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Dale Earnhardt Junior named President of Daytona International
June 2
Yesterday he was "junebug" today he's "Mr. President"...
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Gordon co-hosting "Live with Regis and Kelly" today
June 2
So Kelly, whatcha' doin' later?...
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Johnson hits Dover on cruise control
By Mike Finney
Deleware News Journal,DE,June 2
Jimmie Johnson pitched the racing equivalent of a no-hitter in the Coca-Cola 600 Nextel Cup Series race Sunday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
No other driver on the track had a prayer of catching up to Johnson's fastball - well - car, as he led 501 of the race's 600 laps.
Jimmie Johnson swept the Dover races as a rookie in 2002
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It was something that fans at Dover International Speedway became accustomed to in 2002, when Johnson pulled off an unprecedented rookie sweep of both Cup races at Dover.
Johnson led 358 of the combined 800 laps at Dover in 2002 as he won both the spring and fall races in dominant fashion.
This year, he returns to the one-mile oval for Sunday's MBNA 400 "A Salute to Heroes" riding a similar wave of momentum. He has driven to five-straight top-five finishes and trails Nextel Cup points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. by just five points as he sets his sights on Dover.
"I think Dover is so unique," Johnson said of the high-banked track. "There isn't another track on the circuit that is remotely close to what you have at Dover.
"So, when you find the right setup with the race car and the driver has the right rhythm for it ... it really just applies to [only Dover], so you can fine- tune and hone in on it."
Dover was not particularly kind to Johnson last season, as he crashed and finished 38th in June before rebounding after a summer test session at the track to finish eighth in September.
"We swept both races at Dover in our rookie season," said Johnson. "We went back last year and did not have the advantage we did the year before.
"The first year, we hit our marks early in practice, and in the race, we took off and ran away from everybody. We came back last year and we had the confidence behind us and really felt we could win the race.
"And when we were third in qualifying [last June] and running third in the race and didn't have that advantage, I think I personally started trying too hard and ended up making a mistake and crashing."
The 28-year-old driver from El Cajon, Calif., has avoided those kinds of pitfalls for the most part this season.
He has a pair of victories, the other being at Darlington (S.C.), and has collected a Nextel Cup-best eight top-five finishes.
Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief, said other teams had better get used to seeing the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet challenging for victories this summer.
He said that since the points will be reset among the top 10 drivers following the 26th race this season for the 10-race Chase for the Championship, racing for victories has become easier during the first segment of the season.
"The thing that is key right now is that we don't feel a whole lot of pressure," Knaus said. "We don't have to be leading the points right now. All we have to do is be in the top 10 after the first 26 races.
"I am really intense about everything. I want to qualify first, win each practice and win each race. And the balance Jimmie brings to me is that he does a good job saying, 'Look, right now we don't have what we need, but we will keep working on it and get what we need and be there at the end.'
"That is one thing we have worked on together, and I think that is something that other drivers and crew chiefs don't have."
Johnson said it is different now than it was in 2002.
"There was just a lot of pressure on us [during rookie season]," said Johnson. "This year, we're established. We don't have that same pressure on us. We're a lot more comfortable in our situation.
"If you looked on a calendar, it might look similar, but in our heads, we feel a lot more mature and ready for it."
For Knaus, a successful weekend begins with a good qualifying run in Friday's Nextel Cup Series qualifying session.
"I'd like to go out there and run in the top 10 all day long," Knaus said. "That's kind of what you have to do at Dover.
"It's a place where, if you don't get up there and if you miss your mark early in the game, you're going to get a lap down and it could get ugly. Pit road is treacherous.
"So, qualifying is very important to get a good pit selection. It's easy to get banged up. It's easy to get blocked into your pit space."
It is that minute-to-minute thinking that Johnson's car owners, Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, think keep the team on top.
"I think this year our whole group is working better together than ever before," Hendrick said. "They've been working harder and the competition is stiffer. But I think it's the whole package. You can't be short anywhere anymore.
"You can't be down on power or downforce, or pit crew or crew chief, or driver, or anywhere on the team."
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Todd Bodine replaces Blaney in No. 31 Busch car
June 2
Dave can you come into my office a sec?...
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Marlin salutes Marines
June 2 How do you think "Hooah" sounds with a Tennessee accent?...
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