Chevy's J.Johnson conquers The Monster Mile - Dover, June 2

Chevy's Jimmie Johnson scored his second career win at  Dover International
Speedway and moved into 2nd place in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series point
standings. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate joins Davey Allison as
only the second rookie ever to win at Dover (Allison won in '87).  Johnson,
driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Monte Carlo, has now captured three poles and
two wins in just 16 Cup starts.

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
Dover International Speedway (727) 784-8465
Page 2

Chad Knaus, crew chief, No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "We came up on
the air pressures a little bit because we really wanted him to sprint and
I'll tell you what, Jimmie just got up on the wheel. We were a little
concerned about fuel and that caution was just what we needed. That put us
over the top. I have got the best driver in Winston Cup, I have got the best
teammate in Winston Cup, I have got the best car owner in Winston Cup. This
is a dream come true right here. I couldn't be happier."

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "We were worried (about
92 laps on the last set of tires), but this Chevy came through. Track
position was everything. I knew we'd be good. I didn't realize the No. 9
(Elliott) was coming that hard and I had to step it back up to stay up
there. These guys gave me a great racecar - Chad Knaus and everybody at
Hendrick Motorsports."

(Does this make up for not winning at Charlotte?) "Yeah, it sort of does to
not blow it like I did at Richmond or at Charlotte. I'm really happy.

"When that caution came out there at the end, it had me worried for a
minute. But once the green flag came out, I knew we were going to be in good
shape. Once we got back out and Ricky (Rudd) checked out, I just kept
focusing on the cars in front of me, and picking them off.  The next thing I
knew, we were in front. Chad Knaus and these guys have been giving me
kick-butt racecars all year long. I had a shot of winning at Richmond and
then at Lowe's Motor Speedway and finally here and I didn't blow it.

"Points racing is a tough thing to do and I've just been going the Raybestos
Rookie of the Year battle. We're second in the points now. I'll keep doing
that. But with the success that we've had on the track, who knows? Maybe
we'll be at the front table in New York. I doubt it. I don't think it's very
probably for a rookie to do that, but we're going to try."


TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
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Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "That one set of tires
killed us. We blistered a right rear tire. We adjusted around that set and
lost track position and we could just never regain it. Jimmie was awful good
and I felt like if we could just free my car up a little bit, we'd be good.
But that set of tires just killed us."

(On Jimmie Johnson's win): "He's just a talent and a smart driver. We're
really thrilled to have him. What a great job they're doing. And you've got
to give credit to Hendrick Motorsports. Not to take anything away from the
No. 48 and the Lowe's team - they do a great job. They're getting aggressive
with the stuff and making it work. But they came into a organization that
really knows how to put top-notch equipment out there. I told Jimmie that we
would put him in top-notch equipment and he's really making it work by
getting into victory lane."

(Are you getting closer to a win?) "We're doing good in the points and today
I thought we were going to be really good. I thought we had a shot at
winning this race. We've got to get things going our way. We came out of
here sixth. That was not too bad. But we're happy to gain a lot in the
points"

Robby Gordon, No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "That was a
great race for the Cingular team - our first top 10 of the year. We missed
it on shocks a little an the first two sets of tires were junk. But we
worked on freeing g up the car and put some scuffed tires on it because we
were faster on scuffs in Happy Hour. The Cingular Wireless guys gave us some
awesome pit stops and we kept moving forward.

"Bobby Hamilton was a little slower than us at the end, and the No. 32 got
by both of us. I nudged him out of the way a little bit but didn't wreck
him. I knew better than to let him hurt the Cingular Wireless Chevy on the
cool down lap. We needed that finish."

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
Dover International Speedway (727) 784-8465
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Additional comments by Jimmie Johnson:

"I'm just glad I was able to run a clean day today and not make any mistakes
and win.

(On the judgment calls): "When that last caution flag came out I was bummed
out because I saw Mark (Martin) smoking. I thought the caution was for him,
but it looked like it ended up being for Kenny Schrader and he did oil down
the track.  But Mark's right front was smoking real bad. I did not want to
see that caution. I knew it was going to come down to a two-tire stop. And I
knew that two tires at the end weren't going to help. We decided on the
radio to stay out. I'm not exactly sure what the No. 9 (Elliott) did, but if
the race was much longer, he was coming hard and was going to beat us on
fresh tires. So I'm glad it was a short sprint and we were able to let our
strong run show up. On one of those pit stops, we came out and relined up in
10th because a lot of guys stayed out. I was able to drive to the lead and
take the lead from Ricky Rudd. When that caution came out I thought,
'Great - here we have the dominant car and it's not going to pull through
for us today.'  But luckily we stayed out and it did."

(Any close calls today?) "There was a couple. Trying to come through the
pack there at the end, I got into the No. 7 (Casey Atwood) there a little
bit and got underneath him. I was close and I thought his spotter might have
said something. But late in the race, he came down and we touched a little
bit. I'm glad he didn't hit the wall or anything.

