NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 400
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
MAY 9, 2015
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER
AFTER QUALIFYING YESTERDAY YOU WERE SO FRUSTRATED, YET YOU KEPT YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME. YOU HAD THE BEST SAVE OF THE NIGHT HOW DO YOU STAY SO FOCUSED?
“I think experience helps. You just shrug it off. We are trying so hard to get our qualifying under control. We put a huge effort into it again. To be 19th was just … really stunk it wasn’t any fun. These guys just work so hard. I’m so proud of everybody at Lowe’s, KOBALT, Chevrolet, Valvoline, Gatorade, the fans, Sprint for this great series. Just a long hard night of racing and fighting for track position, once we got up front we were able to hang on the final eight or nine laps.”
YOU MENTIONED ON THE RADIO HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO YOUR WIFE. HOW MUCH ARE YOUR GIRLS GOING TO LOVE THAT SPONGEBOB TROPHY?
“Yeah, that trophy is going to be popular at home. I just want to wish Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there. My mother and especially my wife Chani (Johnson, wife), hopefully she is still awake. I wish she was here. I wish my girls were here too, but be home tonight and we will have some fun tomorrow.”
TALK ABOUT THE CALL TO STAY OUT:
“I could tell he (Chad Knaus) was having a hard time making the decision. I’m kind of running through the events in my mind. We have two wins, we are locked in the Chase, and we are here to win a race, let’s gamble. Let’s go for it. Sure enough it paid off. A few more laps I think the No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) would have had me. He was awfully strong. Obviously being on right side tires would have been an advantage for him. We had just enough time to get this Lowe’s Chevrolet to Victory Lane. Just very proud of the team and the effort that has gone into it. We have great racecars. I wish we would qualify a little better on Friday’s that would make life a lot easier for us. We have a very fast racecar. I’m very proud of this race team.”
TELL US WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU NEARLY SPUN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RACE?
“I guess the No. 88 (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.) got close behind me and just him being that close took the air off my spoiler and the car just turned sideways. I felt like I was fine catching it, but a lot of times you will over correct and turn it back into the outside wall. Somehow I didn’t do that, so I was very happy to have my dirt background and keep that thing straight and going in the right direction.”