back because I knew I made a mistake. It just shows the respect that some guys did have for each other even though there was a lot of disrespect amongst a lot of guys out there today.

NASCAR is going to have to at some point make these drivers be responsible for their actions amongst each other and not baby sit and not protect these guys. Let them get their butt kicked. That’s what used to happen in the old days. You didn’t have guys dumping each other and taking cheap shots like that.

I used to be as guilty of it and bad as anybody about taking a cheap shot at guys early. But you realize that it’s not about the two guys driving the cars out there as much as it’s there’s a bunch of guys that go back to the shop. There’s a car owner that spends a lot of money. There’s a bunch of crew guys that spend a lot of hours and put a lot of heart and soul into what we have as a product each week with these racecars. I think at times we all forget about that.

You let a guy get his butt kicked once or twice, he’ll quit doing stupid stuff like that. I saw a bunch of it today out there. Luckily we weren’t one of the guys that were in the middle of it a lot. I think they ought to get a portable boxing ring. As soon as they get done with the victory celebration, set the boxing ring on the front stretch, give the fans a real show they paid for. If you want to boost the attendance at Martinsville, have a boxing match with each of the guys that had a beef with each other.

Am I the only one that thinks that way in this room? I thought so.

Q. Has your outlook changed as an owner?

TONY STEWART: Not necessarily. I mean, when Dale Sr. was here and Dale Jarrett, when I started, you just didn’t do that because that guy would come grab you, pull you out of the car at the end of the practice session, rip your head off talking to you about it, intimidate you into understanding why you didn’t do that.

Now there’s nothing. You can go yell at a guy. We watched Biffle and Kevin Harvick yell at each other. What did they accomplish? Did it make anybody understand what the other guy was thinking or saying? They yelled at each other, walked away, nothing was different than before it happened. There’s nothing different to make these guys do anything other than what’s in their head. There’s always two sides to a story.

I don’t know. I mean, I guess I thought that way before that a little bit. Even as a car owner now, I remember Joe Gibbs sitting me down and saying, There’s other guys working on these things, too. You knock the nose off of it after a race because you’re mad as somebody, all of a sudden you created a lot more work for these guys. Maybe the crew guys need to get mad at their drivers when we do something stupid. Maybe the crew guys ought to pull the drivers back in the shop and make them fix it when they do it. I would be screwed because I can’t do it. I can barely put something that bolts together, together.

Q. You told me after practice yesterday that you weren’t sure where you were competitively but you weren’t where you needed to be. Were you messing with?

TONY STEWART: Are you and Dustin hanging out, holding hands right now?

Q. We’re tight, man.

TONY STEWART: You look a lot alike, too.

Q. You’re a good looking man, Dustin.

TONY STEWART: Well played.

Q. When did you get your car to the point where you knew you could win?

TONY STEWART: We sat down, went through our normal debrief at the end of the day. Darian brought a report by and we were still texting each other at 10:00 last night, still talking about it.

We were looking at the time sheet. We weren’t a strong car the first 12 to 15 laps, but it seemed like we were as good as anybody after that. But the race today seemed to change. I wasn’t messing with you. We didn’t feel as strong by looking at the sheet as what we wanted to be on the front of a run. We felt 15 laps into it we were solid. We needed to keep working on it.

Like I said, Darian was still working on it at 10:00 last night. That’s what you got to do. You got to keep digging. Our guys with the sim programs were working, crunching numbers, running through different changes and scenarios to try to find an answer. I’m glad they do that.

Q. Tony, Jeff Gordon came in here and said he was stunned to see you up in the top five. You really seemed to move through the field fast. What happened to get you back in that position?

TONY STEWART: Honestly, when I thought I cut the tire, it wasn’t a down tire. We just had made so many changes, it felt like it was down honestly. After the contact with Harvick, I thought I had a flat, but it wasn’t.

It was due to Darian. Like I said, he had two really key calls in the race that gave us that opportunity. We kind of just got stuck during the race. Wherever we restarted, we were kind of stuck there. It was hard to make any ground. We weren’t able to make the car do what we were looking for to try to pass guys. We just were stuck.

He kept working on it, kept adjusting on it. We got it better. We still never got it 100%. We got it close enough that when we did get there late in the day, when we had cleaner air, we had a shot. You never think clean air is a big deal here. I think more than the clean air, it was like I told Darian, we could be 22nd and be running within a 10th of what the leader was running. The problem was to do that I had to have the open track to run the way I needed to run the car to run those lap times.

To race a guy for position, have to run and brake different and get on the gas at a different spot to try to pass somebody, I couldn’t make the car do what I wanted it to do at that point.

Q. We heard what you said to Carl Edwards a couple times in the Victory Lane interviews. It seems like you’re obviously relishing it. Six years since you’ve been in a championship hunt this deep in the season. You’re back in the game and it seems like you’re enjoying it.

TONY STEWART: Yeah, I don’t know anybody that doesn’t enjoy being in the middle of it with three weeks to go. It’s a great feeling. You work hard all year to try to be in this position. When you start the Chase off with 10 races to go, a lot can happen. There’s a lot of variables that you worry about along the way. It doesn’t mean we’re still not worried about it.

There were guys that may have had their chances taken away today. So to be in a position that we’re in right now, sitting here knowing that we’re right in the middle of this thing with three weeks to go, it is obviously a great feeling and great position to be in. We just got to go out and keep doing what we’re doing here.

It’s nice to leave here with the momentum going to three tracks that we like and enjoy.

Q. Two years ago when NASCAR let drivers go out there, so called ‘have at it,’ a lot of drivers said they were better able to take care of these things themselves, NASCAR shouldn’t police them, it was best left on the track. A lot of drivers said that they were grownups. Are you saying that NASCAR should get back involved or do you think drivers should really take care of themselves?

TONY STEWART: I’m still trying to figure out what ‘have at it’ meant. I don’t know that any of us really knows what’s different now than before they said that.

NASCAR has to stay involved. You can’t just make it a free for all obviously. But when you got guys, Jamie McMurray’s car was destroyed, he waited for his opportunity to take out a guy he had a problem with. Whether it was justified or not, he took that opportunity. We got to get away from doing that and let guys settle it in the garage area with guys that have the problem. Don’t take it out on everybody that works on these things. If him trying to take that other guy out would have taken a third party out that had nothing to do with it, it shows how big a problem you got, and that didn’t happen. I’m not picking on Jamie. There were a lot of instances today where guys were going back and retaliating against each other. There’s 43 guys out here. You catch an innocent guy in somebody else’s problem…

It’s easier for drivers to handle it back here. They’ll find a way to sort it out amongst each other if you give them the opportunity. You can’t keep your hands over top of each other and protect them. You have to let them handle it their way.

Q. You just mentioned a minute ago that some drivers may have lost their chance today to contend for the championship. The top four are separated by 27, next guy is 36. Are we down to four now?

TONY STEWART: I don’t know. You look at how these races have gone. One day one race can change a lot. I don’t think it’s going to help a guy get back into it, but it sure can eliminate guys from it if you have a bad day. It’s hard to say.

There’s never been a consistent year in this Chase as far as being able to say at this point this guy with this many points is really out of it. Anything can happen. It’s hard to say.

Three weeks ago, the probability of guys up front, to have three or four guys back up to somebody in fifth, it’s not very likely that that would happen.

Q. Martinsville fans seem to have a love affair with certain drivers. You’re one of those. Couple hundred folks standing at the gate screaming, Climb the fence.

TONY STEWART: Why didn’t they climb the fence? If they wanted to climb so much, why didn’t they climb the fence?

Q. There were about 20 deputies out there. Talk about how the fans embrace you.

TONY STEWART: There’s two places where when you take the lead you absolutely know it. It’s Bristol and Martinsville. To pass Jimmie Johnson on the outside with two laps to go and to watch the crowd on the backstretch, then watch them on the frontstretch when we cleared him, you swear people are going to fall onto the racetrack.

You feel that energy. You sense that. That’s not that you need extra motivation, but it’s cool to know you got that kind of support. It’s just that extra drive that gets you the rest of the way that last lap. It’s cool.

Q. You mentioned the motivation, adrenaline. You see that in the Victory Lane comments to Carl. Did you really mean it?

TONY STEWART: My adrenaline has worn off and he better not sleep too long the next three weeks. It’s no disrespect to him. He’s a great competitor, he’s a great guy, he’s with a great organization that deserves their shot at that championship, too. We’ve had one of those up and down years and we’re having a run in this Chase now where we’re hungry. We’re hungry for this. I feel like our mindset into these next three weeks, we’ve been nice all year to a lot of guys, given guys a lot of breaks. We’re cashing tickets in these next three weeks.

KERRY THARP: Tony, congratulations on the win today. Good luck at Texas.

TONY STEWART: Thanks, guys.

PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 MYLOWE’S CHEVROLET – FINISHED 2^ND

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET – FINISHED 3RD

KERRY THARP: Let’s go post-race. Joining us now in the media center our third place finisher in today’s race Jeff Gordon. Jeff, you got caught up in something early on, then your car as the race went on, you led laps, persevered throughout the afternoon. Talk about that.

JEFF GORDON: Yeah, you know, got caught up in that incident early on there. Junior hit the curb and spun. I chose to get out of the way of the guys behind me, so they didn’t get into me. Unfortunately I got into Junior.

I wasn’t too worried about the damage to the car speed wise, it was just the right front brake duct was tore up pretty good. Obviously cooling the brakes is pretty important here. We went to the back. We didn’t necessarily drive up to the front. We just got out of sync with guys and then we found ourselves going from 40th up to 20th, then we drove up there.

