Jimmie Johnson NASCAR LMS Preview
For more information, contact: John Lewensten Team Lowe's Racing (704) 453-3942 jlewensten@golinharris.com HOME SWEET HOME Team Lowe's Racing hopes its return home equals success CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 7, 2002) - Team Lowe's Racing is hoping that a return to its home racetrack, Lowe's Motor Speedway, will mean a return to the top of the Winston Cup point standings. A freak accident with Mark Martin during the warm-up laps just prior to last weekend's race in Talladega, coupled with engine trouble, resulted in the evaporation of the team's Winston Cup points lead. Rookie driver Jimmie Johnson moves to third in the driver's points, just 82 points behind the leader. Johnson is hoping that he can replicate almost all of last Spring's races at Lowe's Motor Speedway, which saw him win the first two segments of The Winston and lead the most laps in the 600 before a late race pit road miscue cost him the lead and a chance to win the race. Jimmie Johnson on racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway "I'm really excited about going home to Lowe's Motor Speedway. Lowe's is one of my favorite racetracks and we've had a lot of success there. We won the pole there in May and even set the track qualifying record. We won the first two segments of The Winston before the inversion really hurt us and we lead the most laps in the 600 before I slid through the pit stalls twice, costing us a chance to win the race. Coming off of Talladega, it's reassuring to be going home and race on a track that the entire team has confidence that we can win at. In addition, we're going home to race in front of all of those Lowe's employee owners and fans." Johnson on the points race "It's an extremely tight race right now. Each week there could be a large points swing. We've seen it happen over the course of the last few weeks. The Lowe's team will just continue to work hard and race hard each week and we'll let the points take care of themselves. It is going to be an interesting race, but one that you really can't get to hung up on until the last couple of races." Jimmie Johnson Fast Facts * Ranks third in the Winston Cup Series championship standings, 82 points behind the leader * Is the first Raybestos Rookie contender to lead the Winston Cup points race * 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 18 top-10 finishes in 30 races * Has four Bud Pole positions this season, tied for the most in NASCAR Winston Cup (Daytona, Talladega, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Richmond) * Is 28 points back in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Competition (335-307) * Has been the highest finishing rookie 14 times this season * The 18 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 and New Hampshire - 9th, Dover (Fall) - 1st and Kansas - 10th) * 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, Michigan, Chicago, Pocono, Darlington (Southern 500) and Richmond (Fall) and Dover (Fall)) Jimmie Johnson at Lowe's Motor Speedway * In the Winston Cup Series, 8th is his average qualifying position and 23rd is his average finishing position * His Winston Cup Series record at Lowe's Motor Speedway is: * UAW-GM Quality 500 - 2001: started 15th and finished 39th * Coca-Cola 600 - 2002: started 1st and finished 7th * In the Busch Series, 19th was his average qualifying position and 20th was his average finishing position * His Busch Series record at Lowe's Motor Speedway is: * CarQuest Auto Parts 300 - 2001: started 8th and finished 16th, 2000: started 43rd and finished 16th * Little Trees/All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300 - 2001: started 16th and finished 22nd, 2000: started 11th and finished 28th No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet Fast Facts * Team Lowe's Racing will bring car 4868. This is the same Lowe's Chevy that set the Winston Cup qualifying record in May and drove to a 7th place finish. Broadcast Schedule Qualifying - Thursday, Oct. 11 7 p.m. (ET) on TNT 7 p.m. (ET) on PRN Race - Sunday, Oct. 13 12:30 p.m. (ET) on NBC 12:30 p.m. (ET) on PRN # # #