Team Lowe's NASCAR Kansas Preview
TEAM LOWE'S RACING GETTING HOT Team hopes third win is a sign of more right around the corner KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Sept. 25, 2002) - Team Lowe's Racing did not have much time to celebrate its rookie record tying third win of the season. Just 30 points out of the Winston Cup Series Championship lead, the team returned to work on Monday with a little hop in their steps and total commitment to the next eight weeks of the season. The Lowe's team will prepare for Kansas Speedway, a one and a half mile tri-oval, that has a configuration the Lowe's team has had success on this season. Team Lowe's Racing has never finished outside the top 10 on a mile and a half racetrack. The team is hoping that it will find the same success it has had at Atlanta - third, Lowe's Motor Speedway - seventh, Chicago - fourth and Las Vegas - 6th. If it can, the Lowe's team might just be the first rookie team in Winston Cup history to lead championship standings. Jimmie Johnson on racing at Kansas Speedway "I'm looking forward to going to Kansas. The Lowe's team has had success on the mile and a half tracks this season, so we are hoping to carry the momentum from our win last weekend and have another strong run at Kansas." Johnson on being only 30 points out of the lead "To be able to be this successful in our rookie season. All year long we've been trying to not let it be in the forefront of our minds and just playing it off and going on, but here we are now with eight races to go and we're in the middle of this points battle so it's a reality that we need to look at. And you never know when these opportunities are going to come along and we need to make the most of it. We did everything we could today: led the most laps and won the race so we got all the bonus points we could get. With the 12 (Ryan Newman) having problems it helped us in the Raybestos rookie battle. The 2 (Rusty Wallace) had some problems, the 40 (Sterling Marlin) the 24 (Jeff Gordon). Hopefully we can break away here a little bit and see our selves a top-five finish for the end of the year if not the championship." Johnson on what tracks could pose problems "Looking at the races that we have left, Martinsville is a place that we had some trouble with earlier in the year. We qualified well and ran okay but the biggest problem is that we broke a gear and we had a bad day from that. We're going to go back with a very similar setup to the 24 (Jeff Gordon). They've run real well there. We were trying a little different setup there earlier in the year and it didn't work out. I think we'll be in good shape. I ran good at Rockingham as well, but it troubled me a lot in the Busch Series, but the place that I'm sweating the most is Talladega. Anything can happen there." Chad Knaus on the Kansas Speedway "We have high expectations going into Kansas Speedway this weekend. Kansas is a very fast mile and a half racetrack, which plays right into our strengths. The track is similar to Chicago, Las Vegas and Lowe's Motor Speedway and we've had strong finishes there. I actually think that Team Lowe's Racing hasn't finished outside of the top 10 on the mile and a half tracks, so this is a place that we should be strong at." Knaus on Team Lowe's Racing's success this season "Three wins for this young team and this young driver and this semi-young crew chief. I just can't say enough about this Lowe's Chevrolet and this team that Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon have put together. They took a big group of young guys and put them together in a little pot and said okay you sort it out and see what happens. We dove in there head first and we're making the best of it and it's just awesome." Jimmie Johnson Fast Facts * Ranks second in the Winston Cup Series championship standings, 30 points out of first * Has won three NASCAR Winston Cup races this season (California, Dover - Spring and Dover - Fall) * Is tied for the fastest modern day driver to reach two wins * Has three wins, six top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 28 races * Has four Bud Pole positions this season, tied for the most in NASCAR Winston Cup (, Daytona, Talladega, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Richmond) * Only Winston Cup driver to sweep the races at one track during his rookie year (Dover) * Is only 16 points back in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Competition (331-315) * Has been the highest finishing rookie 14 times this season * The 17 top-10 finishes is tied for the most in the Winston Cup Series (Las Vegas - 6th, Atlanta - 3rd, Darlington - 6th, Bristol - 7th, Texas - 6th, Talladega - 7th, California - 1st, Lowe's Motor Speedway - 7th, Dover (Spring) - 1st, Pocono - 3rd, Daytona (Pepsi 400) - 8th, Chicagoland - 4th, Indianapolis - 9th, Michigan - 7th, Darlington - 9th, New Hampshire - 9th and Dover (Fall) - 1st) * Only the third rookie in history to win the Daytona 500 pole * Only the second rookie in history to win a pole at Talladega Superspeedway * Holds the NWC qualifying record at Lowe's Motor Speedway * Has led eleven Winston Cup Series races this season (Las Vegas, Talladega, California, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Dover (Spring), Michigan, Chicago, Pocono, Darlington (Fall), Richmond (Fall) and Dover (Fall)) Jimmie Johnson at Kansas Speedway * In the Busch Series, Johnson competed only once at Kansas Speedway * His Busch Series record at Kansas Speedway is: * Mr. Goodscents 300 - 2001: started 38th and finished 6th No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Fast Facts * Team Lowe's Racing will bring car 4853 * This is the same Lowe's Chevy that Johnson won used at Michigan (Fall, finished 7th), Chicagoland (finished 4th) and the 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (finished 7th). Broadcast Schedule Qualifying - Friday, Sept. 27 4 p.m. (ET) on PEE 4 p.m. (ET) on MRN Race - Sunday, Sept. 29 12:30 p.m. (ET) on NBC 12:30 p.m. (ET) on MRN