We had a really strong racecar. Denny I thought was a little bit better than us on the long runs. Then those last couple runs, I don’t know, we made some adjustments and it just didn’t work out for us. We got real lose off so we didn’t have much for him at the end. So third is not bad.

KERRY THARP: Also joining us our race runner up, Jimmie Johnson. You shaved some points off that deficit coming out of this race here today with certainly a second place finish. Talk about your run out there this afternoon.

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, great performance for the racecar all day long. We tried to take care of our tires, our brakes, and just be smart. It seemed like there were really four cars that had the pace throughout the whole race. Between the 24, the 11, the 18 and us, we kind of rotated around positions.

Then Chad, to make fun of my cheerleading comment before, Chad made a call that was going to give us the win for the race. He second guessed himself. I’m sure a lot of you heard him cussing himself on the radio. But it ended up being a good thing. Three or four laps later he stopped cussing himself and said we had a chance to win this thing, and we did.

At the end, all the cautions were not what we needed. Saw Tony in Victory Lane. He said he found something on the outside lane. Drooling at the opportunity to start out there and certainly made it work.

At the end it was frustrating to see the same few cars over and over with the caution. That was something we certainly didn’t want to see.

KERRY THARP: We’ll take questions for Jimmie or Jeff.

Q. Jimmie, it seems like the 83 was involved in half the cautions out there. I know you were a little disappointed the way that happened at the end. How do you feel when a guy who is not in the Chase is playing such a key role in the way things shook down today?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Well, I mean, I certainly understand that if you’re unfairly wrecked, regardless of who that person is, there’s a chance retaliation is going to happen.

After a fourth, fifth time with the same car in the crash, you start thinking about maybe you’re the problem. Something is going on. You’re having a bad day. You need to stop crashing for whatever reason.

When you’re on the racetrack and someone wrongs you, you have some decisions to make in how you want to handle that. Each man’s decision how they want to handle it.

I don’t agree with the way things were handled at the end. Tony Stewart is sitting in Victory Lane smiling and he’s real happy it turned out that way.

Q. Jeff and Jimmie, in regards to Tony having to hold off Denny Hamlin while you were bunched up, looking back at it, how key is that for him to run that hard at that juncture of the race to stay on the lead lap and be able to have the benefit of working his way back to the front and winning it?

JEFF GORDON: It was pretty early, wasn’t it? It wasn’t right there at the end. So, I mean, you saw how many guys got their lap back today. I don’t think that was that big of a deal. I thought a guy in that position up in the points, he’s going to have to fight really hard to stay on the lead lap.

No offense, but as bad as his stuff was today, he still fought pretty hard to stay up. I think that’s what Tony did. He did what he had to do. But, I mean, if he had gone down a lap, he would have gotten it back pretty easily.

It was more impressive to me about what the 14 did, when they had the problem with the 29, I’m still trying to figure out where he came from. I was up there battling with Jimmie. We came in, didn’t have a great pit stop, and he came out in front of us. They say he took four tires. I’m questioning whether they took four. Maybe took two.

But he was fast. Doesn’t matter. He was ahead of us and he was fast. Especially on the outside, I mean, Jimmie unfortunately got to see it, but I saw it earlier, too, when he drove by the 29 on the outside with two tires. So he definitely had a good car that could really rotate the middle even on the outside.

Q. Jeff and Jimmie, at the end of the race with two laps to go, there’s a restart, what are you thinking being on the same team, points race? Are you both gunning for the win or trying not to ruin the other one’s chances, but you’re still going to try for the win? Are you communicating?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: I think at the end of these races, you’re not going to blatantly drive over the top of a teammate, but you’re going to go race and race as you always do.

When I saw the 24 lined up behind me, I knew he had taken tires earlier. Knew how fast his car was in the short run. When I restarted, I was actually a little more concerned with the 24 than I was the 14. I was hopeful to clear the 14 off of two, Jeff and Tony would be racing side by side, I could get distance on those two.

Certainly didn’t work out that way.

When I was inside of Tony, I went down in the corner and thought that eight tires would be a lot better than four. I changed my mind. With where he is in the points, what’s going on, the fact we raced throughout the day today, he never touched me, I had a hard time doing that.

JEFF GORDON: I think it would have been great (laughter).

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Jeff probably would have won the race if I would have done it.

I couldn’t bring myself to that. He got by. I tried to be smart. That’s typically how I race guys. I don’t run over people to get positions.

Q. Jimmie, you’ve had these championship runs before and had things happen like with Carl (Edwards) today. Do you feel like what happened today may be something that will contend for a championship now?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, at the start of the year I said I thought the 99 would be the guy to focus on. I think there’s a lot of things through the history of Bob and Carl together that show their strength. They were separated at one point and came back. We didn’t hear things about these two trying to kill each other in the process, even though the toughest time, when they were trying to turn Roush around a couple years back.

I definitely know what he’s capable of, feel that he’s a threat.

Tony is going to be tough from here on out. Highly motivated. Going to be on some good tracks, he’s been fast on those mile and a half’s. I think it’s going to be a great run all the way to the end.

Q. It seemed like all year long we’ve heard guys talk about people with lack of respect amongst the drivers. Seemed like today you heard that a lot from a lot of drivers. Why do you think that is? Just the end of the year, short track racing?

JEFF GORDON: It’s just Martinsville, isn’t it? I think it’s a combination of late in the year and Martinsville, and sometimes just the way the race goes. If you get early cautions here at Martinsville, that usually contributes itself to more cautions. Those are more guys, somebody’s upset, tempers are flaring, incidents happen. It escalates from there.

Seems to me that’s what happened. We couldn’t get into a rhythm with the race, couldn’t get it going. Seemed like guys were ticked off at one another, driving over their heads, whatever it may be. We saw that for a big majority of the race.

Obviously the 83 had that throughout the whole race. But I think it was just one of those crazy days. I don’t know. You can’t always explain it. Usually Martinsville does contribute towards that.

Q. Jeff just made the comment, This is Martinsville. We only have three tracks on the schedule that are less than a mile in length. Would you like to go to more short tracks or is a day like today enough to make you think we have enough of them on the schedule?

JEFF GORDON: Who would like to answer that?

I mean, I’ll admit that when we went through this big building process of all these mile and a half’s, nobody considered building something more like a Bristol or a Richmond or something like that. I think that we need one or two more tracks like that on the circuit.

So, yeah, Martinsville is a little extreme. This place is tough on brakes, tempers flare. It’s a narrow place to race on. It can be tough. But it’s very entertaining. So you got to like that.

I mean, if I had my choice, we have two races here. It would be nice to have something a little unique and different but still in that short track fashion.

KERRY THARP: Guys, thanks for putting on a great show today. Good luck at Texas.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

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Jimmie Johnson in Garage - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 MYLOWES

TALK ABOUT COMING TO MARTINSVILLE, A PLACE YOU HAVE WON AT MANY TIMES, AND COULD USE A WIN AT THIS TIME:

“Yeah, definitely, we are really happy with all the tracks left on the schedule, so that we have a chance to win quite a few races that are left, certainly need to in the position we are in, in points, there is no telling what is going to happen in front of us, but we are going to fight as hard as we can for every race win, every point, and just see where we end up. Of course we want to win the championship, but if that door closes on us, we want to finish as high as we possibly can in the points and certainly win as many races as we can, Looking forward to great tracks and ready to get going.”

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION BETWEEN YOU AND CHAD PRIOR TO THE RACE AT TALLADEGA?

“Yeah, looking back on things, Chad ( Knaus, crew chief) explained himself very well this week, and has been more than available to talk though the situation. Everyone is very well aware at the statements he made. The other thing to remember is that car passed inspection multiple times throughout the course of the weekend. At the end of the day, while Chad was trying to protect himself post-race, he made a foolish statement. That is truly it. At the end of the day, that car passed inspection multiple times at an impound race and was pushed out onto the grid. It was certainly something that we did not want to take place. You can tell from my reaction it was something I had never heard in the car from him before, and it is what it is. The car passed tech at the race track multiple times and people have to build faith in that; Chad and I certainly respect NASCAR and their inspection process and unfortunately it happened for really no reason at all and now we have to put it behind us.”

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION AT THAT MOMENT? “At the moment, I was kind of surprised. As he talked to me he made a reference to covering his bases and I’m like, I am not thinking about that, I am going racing like I always do, so that was that.”

HAS CHAD EVER ASKED YOU ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE?

“No, you can tell by my reaction in the race car that was something I had not heard before.”

KEVIN HARVICK SAID ABOUT THE SITUATION, “YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND WEATHER THE CONSEQUENCES LATER.” WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT COMMENT?

“Yeah, you go racing; you do what you have to do on the race track to win championships. This story can turn in a variety of ways; people are going to make of it what they want to. The facts are, Chad (Knaus) released a statement, and that car passed inspection multiple times at the track and there really is no more to it than that.

HOW REALISTIC IS IT TO EXPECT PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRUGGLED HERE TO HAVE THE LIGHT BULB GO ON OVERNIGHT AND MAYBE HAVE A GOOD RUN?

“Technology does not change a lot here; I think those patterns stay consistent. Guys that run well continue to show strength and guys that struggle seem to typically do, it has been years past I have had that mindset and I have come here trying to protect the championship, being real close to the lead and we have been able to get points here. Each year this has been a good track for us the reason being is relative to your question. I think those patterns stay really similar.”

DO YOU BELIEVE OR ARE YOU TRYING NOT TO BELIEVE THAT IT IS OVER FOR YOU AS FAR AS THE CHAMPIONSHIP?

