JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – Budweiser Duel #2 Winner

WHAT A PERFECT NIGHT IT WAS FOR THE 48/88 SHOP YOU BOTH GET A WIN TONIGHT WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR YOUR MORALE, THE TEAM GOING INTO THE BIG RACE ON SUNDAY?
“It’s huge. To have the week we have had with the front row being secured, the wins tonight, it has been a great start to Speedweeks. I just have to say thank you to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for their hard work. Thank you to my great sponsor Lowe’s. This is our 14th season together. I just wish my family was here, wish my girls were here. They will be here tomorrow. Just a fun day, what a race car, this thing is bad fast. Looking forward to Sunday’s race.”

CONGRATULATIONS ON ANOTHER TRIP TO VICTORY LANE.
“It’s a special night. What a race car. That car is mad first. I’m stoked for my teammate (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) to win the first duel. We won the second, and Jeff (Gordon) and I have the front row locked down. It’s been an awesome week for all our Hendrick Motorsports cars. A big shout out to all the guys in the shops and a big shout out to my awesome sponsor Lowe’s. I’m just happy to start out the week like we have.”

DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING TO KEEP IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND FOR THE RACE?
“I learned a lot. To be able to get out there and race and be out there with good cars – those Gibbs cars are awfully strong. So to size myself up against them and see what kind of runs they can create and try to put on me. At the start of the race, I was behind those two trying to figure out to get by them. All in all, it was a very productive night.”

WERE THERE ANY CLOSE CALLS OUT THERE FOR YOU?
“I wasn’t in a position to worry. It’s so funny. They drop the rag and you forget about protecting your race car. It never went through my mind. It was all about going after this trophy and we got it done.”

CHAD KNAUS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS:
ANOTHER DAYTONA WIN FOR YOUR GUYS.
“What a great, great effort from the 48 and 88 shop. To be able to qualify as well as we did and come out here and win both of the 150’s out of our shop, we’re really proud of that. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports did a great job. Jimmie did an awesome job today. He managed the draft really well. It was a lot of fun. We enjoyed it.”