J.Gordon & J.Johnson Happy Hour Notes - Homestead, Nov. 16

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(WHY THE BEARD?) "Why not?"

(HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE BATTLE WITHIN A BATTLE AT THIS LAST RACE?) "We just
look at it like we've got nothing to lose. We want to end this season on a
positive note.  Moving up in the points would be very positive for us. In
order to do that, we're going to have to run real well. We're going to have
to lead laps and we're going to have to have a good top-five finish because
the guys that we're racing are running good this weekend and they're going
to finish good. We probably have more work cut out for ourselves than
anybody else out there because of what we did in qualifying and (having to
start) that far back. It's going to take a lot for us to get to the front,
but we have a race car capable of doing it. I hate that we messed it up on
qualifying day, but it's a pretty good race car."

(ON TAKING HIS FIRST WINSTON CUP CAREER PROVISIONAL START) "It's going to
happen eventually.  Drawing that number one spot (qualifying order), and
there was something wrong with that set of tires. We put that same set of
tires on today and the car was awful and it had been good all day before
that. Things happen every once in a while. I can't believe we've gone as
long as we've gone without taking a provisional. That's a pretty amazing
stat that we had there. All we care about though is winning races.

"We've started further back than that before. We never have taken a
provisional. I don't like being back there, but you've got to take what
you're dealt with and we'll just have to work our way to the front."

(ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING TO SPAIN?) "I'm excited. I can't wait.
It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the fun we're going to
have over in Europe, but we're going to have fun driving those (World Rally)
race cars."

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO:
(ON THE POINTS BATTLE) "Sunday is going to be a real important day for us.
Our record is on the line. There's a lot of money between (final points)
third place and seventh ($500,000) where we could fall to. Sunday is going
to be a real important day for us. Hopefully we come out with the best
possible scenario."

(ON RACING JEFF GORDON IN THE FINAL POINTS?) "We haven't really talked about
it. But if I'm able to finish ahead of Jeff Gordon in the points, then my
reputation is going to be a pretty neat accomplishment. Obviously, we've had
a incredible season so
TEAM MONTE CARLO Contact: Nancy Wager
Ford 400 Happy Hour Notes nmwager@aol.com
Saturday, November 16, 2002 GM Racing Communications
Homestead-Miami Speedway (727) 784-8465
Page 2

JIMMIE JOHNSON Con't.
far and the fact that we're going to be able to go to New York in itself is
pretty special for the Lowe's team."

(ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RACE OF CHAMPIONS IN SPAIN?) "It's going to
be really neat. The fact that we're going to be able to drive a World Rally
car and mix it up with some of the best drivers and riders in the world is
really exciting. I'm looking forward to going overseas. It'll be my first
time out of the country as far as going across the pond and I'm looking
forward to that. We're going to spend a little bit of time over there -
about a week and a half prior to the event - and then we get to go meet
people and drive race cars."

(HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO PRACTICE FOR THIS RACE?) "Unfortunately, we had a
test scheduled but we were unable to make the test. My roots are from dirt
racing. But I have not been in a four-wheel-drive (vehicle) on the dirt.
They drive completely different and I'm going to have to learn a lot in a
hurry in the practice sessions we have prior to the race. But it's going to
be cool. It's going to be neat just to be back on the dirt."

(HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SEASON?) "I think it's been a great season.
Here at the end, we wish we had been able to stay in the championship battle
and not be in the position to slip back to seventh either. At the end of the
season, I with we could have had some of those races back to take up some of
the small mistakes that we've made. But all in all, it's been a great
season. It seems like five years ago that we won our first race in
California. So much happens on a weekly basis here that your memory bank can
only hang on to so much. It's been an incredible season and a surprising one
to say the least."

(WHAT'S BEEN THE BEST PART OF THE YEAR?) "Just making my mark in the sport
and getting the respect from the drivers and the team members and the team
owners. When you come into the sport, you don't know how long it's going to
take to gain that respect from everyone. I might not have it from everyone I
know, but I know I have it from the drivers and team members and owners."

(HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING NECK AND NECK WITH RYAN NEWMAN FOR THE
RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD?) "It's gcool. We've had  a great battle
all year long. He's won races; I've won races. He's won poles; I've won
poles. It's been a really neat situation to race him all year long."