“As long as we are still mathematically in it, I’m not going to give up hope. I just never been one to lay down on something or to quit and not try, we have four races left on the schedule, stuff can happen. That window of opportunity is getting smaller and smaller especially with these last two weeks, but it is not over until it is over. In racing, a lot of weird things happen and we will just see. If that door or window closes on winning the championship, again I want to finish as high as I possibly can in the points for my team, and for my sponsors. I have been able to be in the top-five in points since I started at the Cup level, I would love to keep that stat alive; so there is still a ton to race for including a championship. We just take it race by race.”

HOW DOES IT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP WHEN YOU HAVE TWO TEAMMATES BATTLING AT THE TOP OF THE POINTS?

“There is a lot of pride for an organization, for those two shops and within the company to have that speed and have a shot at the championship. As time goes on it gets more and more difficult to have great team spirit and you team to be that teammate. I think Jeff (Gordon) and I and even Mark Martin for that matter have handled it as good as you possibly can and kept the open notebook situation going and (being) respectful on track and all those things that you would hope teammates would do. But it is a weird scenario where you have the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other and what got those guys to are where they are today is working together as a team and that is what worked for Jeff (Gordon), Mark (Martin) and I in the different years. There is a battle there but fortunately all that stuff builds to a race and then in the race you are your own independent team. And there still is enough that takes place in the course of the race that an individual team is responsible for, that we have found separation in that. Call a better race, make better adjustments, whatever it is to separate yourself from your teammate, so it is in your mind more, Friday, Saturday, but Sunday when you go racing you are on your own path at that point and things shake out.”

INAUDIBLE

“I can’t say I race my teammates any different. I race them hard but make sure you leave them room and be respectful. I guess the thought of roughing-up a teammate or doing something out of line and collecting both of you would be absolutely ridiculous. So there are something’s there that you have to decide how you want to handle it, and certainly as you engage and handle things one way, chances are you will see him again on the track and the roles will be reversed before the season is over and you might have something coming your direction.”

YOU HAVE HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHAD KNAUS OVER THE YEARS. IT SEEMS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR WITH VARIOUS ARGUMENTS ON THE RADIO AND SO FORTH. AT THE END OF THE SEASON DO YOU MEET WITH CHAD AND MR. HENDRICK AND RE-EXAMINE YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS?

“I think that people forget, the past nine years of the No. 48 team being together. Chad and I have always been brutally honest with one another. There has always been plenty said and sure, things have reached different high points and in 2005 we had that infamous “milk and cookies” meeting, but there is no drama there. We have always prided ourselves on being honest with one another; there are times he gets under my skin and times I get under his. That is just pro sports. That is just the way it is. We don’t have anything planned, I don’t have anything in the front of my mind, saying, well, I have to sit down with Chad and talk to him. We are racers. And in the heat of the moment things get said and you have to be man enough to deal with those things when they come from your crew chief or when the crew chief hears it from a driver. There is no issue there.”

CARL EDWARDS HAS BUILT HIMSELF A DECENT LITTLE CUSHION HERE. HE’S 14 POINTS UP WITH FOUR RACES TO GO. WHAT LUXURIES DOES THAT GIVE YOU AS A COMPETITOR WHEN YOU HOLD THE CARDS AS OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU’RE CHASING? CONVERSELY, WHAT’S IT LIKE TO HOLD PEOPLE OFF? WHAT STRESSES DOES THAT PRESENT?

“With protecting, you end up with a slightly different mindset; at least I did. I’m only speaking about my experience. Other guys handle it in different ways. When you’re protecting something, you’re almost in the way of thinking that glass is half full and I’ve got to be careful. In qualifying, I’d better make sure I make a perfect lap. If it doesn’t turn out well, okay then now I’m in traffic and there could be a crash. You start thinking down a negative line of thought. For me, chasing, there was far less negative thoughts in my mind; it was all aggression. Pretty simple; you’ve got to qualify well. If you don’t, well damn, now I’ve got to figure out how to get through these guys. I need to go lead a lap. There is just a small subtle change in how you approach things, but at the end of 10 weeks or four weeks or wherever you are in the Chase, that does add up and kind of has you in a certain state of mind. I had more fun last year chasing Denny (Hamlin) than I did other years protecting something. But I would much rather be in a position of protecting. I want all the points I can get. I’d rather manage my outcome than have to kind of go off and chase it down. So, I’d much rather lead and be in Carl’s position and we’ll have to see what 14 points means this year and how it will play out. We’ve got four races left and we’ll see what everybody has for him.”

WHEN YOU HEARD THAT THE CONVERSATION WITH (CREW CHIEF) CHAD KNAUS AT TALLADEGA WAS GOING TO COME OUT AND THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE SCRUTINIZED AND TALKED ABOUT, DID YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR REPUTATION AND WHAT PEOPLE WERE GOING TO THINK?

“That’s a crazy question to ask, man (laughs). Hell no! Everybody in this garage area knows what this team has done to win these five championships. And our car with the success we’ve had over the years has been through the (NASCAR) R&D center far more than any other race car. And when we’ve been out of line, we’ve been put in place. And we’ve overcome a lot over the years. And the success of this race team is due to a lot of hard work and this has no bearing on it.”

GIVEN YOUR HISTORY AND SUCCESS AT MARTINSVILLE, WHEN OTHER GUYS AHEAD OF YOU IN THE CHASE HAVEN’T DONE STATISTICALLY WELL HERE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS YOUR BEST CHANCE TO MAKE UP SOME POINTS AS FAR AS THE REMAINING TRACKS ON THE SCHEDULE GO?

“Historically yes, but with six guys in front of me in the points and I’d say more than half of them look forward to coming to this race track, my real opportunity was last week (Talladega) and our 26^th place finish didn’t help me out any (laughs). So, we’re at a point now, with six guys ahead of me, like I was saying earlier, that window of opportunity is smaller. It’s a lot smaller. It’s one thing if there were one or two guys ahead of me, my odds would improve at that point. But it’s impossible to know what’s going to happen and I’ve just got to go out and try to lead as many laps as I can, win as often as I can, and see where everyone else’s luck goes. This, probably in a year, has been more volatile than we’ve ever seen. So, if that volatility stays in play, I’ve got a shot. If Carl (Edwards) runs top five from here on in, then I’ve got no chance.”

AT TALLADEGA LAST WEEK, THERE SEEM TO BE SOME DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN YOU AND DALE EARNHARDT JR. ABOUT WHERE YOU WANTED TO BE ON THE TRACK AND WHEN. IF HE WANTS TO BE UP FRONT AND YOU WANT TO BE IN THE BACK AND THERE IS A DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THAT, HOW DO YOU RESOLVE IT GIVEN THAT THE CARS ARE SO INTERDEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER?

“I don’t ever recall a disagreement. What Junior and I did was in the days leading into the Talladega race, our crew chiefs took the responsibility to call the race and tell us when to go and what to do. Junior and I both agreed that inside the car it’s tough to understand the big picture. And we find that it’s really easy for us to get overly excited and feel like we need to go up in and race. And with the strategy we all agreed to put in play, it was to ride and wait and at the very end of the race, go, and get up in there. And we took direction from our crew chiefs as we were instructed to do and those last cautions really hurt our plan. That’s what really got us. And then on the last restart, we were sitting there in 20-something place with two laps to go. Junior was in front of me and my car was overheating. I’ve got to get in front of him to try to get a push and with two laps; it just didn’t play out as we had hoped it would. But we were just sitting in the cars taking direction.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON LAST NIGHT’S WORLD SERIES GAME IF YOU WATCHED IT, AND PREDICTIONS FOR TONIGHT IF YOU HAVE ANY?

“I didn’t see it and it sounds like I missed one heck of a game. I couldn’t find it. I looked briefly and I couldn’t find it and I went to bed. I had to get up early to drive up (to Martinsville) this morning and that was that. Game 7 will be exciting I guess.”

DO YOU FEEL THE POINT SYSTEM SHOULD BE TWEAKED NEXT YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE DNF DOESN’T KILL YOU FOR THE REST OF THE CHASE?

“No, I think things are good. I think we, as a group, with input from the fans, want an emphasis on winning and performing. So, the point system supports that on top of the fact that it hasn’t changed dramatically from the old system except it’s a lot easier to follow. So I don’t see any issues. I just wish I had 50 more points than I do right now.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE IF YOU FINISH IN THE TOP FIVE YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL, EVEN IF YOU WANT TO CONGRATULATE SOMEBODY OR IF YOU’RE ANGRY AT SOMEBODY, NOT TO BUMP INTO THEM; OR IF YOU’RE DOING A BURNOUT, NOT TO HIT ANYTHING?

“I guess so but I haven’t thought about it at all. In my past history of post-race celebrations, I’ve never done anything to be called into question or any of that. I hadn’t thought about it. I certainly hope to win and I guess it would cross my mind to think okay, be very gentle here, park the car (laughs). But I hadn’t thought about it a bit. Thanks a lot (laughs).”

HOW WOULD YOU CRITIQUE THE FOUR OR FIVE GUYS THAT ARE STILL IN CONTENTION DOWN THE STRETCH?

