After two rough Charlotte races, should Jimmie Johnson be worried?
Without question, the last two weekends at Charlotte Motor Speedway produced disappointing results for six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team.
But how much should be read into his 15th-place finish in the 20-car NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race or his 40th-place run in the Coca-Cola 600 remains to be seen. Yes, Johnson historically has run exceptionally well in those two events, both of which took place at CMS. And, yes, his results in those two races were way below expectations.
That said, Johnson is the only driver in the Sprint Cup Series with three race victories already this season. As such, he's locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and can afford to gamble on setups and strategies to prepare for the championship run. If Johnson doesn't win a given race, it really doesn't matter if he finishes fourth or 40th in that race.
So there's no need to worry about a couple of subpar performances, especially with a championship caliber team around him.
As rough as the past two weekends were on the No. 48 team, Johnson has a great chance to be return to Victory Lane in Sunday's FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.
Johnson is the defending event winner. He is also the all-time Dover record holder in victories, with nine wins, and laps led, with 2,976. Johnson has the best average finish of any active driver at Dover, at 8.154, and in the last three races at the "Monster Mile," he's finished third, first and first.
No wonder Johnson likes this track so much.
"I'd have to say Dover is probably one of the most technical tracks we go to," Johnson said. "Setup is key. Communication between driver and crew chief is key. At Dover, you have such loading characteristics, as you're on the straightaway and kind of lunge off the corner, that you can draw some similarities between Dover and Charlotte. Dover isn't easy, but it just suits my driving style and I love it."
Even more compelling, perhaps, are the numbers Johnson put up in the five races immediately before Charlotte: Two victories, two runner-up finishes and a third-place, for an average finish of 1.8. Not too shabby at all.
None of which guarantees anything, with stiff competition expected from defending series champion Kevin Harvick, his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch and the rejuvenated Joe Gibbs Racing squad, among others.
But do not be surprised if the No. 48 team returns to form this weekend.
