Despite Changes, Johnson Still On Top

INDIANAPOLIS -- Two different years, two different races, two different tire compounds and two different styles of racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have yielded one thing for NASCAR: a No. 48 car driven by Jimmie Johnson in victory lane at the Brickyard.

"We made the best decisions we could [Saturday night], put the best setup in the car that we knew of, just deal with the circumstances and go out and race," said Johnson. "It's what the 48 is known for."

Indeed it is.

More Coverage: Montoya Melts | Johnson Repeats | Kyle Busch Struggles

Just a year ago the show put on by the Sprint Cup Series at the most heralded race track in the country was left to be coined everything from an abomination to a train wreck thanks to tires that lasted just over two handfuls of laps. The excessive tire wear left NASCAR throwing scheduled cautions every 10th lap or so to keep cars from trying their best at knocking down the outside retaining wall and, in turn, left drivers scrambling to find the winning strategy.

And just as has been the case with incredible normalcy over the past 3 1/2 seasons, Johnson and Co. figured out how to take the checkers in the most abnormal race the series saw in 2008.

It should have been no surprise, then, that when the tire problems finally were corrected for this 2009 edition, Johnson was again rising to the top.

That doesn't mean it came easy all weekend for the Hendrick Motorsports team.

"[Saturday] was tough," said Johnson of qualifying and practice at the 2 1/2-mile track. "It challenged my thoughts as a driver and if I was doing the right things because we could post a quick lap, but then there's a ton of falloff [in practice speed]."

The changes made that evening in the IMS garage, as he mentioned earlier, turned out to make the critical difference in Sunday's race.

"I knew within about two turns that we were going to be very competitive [Sunday]," said Johnson.

And just like he's done for the past three seasons in winning the Sprint Cup title, Johnson turned up the wick when it mattered most at IMS.

Juan Pablo Montoya's speeding penalty on lap 124 opened the door wide for both Johnson and his Hendrick teammate Mark Martin, but as the odds have shown in the past, Martin (or any driver for that matter) really didn't have a shot at beating his friendly on-track nemesis.

But that's just how it's been in the past few seasons for Johnson. When the odds are stacked against him, or when the wins just seem like they can't possibly continue to add up at the rate they do, the No. 48 pulls in front again.

"I certainly hope that it makes people think and wonder and worry, especially the guys in the garage," said Johnson of his seemingly endless success when it really matters. "We'll see what happens and hopefully guys in the fenced off areas, in the garage area, are worried about it."

Latest NASCAR Images

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates by kissing the bricks with his team after Johnson wins the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Crew chief Chad Knaus, team owner Rick Hendrick and driver Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Chad Knaus;Rick Hendrick;Jimmie Johnson

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INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: (L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, poses with wife Chandra Johnson after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson;Chandra Johnson

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INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 26: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, celebrates with his team after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

Getty Images for NASCAR

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-27-2009 @ 5:39AM

gfunkmonkey said...

What a boring race! These cars and this track just don't gel. Hardly any passing going on. Everybody just stays in line. What is so great about this track? I say dump it from the schedule and give Darlington a second date.

7-27-2009 @ 8:55AM

Jim said...

B-O-R-I-N-G!!! Hope Nascar is happy with the boring car they developed and all the BORING tracks they now race at and yes, Indy is great for open wheel, But SUCKS for NASCAR!! California, Las Vegas, Chicago, Kansas etc... are great for the fan base there, but awful for racing. To think we dumped Rockingham, North Wilksboro, a Darlington Race for these boring tracks is unbelieveable!! Take this COT car and make it the car of the past. No passing. You get out front and drive away. As a 55 year old southerner who has been a NASCAR nut his whole life, I am done with them for good. When I would rather watch the Formula 1 race yesterday then Indy.......

7-27-2009 @ 10:01AM

dpowell12 said...

Poor Poor pitiful you, Montoya! Grow up or go back to Formula driving. You were speeding!!!! The rules apply to you as well as the American drivers. Jimmie has had his share of penalties too.

Great race--Great Driver, Jimmie Johnson!