“Man, I know where I am, but I don’t know the spread and I don’t know who is where. It’s funny how you just pay attention to your own stuff and what’s relevant in your world. I know were Carl (Edwards) is and I know where I am. But it’s tough to say. I look at the tracks remaining (on the schedule); Roush cars have been strong on the 1.5-mile tracks for a long time. Carl has steadily gotten more consistent here (Martinsville). Matt (Kenseth), I don’t see this as being one of Matt’s favorite tracks but then I know Tony (Stewart) has had great success here. Kyle (Busch) has been getting a lot better here over the years and been in the top five a bunch. Phoenix is still up in the air. I don’t know how you put in the odds on Phoenix or know what’s going to happen there. Even after being there for two test sessions like I have, I still don’t know what to expect. So, Texas, I don’t know. It’s really tough to tell. At times we see Tony red-hot on 1.5-miles; and on other tracks at other times, it’s cooled off. Kevin (Harvick) has been very consistent. I think Matt will continue to be consistent. Carl will. I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it until now. But I think it’s going to go down to Homestead. I don’t think anybody will lock it up before then.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Team Chevy, Press Release

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OCTOBER 30, 2011

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CELEBRATING COUNTDOWN TO CHEVROLET CENTENNIAL WITH GREATEST TEAM CHEVY NASCAR RACING MOMENTS: Chevrolet will celebrate its 100th anniversary on November 3, 2011. To commemorate Chevy’s centennial, we are highlighting some of Chevy’s greatest NASCAR racing moments. In 2007, GM Powertrain’s Jim Covey won the Race Engine Designer of the Year awarded for the Chevrolet R07 Engine at the World Motorsports Symposium.

TEAM CHEVY AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY: PAT SUHY, NASCAR GROUP MANAGER, GM RACING: “Congratulations to Clint Bowyer on his victory last weekend at Talladega and to Richard Childress on collecting his 100th Sprint Cup Owner win! Every one of those wins has been powered by the Chevy Bowtie, and we’re all very proud to count Richard Childress Racing as one of Team Chevy’s NASCAR Key Partner organizations. It was a great coincidence that Clint’s car was decked out in a special Chevrolet 100th Anniversary paint scheme!

“While we did collect a win in Talladega, it wasn’t a great weekend for our drivers involved in the championship fight. We have several Chevy drivers still within reach of that goal, but it’s going to take flawless execution on and off the track to get a spot at the head table at this year’s Sprint Cup Banquet in Las Vegas. As the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup rolls into Martinsville Speedway this coming weekend, we will be looking for those contenders to begin the hard climb back to the top.

“Martinsville has been, and will continue to be, a place where track position is king and good brakes are a driver’s best friend. This tough short track, with its sharp flat corners, places a high level of demand on brakes and brake cooling systems. Our team engineers and crew chiefs spend many hours designing and testing brakes and their cooling systems. Using their own in-house tools and those supplied and supported by our General Motors racing engineers, they continuously look for performance improvements. But no matter how good the engineers make the systems, the drivers themselves have significant influence on how they perform over the course of the 500-lap race. Careful modulation and understanding of when they can be used harder or when they need a ‘cooling off period’ is something that comes with experience. Our lineup is filled with great drivers with all the experience needed to tame this half-mile track. The record book backs that up, with a Chevrolet having won 38% of the races and leading 43% of the laps run at Martinsville.

“Sunday’s race is sure to be an exciting one. With all the hard work and preparation that we and our teams have done, I’m looking forward to being there and having the chance to celebrate another victory for Chevrolet with one of our drivers and their crew.”

TEAM CHEVY IN THE 2011 CHASE FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP:

• · Team Chevy has six drivers competing in the 10 race 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Standings after Race 6 of 10:
• · Tony Stewart, No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, sits 4^th in the standings, 19 points behind leader
• · Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, is 5^th in the points order, 26 points behind leader
• · Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 MyLowes Chevrolet, is 7^th in points, 50 points behind leader
• · Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Paint the 88/ National Guard Chevrolet, sits 9^th in points, 74 points behind leader
• · Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, is 10^th in points, 82 points behind leader
• · Ryan Newman, No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet, is 12^th in standings, 88 points behind leader

TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:

• · Chevrolet has won 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
• · Team Chevy drivers have scored 684 wins AND 620 poles in NSCS competition
  • o 2011 wins – 15
  • o 2011 poles – 11

CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY:

• A Chevrolet driver has won 47 of the 124 NSCS races at Martinsville Speedway

• · Chevy has 49 poles at Martinsville
• · Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, has one (1) win at Martinsville
• · Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, has one (1) Martinsville win
• Team Chevy drivers have scored 230 top-five finishes and 426 top-10 finishes at Martinsville

• A Chevrolet has led 24,150 laps (42.6% of 56,587 possible) at Martinsville
• Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, has seven (7) Martinsville victories, more than any other active driver
• Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 MyLowes Chevrolet, has six (6) victories at the .526-mile oval
• Mark Martin, No. 5 CARQUEST Auto Parts/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, has two (2) Martinsville victories
• Tony Stewart, No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet has won twice (2) at Martinsville

TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY:

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET – 4^TH IN STANDINGS: “The shock technology (has changed over the years as it relates to racing at Martinsville), and it’s like anywhere else we go where you’re still trying to get the cars to do the same thing. You still have to make them rotate, and more so at Martinsville than anywhere else, you’re asking the car to accelerate a lot off the corner. That’s the hardest thing. You can always get it to do one or the other, but it’s hard to get them to do both. I think that’s why Martinsville is so difficult. But there are things that drivers figure out that they like, and the feel that they like, and when you find that you normally have something to shoot for each time you go on the racetrack. But the technology does change with it, I believe.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET – 5^TH IN STANDINGS: “Martinsville is just one of those places where we could not put a whole day together for a long time. The first couple of years I just crashed. Actually I think the first year, I got black flagged for spinning Bobby Hamilton out, with about 10 laps to go but, I think Martinsville is just one of those places on the Cup circuit that just takes some time to figure out exactly why you do not need to charge the corners so hard and let the car roll and work on your car up off the corner. After the first couple of years I felt like we were able to, I don’t know, just kind of figure out what we needed to do set-up wise but we never could put the whole day together to get the finishes. Over the last couple of years I’ve felt like we are finally running fairly well. I think any time after you finally do something that you’ve been trying to do for a while and you finally accomplish that, it definitely eases your mind and you remember those situations and you remember the things you did to make it happen that day. In my opinion, that’s what’s great about our team. I feel like even when the cards are stacked against us or even when people count us out, I feel like we can always rebound and we can always do things that surprise people, whether it’s lead one lap or half a lap or 500 laps. Martinsville has been one of those places where we had never had all the circumstances work out for us on a whole day. I feel like we’ve run well enough to race for wins there, but just never made it happen until the spring.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 MYLOWE’S CHEVROLET – 7^TH IN STANDINGS: “Quirky tracks have always worked for me. And this track certainly is that. When I first came here, the first year or year and a half, there was no way I thought this track would be one that I liked. But in time, and in learning how to drive it, there is just one way to really get around here. And a lot of tracks have a lot of other options but there’s one very specific line you have to run and when a guy finds it, and he can set his car up to it, you go and go and go for years. And that’s what Denny (Hamlin) has been able to do and what we’ve been able to do and Jeff (Gordon) has done. So I really think it falls into that category. You go to a big track and there are three or four lanes to run on, you can move around and find somewhere that works for your set-up if you missed it (and) for your own driving style. That’s not the case here. There’s one way to drive this place and that’s it.”

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 DIET MOUNTAIN DEW POINT THE 88/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET – 9^TH IN STANDINGS: “Martinsville is a short track so you’ve got to be able to roll around the middle. You’ve got to be able to have good forward bite there. Getting in the power and getting the power down is real important.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET – 10^TH IN STANDINGS: “I always go to Martinsville with a lot of confidence. It’s a very challenging track, but we seem to get into a rhythm and seem to be very competitive here – no matter the cars, the tires or any other changes that we’ve had over the years. There are tracks that I like better, but there are few tracks that I feel as confident as I do than when we go to Martinsville. The key is just trying to get deep in the corners without overdriving them. To me the entry sets up the exit. It’s such a tight radius corner, and brakes are so important. How you get into the corner helps you roll through the middle of the corner and get back to the throttle early. So it’s really just how deep you can get into the corner – without ‘cooking’ the brakes – while still getting the car to turn in the middle. We’ve run well and led laps recently; we just haven’t got the win to show for it. At times during some of the races, I thought we had the best car. But it doesn’t seem like we’ve had the winning combination at the end of the races.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET – 12^TH IN STANDINGS: “I like using the middle (brake) pedal (at short tracks). In all seriousness, I think it adds another parameter of a driver’s input when you have to modulate that third pedal. We have to go to places like Las Vegas and you’re using very little brake. When you are using a little bit, it’s hard to screw it up. I think our team has done a really good job with the brake package that we have. I like the short tracks. I like having the character added to the program of modulating the brake. In my opinion, the driver has a little more of an impact on the end result at short tracks than some of the bigger racetracks, and I like that. The more the drivers are involved, the more I think you get to race and, from that standpoint, I think it’s more fun. Tony Gibson (crew chief) has some great setups with our short-track program. I enjoy them, he enjoys them, and we just go out there and have some fun. We’ve had a good car each time we’ve been to Martinsville. Gibson is a great fan of Martinsville and short-track racing, and he’s got a great understanding of the racecar there and what I like, and that makes a big difference, obviously, for me. We’ve been able to get three top-10 finishes in our four trips to Martinsville. Last fall, we had a rare issue that took us out of contention and this spring we were really good until the header pipe broke and we had a flat tire. So we’re looking forward to getting back on a streak of good runs at Martinsville.”