"I do feel bad for Mark Martin. I missed the accident. But when everything
started happening off of (turn) 2, the hole he was heading for closed up in
an instant and he ran into the side of somebody and there was an opening for
me to go through. You never know until it's over."

(On the points race and moving into 2nd place) "I'm not going to pay too
much attention to it. Our goals are to try to win the Raybestos Rookie of
the Year. If we're able to accomplish that, I think we'll be in the top 10
or 15 in points. We do have a shot, but my inexperience in these cars and
around this stuff I guess we might be a darkhorse if we were to be anything.
But if we just keep finishing races, it will take care of itself."

(Do you dare to think how many wins this team could have this year?) "I hope
a lot more. We've been close to four in a row. If you put yourself in
position, you can have them."

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
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(On the last caution): "We drove all the way from 10th up to the lead and
had a nice cushion over Ricky Rudd. When that last caution came out, I knew
something wacky was going to happen with two tires or four tires. Track
position was very important. That was our fastest run and the car was pretty
balanced and we didn't want to take a chance of something happening on pit
road or somebody taking two tires and putting us back a couple of positions.
So we decided to stay out and we brought the Lowe's Monte Carlo home for its
second win."

(On conquering the Monster Mile): "I ran two years here in the Busch Series
and that really prepared me well and taught me a lot about the racetrack.
Qualifying here, you're on the edge of your seat. But race-wise, the car
can't take a beating like that all day long and you have to slow down and be
nice to the right front (tire) and take your time. I just picked a good pace
and the car stayed underneath me all day long. They gave me a great car."

(On being the second Winston Cup rookie to win at Dover - Davey Allison was
the first in 1987)  "He was one of my heroes when I watched Winston Cup
racing on television when I was growing up. It's neat to be a part of those
statistics. It's just incredible to have three poles, two wins, and be
second in points here in just our rookie season.

"Obviously we had a great car today. We ran in the top five throughout the
majority of the race. We get bad fuel mileage.  I'm partly responsible for
it. On top of that, we're building a lot of power and you end up burning a
lot of fuel. We had to pit and Rudd stayed out. A bunch of stuff was playing
out then and we ended up 10th on the restart. At that point, I was just
trying to get a top five. But before I knew it, we ran out of cars and the
No. 28 was right there in front of me. We were able to get by him and when
that last caution came out, I knew it was going to shake the bag up a bunch.
We discussed whether to take two tires or four or to just stay out. Mr.
Hendrick came on the radio and said, 'I think you boys need to stay out.' We
laughed a little bit and decided to stay out.

"Lowe's and Chad Knaus give us everything we need. Hendrick Motorsports
gives us everything we need. Right now, it's clicking. I just wish we could
bottle it up store it for 100 years and just keep doing this forever. But
we're going to enjoy the wave while it's here."


TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
Dover International Speedway (727) 784-8465
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(On learning about the Dover from Jeff Gordon's success) "Jeff had a
dominant run here last year and we came with that set-up package in the car.
Chad has been pushing the envelope with set-ups and technology with some of
the engineers at Hendrick Motorsports and we've been finding a lot of speed
in the cars. So we come with that standard package and work from there.
We've been able to improve on it at a lot of these racetracks.

"Jeff helps me out in more ways than he realizes. I spend a lot of time
studying his data and looking at what he does in the car and his habits of
driving the car and compare them to mine. I've been able to understand his
versions of driving in the corner too hard are, and what he thinks picking
the gas up early means. So I can adjust my style accordingly so that when I
go ask him a question, we're talking the same stuff. It's really kept me in
check. They're just simple one-liners. He doesn't realize how much these
one-liners mean and what I'm learning from him."

(On having such an incredible rookie season so far): "Six months ago, I was
shaking a little about what this season was going to hold for me. I ran
three races last year. At LMS,  I showed some promise, but I was just out
there getting experience. Nothing flashy. After Rockingham, when we were
racing up front, that's when this little dream started. It's kept up. I
never ever would have thought we'd have this kind of success."

(On sitting on the pole at Dover while in ASA): "When we came here in the
ASA car ('99), the largest track I'd been on was a mile at Milwaukee. It's a
very flat racecar. For an ASA car, when I sat on the pole here, I ran flat
out all the way around this track. And an ASA car doesn't have the
horsepower, but it's very light and has a lot of left-side weight. There's a
very small rollcage around you. We were all petrified about hitting the
wall. I sat on the pole by three or four-tenths and when it was over, I was
shaking. I wondered if I'd ever get comfortable on a track this fast and
this big. It's amazing what four or five years of experience will do for
you."

(Do you feel pressure with all this success?) "I felt a lot of pressure
coming into this season and driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon
had just won the championship. There was a lot of pressure that I tried to
hide. I tried to approach it just like I have every other racing opportunity
I've ever had. My parents didn't have the means to put me in racecars
growing up. I knew a lot of people and through my dad's connections at the
racetrack I was able to get a ride. And then I had to make the most of it.
There was a lot of pressure on me then, so I've been used to a lot of
pressure.