CLINT BOWYER, NO. 33 AMERICAN ETHANOL CHEVROLET – 13^TH IN STANDINGS: “Without a doubt Martinsville Speedway is just a long drawn-out traffic jam. Martinsville is a very demanding and difficult track to get around. You have to learn how to get around that place, but you still need to have good equipment that makes good grip and has good forward bite. Charging the corner too quick or lifting early, your natural tendencies you want to do to go faster, they (the brakes) don’t work. You have to pace yourself. You have to discipline yourself. You have to lift early and let the car roll through the corner and get into the gas as soon as you can. You say you have to do all those things, but you need a car that allows you to do that. It needs to roll freely and not come out from underneath of you.”

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET – 19^TH IN STANDINGS:

“I love going back to these old-school tracks that NASCAR has been racing on forever. They just fit me. The atmosphere at Martinsville is a little more laid back and the short-track style of racing is a lot like a lot of us drivers grew up doing. Brakes are the most important component at Martinsville. You can burn them up fast and easy if you’re not careful. If you can keep your car clean, have a little bit of patience and be able to hug that bottom line, you’re going to have a pretty good day.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET – 20^TH IN STANDINGS: “I think we will be really good at Martinsville. I am excited to be going there. Our short track program has been really good this year. Most people, including me, would say that I am really good on the 1.5 milers, but lately we seem to run a lot better on the short tracks. You race and if somebody races hard, you’re going to race hard. It’s a place you don’t want to wreck anybody because payback is really bad there. We have to have respect for each other.”

PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 RICHMOND/MENARDS CHEVROLET – 21^ST IN STANDINGS: “Martinsville (Speedway) requires a lot of skilled racing. A lot of us have grown up racing short tracks practicing that skill. It’s good to get back to the roots of where you started. It’s a hard place to pass so it’s important to have the right pit strategy. Track position is definitely key. It’s really hard to pass there. Track position is really important at a short track like Martinsville (Speedway). It’s stressful on the crew chiefs when they have to decide when to take tires and when to stay out because you can typically run 130 laps on one tank of fuel. The crew chiefs have their hands full for sure.”

JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET – 24^TH IN STANDINGS: “I was really sick when we won that race (Martinsville, 1997). I was really struggling and could hardly stand up. That’s one of the most gratifying wins I’ve ever had because I passed Rusty (Wallace) on the outside before there was an outside (lane) to take the lead. We made a pit stop and he beat us out of the pits. There were a few cautions after that and each time, he kept jumping the restart and NASCAR warned him about that. Well, he did it again and they black flagged him. So, there I am leading the race and here comes Bobby Hamilton. He was on the inside and I was on the outside and I wanted to beat him. It was a really rewarding race because I had to work hard for it. Nothing came easy on that day.”

REGAN SMITH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW RACING CHEVROLET – 26^TH IN STANDINGS: “I am still a little disappointed about what happened in Talladega. The Furniture Row Chevy was strong all day and to be taken out with eight laps remaining hurts as did the impact into the wall. That was a pretty good lick I took and I want to personally commend NASCAR for our safety equipment and the safety innovations made throughout the years. Regarding Martinsville, we were looking at a top-10 finish there back in the spring race, but we had a brake rotor that failed late in the race. We know we can run well there and it’s time for us to get another strong finish. Our short track program is getting better and I look forward to the Martinsville flat track.”

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET – 27^TH IN STANDINGS: “I look forward to getting back to Martinsville this weekend. This is one of the tracks that I really like, so it seems to help with how well we run there. The spring race we were able to win the pole and run up front all day and eventually bring home a top-10 finish. Probably one of the best races we have had all year. Hopefully we can put our McDonald’s Chevrolet up front again this weekend and get some positive momentum heading toward the end of this 2011 season.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships

Total (1949 – 2011): 35

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 9 twice (1983 – 1991) (2003-2011)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Drivers Championships

Total (1949 – 2010): 27

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 6 (1993 – 98) & (2005 – ’10)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Event Victories

2010 Race Wins: 18

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – 2007

2011 YEAR-TO-DATE STATISTICS:

Wins: 15

Poles: 11

Laps led: 3,999

Top-five finishes: 67

Top-10 finishes: 142

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 684 (1949 – to date) (2,314 possible = 29.6%)

Poles Won to Date: 620

Laps Lead to Date: 204,259

Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,434

Top-10 Finishes to Date: 7,024

Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date 

GM: 1,019

Chevrolet: 684

Pontiac: 155

Oldsmobile: 115

Buick: 65

Ford: 706

Ford: 606

Mercury: 96

Lincoln: 4

Chrysler: 461

Dodge: 212

Plymouth: 190

Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 38

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Team Chevy, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson in Car - Photo Credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images for NASCAR

JIMMIE JOHNSON 2011

STARTS: 32 WINS: 2 TOP 5: 13 TOP 10: 20
CURRENT DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: 7th (-50)
FINISH IN TALLADEGA: 26th 2010 FALL FINISH AT MARTINSVILLE: 5th

NEWS

Johnson will drive the No. 48 MyLowe’s paint scheme in Martinsville. MyLowe’s is an integrated online tool on Lowes.com that helps keep track of everything in your home. Users will never have to remember paint colors, warranty information or room dimensions again. When using the My Lowe’s card, purchases will all automatically upload to the users MyLowe’s site and can be customized from there. Johnson also will run the scheme in Texas.

RACE NOTES

Martinsville Speedway

Chassis

Primary Car History – Chassis No. 653

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 590

“Quirky tracks have always worked for me. And this track certainly is that. When I first came here, the first year or year and a half, there was no way I thought this track would be one that I liked. But in time, and in learning how to drive it, there is just one way to really get around here. And a lot of tracks have a lot of other options but there’s one very specific line you have to run and when a guy finds it, and he can set his car up to it, you go and go and go for years. And that’s what Denny (Hamlin) has been able to do and what we’ve been able to do and Jeff (Gordon) has done. So I really think it falls into that category. You go to a big track and there are three or four lanes to run on, you can move around and find somewhere that works for your set-up if you missed it (and) for your own driving style. That’s not the case here. There’s one way to drive this place and that’s it.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES

Career Wins

Career Poles

Career Starts

Career Recognition

Jimmie Johnson – Martinsville Speedway

Race 7 of 10 – Chase Stats

Jimmie Johnson – 2011 Results

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics

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

2011 Jimmie Johnson Smiling - Photo Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images

But he couldn’t think of any place he’d rather be headed 35 points behind the leader than Martinsville Speedway. It may not be home to the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, but it’s certainly a comfort zone.

He has six wins on the .526-mile oval, second only to Jeff Gordon, with seven wins, among active drivers.

“I’m excited (to get to Martinsville). I’ve always been able to count on Martinsville and a good run here in the fall,” Johnson said during a media stop at Martinsville Speedway Thursday. “It’s been very important for our championship hopes.

“And the hole we are in from our crash at Charlotte, we need good tracks and we have got good tracks coming up. We’re excited to be coming back to Martinsville.”

Johnson has done more than just win races at Martinsville; he’s dominated. He is among the top three at Martinsville in almost every statistical category NASCAR has kept the past six years.

His average finish of 3.8 leads all drivers as does his driver rating of 149. He has led 22.2 percent of all laps run at Martinsville in the past six years, leading more laps than anyone else during the period.

All of that said, though, Johnson is mired in his longest winless streak at Martinsville, with his last win coming in the spring of 2009. Since then Denny Hamlin has won three in a row and Kevin Harvick won last spring.

“Running up front consistently is the key to the championship and we haven’t done a very good job of that in this Chase,” said Johnson. “We have to get back to top threes, top fives and this is a track where we can do that. We haven’t won here in a bit and I hope to change that.

“There are guys who have figured this track out. Denny Hamlin is no slouch here. Kevin Harvick has always been right on the brink of winning here and he has won. It’s a great track for Jeff Gordon. We know we’ll be in the mix and hopefully we’ll be the one on the front stretch winning that awesome (grandfather clock) trophy.”

Race-week excitement ramps up at Martinsville Speedway Friday when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars and the Camping World Truck Series trucks take to the track for a full day of practice.

Farm Bureau Pole Day and the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is set for Oct. 29 and the TUMS Fast Relief 500 is on October 30.

Good seats remain for all events and may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

- Martinsville Speedway, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson unveils the paint scheme that will run at Talladega, Martinsville and Texas during a press conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC. - Photo Credit: HHP/Harold Hinson Photography

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 MYLOWE’S CHEVROLET met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed what he and his team need to do to win the championship, his hard hit at Charlotte last week, the charity auction benefiting Dan Wheldon’s family and much more.

TALK ABOUT THE SECOND HALF OF THE CHASE, COMING TO TALLADEGA, TALK ABOUT YOUR MINDSET AS WE GET READY TO GO RACING HERE IN SUNDAY. “First thing is first, we’ve got to get out and practice today and get some experience with the new PRV (pressure relieve valve) and the bigger plate so I’m excited for that. I think it’s going to be challenging for the drivers to stay connected so we’ll have to get out there and see what happens. These cooler temperatures today, if it’s cool today and it gets warm on Sunday it might lure us into thinking we can push. We’ll just have to see. There’s some things to be on top of this weekend for the teams and drivers and I’m excited to get into practice and learn what that is and where that pressure will pop off the valve. We need points based on the way we finished up in Charlotte. We overcame a lot through the night in Charlotte with track position issues and was getting into a respectful finish there and I had that huge impact off of turn two so it was a sore week trying to get through the bumps and bruises at the beginning of the week. Things feel great now and we’ve just got to go racing. There’s still five races left in this Chase. A lot still can happen and I know what my team and myself is capable of and we’re going to go out there and work for every point we can get.”

IS THIS THE ONE RACE WHERE YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW THIS IS GOING TO END? “I have an idea but it’s tough to tell on any track what’s going to happen. We always seem to have a big one at some point. The changes that have been made will alter the race that takes place I just don’t know how much and I’ll know a lot more after practice and will have some good opinions then.”

LAST WEEK I ASKED YOU ABOUT BEING SUPERSTITIOUS AND THE SI JINX, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REVISIT THAT PHENOMENON? “Well in racing and anything it’s easy to say it was bad luck but like I said before that race and I say after because I was on the cover of that magazine it didn’t make me crash. I was in a situation racing hard for a position and had one car close behind me and one tight on my outside turn the car around. So the magazine didn’t create the aerodynamics situation that took place when I crashed. We can joke about it and laugh and say sure the jinx continues. I guess I really didn’t know there was a jinx prior until everybody pointed it out to me. But I don’t believe that’s the case. Racing took place; I was in the car so I’m responsible for what took place on Saturday night not a magazine cover. It’s fun to laugh about it I guess, everybody chuckled when you asked.”

WHEN TALKING ABOUT THIS RACE YOU SAID WE NEED POINTS, THAT MIGHT BE KIND OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF YOUR TIME IN THE CHASE, MIGHT THIS BE THE TOUGHEST POSITION YOU’VE FOUND YOURSELF IN SINCE TEHRE’S BEEN A CHASE? “I don’t know. I saw stats somewhere where we left here 156 (points) back in ’06 and won the championship. The schedule has changed a little so I don’t know if Talladega was a lot earlier and how it all plays out. I kind of look at it like I did in 2006 when we had two bad races and was able to rebound. We’ve had two bad races and I hope to rebound so it seems familiar to me but over the years I’ve forgotten a lot of stuff along the way too.”

MOST YEARS GUYS HATE TO COME HERE BECAUSE ITS SUCH A CRAPSHOOT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHASE, CONSIDERING YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU SORT OF GLAD TO COME HERE ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THIS TIME? “When you’re coming to Talladega and you have to protect something it’s tough. Even when you get to the end of the year and you go to Homestead protecting the championship regardless of the race track it just adds a lot of stress. With the unknowns we have here protecting makes for a long weekend and a long race when you’re in the car. I don’t want to enter this race hoping for anything from a big crash standpoint to happen and the No. 29, No. 99 the guys all having to be caught up in that. I just need to go out and race. I know stuff does happen on the track but if we go out and run well and get five points on some guys it’s a step in the right direction. I don’t have anything to protect so Talladega isn’t as dangerous for me this year or as scary as it has been in years past.”

I SAW THAT YOU’RE DONATING THE HELMET THAT YOU’RE WEARING THIS WEEKEND TO THE DAN WHELDON MEMORIAL, HOW IS IT THAT YOU CAME TO THAT DECISION AND JUST YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE OUTPOURING OF PEOPLE IN THE MOTORSPORTS COMMUNITY TRYING TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS AUCTION. “So I noticed on Twitter that Graham Rahal was spearheading really the majority of the goods for the auction and I saw something on there where his father was giving up a race-worn helmet and if I remember reading it right is was one of a kind. My helmets, I don’t do anything with them and I keep them myself. I do trade out with some other drivers from time to time but helmets are so sought after and can raise the most money when I saw that Bobby Rahal was giving up a helmet it just triggered something in me. I’ll wear the helmet this weekend and I have a sticker to go on my visor with the lion hart thing and a Dan Wheldon on it and stuff. I’m excited to wear the helmet and hopefully it can go to victory lane and be worth every cent possible before its goes up on the auction.”

HAVE YOU BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY PEOPLE HAVE REACTED? “Yeah, extremely impressed with the outpouring and just again following Graham’s Tweets. Kelly Slater is involved so it’s certainly a very big focus within our sport. Within in sports there has been some great support to but it’s gone off into a different world with surfing even, so just really proud of everybody doing their part in trying to help provide for the family and keeping the family in their thoughts and prayers.”

WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN HERE YESTERDAY I HAD A LONG PHONE CONVERSATION WITH A FAN OVER THE SUBJECT OF YOU HAVING A REALLY HARD CRASH AND SOME PEOPLE CHEERING, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? “Luckily I guess I can’t hear what’s going on in the grandstands when you’re in the car. I wasn’t aware of the cheering and then saw some traffic on my Twitter site following that. I can remember noise when really anybody crashes and cheers at times so I don’t know exactly to the degree of what that is but inside the car, that rate of speed hitting the wall it’s not a situation you want to be in. I guess being that quarterback laying on the Astroturf trying to catch your breath is a lot like being that driver in the car driving to catch his breath. It wasn’t fun.”

THERE’S BEEN SOME TALK AMONG THE FANS THAT TRYING TO PASS RYAN NEWMAN WITH 10 LAPS LEFT, WITH SUCH LITTLE TIME LEFT IN THE RACE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THE RIGHT MOVE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU MADE ANY SORT OF MISTAKE AND SHOULD HAVE JUST SETTLED FOR WHERE YOU WERE RUNNING AT THAT POINT IN THE RACE? “Settling for where you are running in the race to preserve points is just not something I’ve ever done. I mean I needed every point I could get. The No. 99 was up there running well, the No. 29 had just passed the No. 39 and I had made passes inside of cars all night long in (turns) one and two and didn’t have any issues. I mean yes you can look back now and say sure eighth or wherever I was running is a heck of a lot better than 34^th but we’ve got to race and we’ve got to go get every point that we can. I was faster than the No. 39. I watched the No. 29 take a couple of laps to work his way by and I felt like I was in a position to do the same thing and the No. 4 car knew I was in and overtaking position and I felt like I was going to have his drafting help on the straights which I did coming down the front straight into that corner, so I really felt like things were going in the right direction for me to roll around the bottom and pass the No. 39 and clearly that didn’t happen. You can always armchair quarterback after but at the time I mean I didn’t drive in over my head, if you watch the video I lifted a little earlier because I felt like Ryan (Newman) was going to be out there and be tight to me and it just got out from under me. Just a racing thing. I wish it didn’t’ happen but I can’t look back at that and say I should have just been content with eighth.”

EVERYBODY REMEMBERS YOUR EPIC RUN OUT OF HERE IN ’06, FIVE STRAIGHT TOP-TWO FINISHES TO WIN THAT TITLE, IS IT GOING TO TAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR YOU TO WIN IT THIS YEAR AND IS A RUN LIKE THAT EVEN POSSIBLE GIVEN HOW COMPETITIVE IT IS THIS YEAR? “It is possible and I’m expecting we need to do that as a race team. Fortune can come and go for any of the drivers at any of the tracks. There’s a lot of focus on this weekend’s race but Martinsville has its things then we go to Phoenix at some point and we’re all not sure what to expect in Phoenix so things will develop over the next five races but myself and this team are looking at it that we need to be on fire at these next five to give ourselves a chance to win this thing.”

HOW DOES A TRAGEDY LIKE WE SAW LAST WEEKEND AT LAS VEGAS IMPACT YOU AS A COMPETITOR COMING BACK TO THE RACE TRACK TO DO YOUR JOB ESPECIALLY AT A PLACE WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH UNKNOWN? “You know when things like that happen within motorsports you certainly think of the risks you take, the things that have happened through your career. I was in my backyard with my daughter watching her run around when they’re talking about Susie and the kids. There was a tough moment there for me watching my daughter play and thinking of Dan’s family so there are moments there that really grabbed me, grabbed drivers I believe. Getting in the car Monday at the EFI test that we ran, deep in the back of my mind just thinking about things and there’s my marks into the wall in turn two and I’m like yeah I had a bad angle and I hit pretty hard. I think we spend very little time as drivers thinking about it, right or wrong, and it’s just kind of who we are. If you look back at the old days and drivers, everybody just kind of tried not to think it could happen to them and keep going. I’m thankful we’ve had the developments we have had in motorsports making our cars safe and I built confidence in my crash from Saturday night, I had a huge impact and I didn’t even lose consciousness so I feel like I’m in a very safe environment. But there are risks in our sport and we do assume and take those risks. We try to prepare our family and friends with the risks that we take and you just race with a heavy heart and think of Dan and the drivers before Dan that have been killed.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Team Chevy, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson in Car - Photo Credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images for NASCAR

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/CHEVY 100^TH ANNIVERSARY CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Charlotte Motor Speedway and discussed racing at Charlotte, the battle in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, qualifying, mile-and-a-half tracks and other topics.

TALK ABOUT COMING OFF YOUR BIG WIN AT KANSAS AND BEING HALF WAY THROUGH THE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE AFTER CHARLOTTE AS WELL AS HOW THE WIN AND KANSAS HELPED THE TEAM: “A great performance last weekend. If you leave out qualifying, we have a lot to be proud of from last weekend’s race. Great work on pit road. Great race car. Great pit calling. So, a lot to build on; a lot to be happy with. I’m excited with our mile-and-a-half program. At the start of the year; midway through the year, it was a soft-spot for us and an area that we probably talked about a few times in these get-togethers about how we needed to be better on those tracks. We’ve got there, especially in race conditions. We have the speed in the car and the comfort in the car to go out there and race for wins. Very happy about that. Excited to come back to a mile-and-a-half and to a track that has been so good to me over the years. Excited to get out there and see what we’ve got.”