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
Dover International Speedway (727) 784-8465
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"With Lowe's and Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon being laid back as they have,
it took some pressure off. But there still was pressure. I think the hurdle
for us and the pressure for us is going to be to continue to run up front.
We're setting some high expectations now. And when that doesn't happen and
when we hit a slump, that's when the pressure's going to hit. We're all
preparing for it as a team and talking about enjoying the highs while
they're here. When the lows come, it'll be a character building opportunity
and we'll try to make the most of it. The true test will be when it happens,
and that could be the next six races or six years down the road. Everyone
hits it through their career."

(Was this your first time on this track in a Winston Cup car?) "Yes."

(Did Jeff Gordon's magic at Dover rub off on you?) "It seems like it has.
Last night we talked about the rhythm of the race and how to run the top
groove here. (For example), I used the top groove to save my tires during
different parts of the run."

(On pit strategy leading to the wins at both California and Dover)
"Ultimately, it's Chad's decision. In California, he made the decision at
the last minute on pit road for fuel only and it worked out. When you take
this risk, you've got to have the speed in the car. In both situations, we
had the speed in the car and were able to deliver when the pressure was put
on us. There were other situations late in the races where we could have
gambled, but we just knew it wouldn't pay off. So you just wait until you
see that situation develop and take your best shot at it. Chad's nailed two
of them now."

(Does this seem easier than you thought it would be?) "I've been driving my
entire career to get to this point and I'm very amazed that it's come this
early. There's nothing easy about it. I had two opportunities - one at
Richmond and one at Lowe's - and I blew it.  Can't blame anyone but myself.
I wrecked at Richmond and slid through the pits at Charlotte. It's just as
easy to win as it is to lose them. I found out late in both of those
events."

(Did not winning at Charlotte last week fire you up to run better at Dover
this week?) "Well, I won't slide through my pits again and I won't race
Jimmy Spencer late in the race as hard as I did at Richmond. We had a team
meeting before the race and talked about those expectations. We know that if
we think we've got to win at every track, we're going to make mistakes.
Yeah, I was fired-up. I've had a week to sit on the mistake I made at
Lowe's. I looked like a baby coming in the pits today, but I didn't slide
through and it worked out. I guess it does add a little fire but it doesn't
set us on a mission."

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
Dover International Speedway (727) 784-8465
Page 8

(Do you thrive on pressure?) "There have been certain times during my career
that I've faced pressure but I've gotten used to it. I've learned ways to
not let it distract me. There are lots of pressures as a Winston Cup driver
that I'm facing and that I'm trying to learn about and get used to. I don't
really thrive on pressure. You lose sleep and you don't eat. And it makes
you cranky. But I've found a way to deal with it relatively well I think."

(Now that you're 2nd in points, is first place within reach?) "We've got a
shot at it. Is it realistic?  I don't think so. But crazy things happen. If
we're at the head table in New York, that would be unreal."

TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
MBNA Platinum 400 Race Notes nmwager@aol.com
Sunday, June 02, 2002 GM Racing Communications
Dover International Speedway (727) 784-8465
Page 1


Joe Nemechek, No. 25 UAW-Delphi Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "I'm pretty
frustrated right now. It's a bad day for this whole UAW-Delphi Chevy team. I
don't know what was with Todd Bodine. He got into me on the backstretch. I'd
been on the outside of him. He knew I was there, but evidently he thought he
had more room than he did and got me turned on the backstretch. He just kind
of held me along into turn three. It's a shame you know. We had a good car.
I just tried to do a good job. This shouldn't be happening that early. He
needs to pay attention to where he's at on the racetrack."

(Can you get back out?) "Probably not. I think it's pretty much done. There
is a lot of fuel cell damage and you can't go anywhere without gas."

Steve Park, No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "Just look on TV and you
can see that the No. 12 car (Ryan Newman) just smacked into the side of us.
The media needs to pump up all the young guns so they drive just like Ryan
Newman did. We're going to try to get the Pennzoil car fixed. I'm just not
pleased, you know. We're having a tough year. We had a good car. We thought
we'd just pace ourselves and finish in the top 10 somewhere. But to have a
rookie take us out in a dumb, dumb move is just jackass that's all."

Dick Trickle, No. 71 Continental Fire & Safety Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "We
were running solid for most of the day. We could have kept running, but we
used nine quarts of oil already and I've been in the business long enough to
know not to burn the motor up when you're just not going that well. We had a
good car in qualifying and practice."

Jeff Green, No. 30 AOL Chevrolet Monte Carlo: "The last set of tires was a
lot tighter for some reason. I guess I just wore the right font out and it
popped going into (turn) three, and before I could get it stopped, I hit the
fence.  Not real hard, but hard enough to probably end our day. We had a
good day going, a decent day.  But it was still not what we wanted."

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