THE NEW POINTS SYSTEM MAKES IT MORE LIKELY THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE LEFT IN THE CHASE FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP RUN AT HOMESTEAD, DO YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO COME TO THAT? WILL THERE BE FOUR, FIVE OR SIX GUYS IN OR WILL THERE BE TWO OR THREE? WHAT IS YOUR BEST GUESS? “I think there is going to be more than two or three. I think it will be in that five or six category to be honest with you. When I look at the year and how tough it’s been for any team to stay hot for a long period of time. I think there is going to be a half-dozen guys that have a shot at it in Homestead.”

TRACK POSITION IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT; QUALIFYING IS IMPORTANT; HAVE YOU GUYS DONE ANYTHING TO ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE YOUR QUALIFYING POSITIONS? “We’re working on it as aggressively as we can. Depending on the schedule, that really dictates how much time spend on qualifying trim. Tracks where we do all the practice on Friday and then qualify on Sunday {Saturday}, we’ve found that doing more race trim and focusing on a good foundation for a setup is beneficial and has helped in qualifying. Then, on schedules like we have here, or last weekend, it is a little easier to work the tire allotment around and just focus on qualifying on Friday, or Thursday, and then worry about race trim the next day. So, what we’re trying, we’ve looked at both schedules, actually there have probably been three or four different schedules at tracks, but we know how important it is. We’ve always been focused on getting a good qualifying effort, especially the last two or three years and we’re working on it every week. We’re trying to get better at it. Just haven’t had that…we’re missing a chunk. We can find little pieces here and there. Short tracks seem to be well. We’ve got good speed there in qualifying trim. But, the big tracks, we’re just missing a chunk. We’ll try it again today and hopefully get it.”

THERE HAVE BEEN EIGHT MILE-AND-A-HALF RACES THIS YEAR AND EIGHT DIFFERENT WINNERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT TREND AND DO YOU THINK IT WILL CONTINUE? “I think it is going to continue. I think that’s the way the year has been and the year will continue to go. Just difficult to predict who’s going to be the dominate guy and to have a favorite. I think we’re going to see a lot more of the same over the next six races. I think that we’ve had strategy play a big part in the fact that we haven’t had repeat winners on mile-and-a-halves, with fuel mileage and things like that taking place. Even down to how many tires you put on the car. It’s kind of changed the outcome of a lot of races. I guess I’m thinking of Dover. That’s not a mile-an-a-half by any means, but, I think it is more in the strategy and in the race calling that’s changed that around than the fact the fast car always finds its way to the front.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE IN THE PAST THAT YOUR PRESENCE AT THE FRONT OF THE FIELD IN THAT MIX RATTLES OTHERS? “Boy, when we, I don’t know what year it was, but, the year we raced with Carl (Edwards), we finished second at Atlanta, I know in Victory Lane it was told that we finished second and you could tell that shocked him and got to him a little bit. I think racing with Jeff (Gordon), we won like four or five races in that Chase. We won at Phoenix and he came into Victory Lane with a white towel waving it. There are some small moments there that we’ve been able to see it, but it has been after linking together just run after run. So, I don’t know if we have that fortune now. But, if we keep doing what we have over the last two weeks, we might be able to get some of that.”

DO YOU HAVE THEM RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT THEM RIGHT NOW AFTER LAST WEEK? “We are happy where we are. But, I look at those first two races and still think about the points left on the table. I’ve said that a few times now. You just don’t know what that point total is going to be at the end of the year and I hope I don’t need the spots from Chicago and New Hampshire. But, where I want to be is on top. I think if somebody can sit on top of the points and lead and continue to lead, there’s a small advantage in that. And, I want to be that guy. I want to be leading the points every week that I can.”

COUPLE OF FUEL INJECTION TESTS COMING UP, WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM THOSE? THEN AT A PLACE LIKE TALLADEGA WHERE IT’S BEEN SUCH SMALL TWEAKS TO RESTRICTOR PLATES OVER THE YEARS, HOW MUCH OF A CHANGE DO YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO BE TO THE RACING AT SUPERSPEEDWAYS? “The EFI stuff, I’m not sure there is a ton for the drivers to learn through all of it. But, our engineering staff, it’s a big day for them. At the Kentucky test, and also at the Phoenix test, we’ve made a lot of gains with our systems, if you will. There will be a lot of guys in collared shirts walking around collecting data and trying to be smarter about what goes on there. At Talladega, I don’t know what’s going to change there. Whenever there’s bigger plates, we have the opportunity to pass more. It increases the closing rates. There could be more passing. The fact that we have a lower pop-off valve, would mean that we would probably need to change more often and that can create some excitement and have cars split apart. But, until we get into practice and really see what goes on, it’s hard to predict it.”

GOING TO THE FINAL FIVE RACES IN THE CHASE, BEING WHEREVER YOU ARE GOING TO BE WHY DO YOU PREFER TO BE LEADING AND HAVE THEM CHASING YOU WHEREAS IN GOLF SOME GUYS PREFER NOT TO BE IN THE LEAD? “It really just boils down to points. I think it would apply in golf too. I mean, you don’t want to give up any shots and need that later in the round or at the end of the tournament. If you are leading, it means you have been collecting more points than anyone else. It just kind of boils down to that; is just simple stuff. I want ever point I can get and hopefully be up front.”

YOU ARE A SUPERSTITIOUS GUY, GET UP AT 7:48 EVERY DAY, ETC. GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THE ALL THE JINXES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE COVER, WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THAT WHEN YOU DID THE COVER? “I’m not superstitious, but it is 6:48 that I get up at. (LAUGHS). I never even thought twice about it to be honest with you. It is such a huge honor to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I accepted and…actually we didn’t really know what was going to take place with the passing of Al Davis (owner of Oakland Raiders). So, one day it was on and the next day we weren’t sure and then it ended up working out. Huge honor for myself. Sponsors. Glad to be one it. The jinx, I would have to imagine that if you talked to the other people that were supposedly jinxed, they just didn’t play right. They didn’t do their jobs. I am not going to be superstitious about that. I will be about the time I get up and some other goofy things that I do but I chose not to be superstitious about this.”

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE THE MOST DIFFICULTY YOURSELF GETTING PAST? IS IT A MISTAKE THAT MAYBE YOU MAKE LIKE SPEEDING? IS IT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS WITH THE TEAM ON PIT ROAD? OR IS IT AN INCIDENT THAT YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF THAT HAPPENS ON THE TRACK? IS THERE ONE THAT IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN ANOTHER FOR YOU TO GET OVER? “That’s a good question. I think it’s between a mistake I made and then just being caught up in something. A bad-luck situation. I guess probably the bad luck as I think a little bit more about it would affect me more because if it was my fault, I can at least learn from it and be hard on myself and things like that. I think bad luck would be the thing that hurts the most.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Team Chevy, Press Release

Chassis

Primary Car History – Chassis No. 659

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 669

Jimmie Johnson in Car - Photo Credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images for NASCAR

JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES

Career Poles

Career Starts

Career Recognition

Jimmie Johnson – Charlotte Motor Speedway

Race 5 of 10 – Chase Stats

Jimmie Johnson – 2011 Results

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics

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

Jimmie Johnson in Garage - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed how he feels about his position in the Chase so far, mentally dealing with on-track mistakes, bringing in younger fans, day verses night races and more.

JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHASE SO FAR AND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT COMING INTO KANSAS THIS WEEKEND. “I feel good about our 1.5-mile stuff and after reviewing things coming here with Chad (Knaus, crew chief) during the week and this morning I think we are a lot smarter with our 1.5-mile stuff and should have a really, really strong showing here. So excited to get on track. It’s back to the old format which I feel is a better use of our time, tires and resources that we have at track where we have qualifying practice, qualifying and then we come back and have race practice tomorrow.

“I feel very good about the schedule which may sound odd but there’s a lot of decisions that have to be made when you’ve got to post a fast time, all your practices are in one day verses your qualifying making one lap virtually on Saturday and come back and race. Where’s the track at, what adjustments, all that stuff has been challenging throughout the year and I’m happy to see kind of a standard schedule if you will back on the books for this weekend.”

JACK ROUSH WAS TALKING ABOUT GOING TO CARL (EDWARDS) AFTER MAKING THE MENTAL ERROR AND SAYING OKAY YOU’VE PASSED A BUNCH OF CARS, YOU HAVE TO GET USED TO THAT ON PIT ROAD BUT DON’T SPEED, TALK ABOUT MAKING MENTAL ERRORS AND HOW MUCH TIME YOU SPEND THINKING ABOUT THAT ONE LITTLE THING THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO DO BUT MIGHT SCREW UP BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON. “Yeah, we walk such a fine line on all aspects of the track that a small error, it can be so costly and even though we do it week after week our job is to make up as much time as we can on pit road and I don’t know what led to Carl’s mistake, if he forgot where the lines were or just missed it by a thousandth of a mile an hour, but in the cases where you miss it by a thousandth of a mile an hour we’re looking at the lights on our dash trying however they are set up, if it’s all green, red or whatever it may be and you’re just staring at those little lights trying to hit it perfectly and over the course of pit road you can make up a second and half if you do it right.

“On the race track that’s two or three spots at times depending on where you are running. Long story short, we walk that balance all the time and when you make a mistake you try to learn from it not that we all do and when you make that mistake a second time you’re even more upset with yourself. The way I handle it is when I make a mistake I try to evaluate it, think it through and then try to recognize it when it’s coming up again in the future. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t but that’s just part of it.”

YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME WITH THIS WEEKENDS SCHEDULE BECAUSE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO QUALIFY TODAY AND PRACTICE TWO TIMES TOMORROW, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT PROVIDES FOR A BETTER OR MORE EXCITING RACE ON SUNDAY WHEN YOU HAVE THAT SCHEDULE?

“I’m trying to think of which hat to wear because the only way I see it is as a competitor and it’s so tough to do all of your race practice on a Friday and kind of help rubber in the track and then guess where the track is going to be come Sunday when you’re back on the track. Weather conditions change a lot, totally different so from a competitor’s standpoint I think it’s tough and it’s exciting in a way we don’t want it to be. If it puts on a better show for the fans, which I don’t know how that really plays out then it probably needs to stay that we because we need to do everything we can to put on a great show. I don’t know how it looks from the grandstands so that’s the only catch there.”

IN CHICAGO YOU TOLD ME YOU WANTED TO BE THE DRIVER WITH THE TARGET ON YOUR BACK, HOW CLOSE ARE YOU NOW TO BEING BACK IN THAT POSITION? “We’re close. To not be a smartass on you, we’re 13 points away from being that guy and that’s really what my goal is and that’s where I want to be. I think that people argue the point is it good to be under the radar or be out in front, in a 10-race format if you’re the guy setting the way and you continue to put distance between yourself and second, you gain an advantage at that point and that’s the advantage I want to have.

“I hope to get there after this weekend or be even closer yet because people also do pay attention to the momentum you have and where you are going and if we can continue to close that gap I hope that we can find something positive out of that to send a message and keep things going.”

EARLIER A QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT ATTRACTING YOUNGER FANS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MAYBE ANOTHER DIVISION TO ATTRACK YOUNGER FANS OR IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF POINT-PAYING RACE WOULD THAT ALIENATE THE TRADITIONAL NASCAR FANS TO SEE SOME JUMPS OR SLIDES OR WHATEVER IN HOT CARS? “I think that you will bring in a different demographic. I feel because it’s the way I grew up going to races that you become a race fan at a young age. You become a fan of whatever sport at a young age with your dad and that’s the way it worked for me. We didn’t go to baseball games, we didn’t go to football games, we went to race tracks and I think it starts at a very young age. You mentioned the sliding and jumping if it’s a rally demographic I don’t know how big that is but sure it wouldn’t hurt to tie into our sport but the big numbers I think started at a young age and creating a racing fan verses a baseball fan or a football fan. I can’t thank my dad enough for dragging me all over and if my grades were up he took me up on Wednesday early and we’d go to one short track and watch sprint cars, if it was a Friday we’d run up to Ventura or Ascot wherever it was and I became a fan at a young age to that.”

THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE IS OPENING THIS WEEK AND THE STAR PLAYER IS STILL OUT WITH A CONCUSSION FROM JANUARY, THE USA TODAY HAD AN ARTICLE ABOUT FOOTBALL HELMETS WITH DOTS ON THEM SO YOU COULD TELL WHERE YOU GOT HIT AND HOW HARD YOU GOT HIT, IN THIS SPORT YOU USED TO GET YOUR BELL RUNG ALL THE TIME BUT THAT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE A FACTOR ANYMORE, ARE THE HELMETS BETTER OR ARE YOU GUYS BETTER PROTECTED, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD YOUR BELL RUNG? “I think it’s actually quite a few components to our sport that lowered the concussion rate and even the fatality standpoint. We look at a threshold and the impact that was estimated for Earnhardt’s crash and now that we have the date recorders and you can see that we are well in excess of that and guys aren’t even losing consciousness or breaking shoulders, we used to break shoulders just because of a seat design, so we’ve come a long way and there is a lot of technology out there that can be applied to other sports and I’m happy to see it. People love the crashes, people love the hits in football, but still you have to keep the athletes safe and protect their lives, their families and put on a good show as well. Helmets, to a certain degree you look at what soft walls have done for us, there might be something to consider in the boards at a hockey game. If people really break down the fundamentals where injuries are coming from there is a lot of data out there. In our sport that data was there, we kind of looked at it but for a long time we thought it’s the option the driver can take and we’ll just let it be there. We’re not going to change, it wasn’t until NASCAR really got serious about things and started implementing it and also took the loss of the greatest driver out there, Dale Earnhardt, for us to say hey this superman essentially has been killed, we need to wake up. I remember the HANS device being carried around the garage area years before Earnhardt’s crash and we all looked at them and went ah, I’ve been through a bad wreck I don’t need that. So I think the leagues need to get more involved and really spearhead and lead technology and safety together and implement it into the regulations.”

HAS THE TEAM FED OFF OF THE FACT THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAD COUNTED YOU GUYS OUT AFTER THE FIRST TWO RACES? “We haven’t talked about it in the team too much but for myself I’ve been very fortunate over the last five years to be in front of all of you and answer questions and I’ve always said it’s not over until it’s over even when we’ve had huge points leads and I don’t know if people believe it. They’re it’s a slam dunk, you’re just going through the motions, this is racing anything can and will happen in racing and I think that there’s more of me trying to prove that point than anything. With that being said, we’ve closed it up to 13 out and we’re in fifth but even the other way, there’s no guarantees that we’re going to keep going forward. That’s the point I guess I’m trying to make that this is racing and with 10 races, 43 guys on track, 500-mile events, there’s a lot that can go right and wrong and it’s not over until Homestead.”

JUST WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON CARL (EDWARDS), WE KNOW THAT HE IN THE PAST HAS BEEN VERY STRONG TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR, WHAT MAKES HIM SUCH A THREAT FOR THIS YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP? “I think that Carl and Bob (Osborne, Edwards’ crew chief) have been through a lot together and I think where Roush was a year and a half, two years ago, those two stayed together and worked through it. Even at one point they were split up and still found a way to work together again and get back together. I think their strength as a group is something that is really needed as you get into a Chase battle and fighting for it. The confidence they have in one another helped them get through the speeding penalty they had and make up a lot of positions in a short time on the race track at Dover. So there’s that strength within the team and it’s those two together and then the team falls in behind it. They’ve been through a lot together and that’s something I look at and consider a huge strength of theirs.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT JEFF GORDON AND ALL THE THINGS HE IS DOING OFF THE TRACK? “I’m trying to think about Earnhardt and his appeal to mainstream, I guess the King (Richard Petty), Earnhardt and Gordon, they were able to tap into mainstream in a unique way and help bridge motorsports to mainstream. Jeff has done that, he has had a lot of great opportunities he’s taken advantage of and at the end of the day has done a lot of good for people and done a lot of good for himself and our sport to help it be recognized in such a global mainstream appeal. When I see the Clinton initiative that he is a part of and the roster they have, he is in there with mainstream faces and

celebrities across the board. That’s something he’s done a very good job with and been able to crossover and do a lot of good in a lot of areas.”

AT NEW HAMPSHIRE YOU AND CHAD HAD SOME SHARP RADIO COMMENTS, WHAT DO YOU DO AFTERWARDS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY AT DOVER THINGS WENT A LOT SMOOTHER? “We talk about stuff all the time, good and bad, that’s good races and bad races. Truthfully if you had a microphone on the sidelines and heard a quarterback and head coach conversation I’m sure it would be a lot more sharp and pointed than what I said to him and then other drivers, there’s a lot that’s said out there. I think people overreacted and Chad has never been a good cheerleader and I just kind of needed to remind him of that at New Hampshire. It’s just stuff, we work together so closely and we both want to win so badly. He can’t help but push the radio button at times and say what’s on his mind and I’m already living it and thinking it and sometimes I don’t need to hear it and that was one of those times where I was like okay enough, that’s it, I’m doing all I can in here, cheerleading is not helping, it’s hurting, lets eliminate that. Just stuff, we just want keep you all entertained I guess.”

THE SPEEDWAY HAS A MONUMENTAL MOMENT TONIGHT WITH ITS FIRST NIGHT RACE, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES WITH THE ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN A DAY RACE VERSES A NIGHT RACE? “It’s more entertaining for a couple of reasons, speeds are up, people are used to a night-race format especially the hardcore racers that grew up racing at short tracks or go to short tracks and watching. Another component that I like is the area you need to focus on is lit, the racing surface with the race cars is lit and it just makes things look a little bit cooler if you will. It’s tough from a competitors standpoint to practice in the day like they are right now and then come back and race at night but it’s the same for everyone and a challenge you just have to figure out and make the most of.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Team Chevy, Press Release

RACE NOTES

Kansas Speedway

Chassis

2011 NSCS No. 48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet Impala (driven by Jimmie Johnson) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Backup Car History – Chassis No. 650

Career Poles

Career Starts

Career Recognition

Jimmie Johnson – Kansas Speedway

Race 4 of 10 – Chase Stats

Jimmie Johnson – 2011 Results

Jimmie Johnson – Year-by-Year Cup Statistics

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

Jimmie Johnson in Car - Photo Credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images for NASCAR

Jeff Burton, with a lap speed of 130.180 mph, was second fastest, followed by Kevin Harvick (130.149) who was third fastest, Greg Biffle (130.109) fourth fastest and Jeff Gordon (130.006) was fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest during practice were Clint Bowyer (129.975) who was sixth fastest, Kyle Busch (129.962) seventh, Regan Smith (129.958) eighth, Ryan Newman (129.918) ninth and AJ Allmendinger (129.905) posting the tenth fastest lap speed.

The teams will return to the track later this morning/early afternoon (after NCWTS qualifying) for their 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (EDT) scheduled “Happy Hour” (final) practice session, and then return on Sunday for the approximate 2:20 PM (EDT) start of the SYLVANIA 300.

2011 NSCS SYLVANIA 300 Second Practice Session Speeds

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie