NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
NOVEMBER 8, 2015
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER
HOW DID YOU DO IT? WAS THERE ANYTHING GOING ON IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND THINKING THIS IS A CHASE GUY AND I’M NOT?
“Maybe when the restart happened I thought about those guys. You get so caught up in the moment and racing with guys. I just like to race guys clean anyway. I kept working on him and working on him. I could see he was tight and his car wasn’t ideal and then he moved up and had the high lane covered. He got real loose off (Turn) 2 and I had a big run off the top and I went for a a big slide job down in (Turns) 3 and 4, kind of like the Eldora stuff that I learned and got the win. Just so excited and happy for Lowe’s, KOBALT, Chevrolet, Valvoline, Gatorade, the fans, want to thank Sprint for sponsoring the sport. Everybody back at Hendrick Motorsports for digging so deep and fighting hard. Nice to get this No. 48 back in Victory Lane.”
TELL US ABOUT THE PASS ON BRAD KESELOWSKI WITH THREE TO GO:
“I just kept pressure on him. I could see that he was really tight and that was the first I had seen him that vulnerable all day. I just kept the pressure on him, kept searching for line. He saw me coming on the top and protected it. I just kept trying to put pressure on him hoping for a mistake. He got real loose off of
Turn 2 and I had a big run down the backstretch and drove it in really far into Turn 3 hoping to hear clear. Once I did I knew I was home free.”
WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR THIS TEAM AFTER BEING KNOCKED OUT OF THE CHASE EARLY?
“Those emotions were weeks ago now, so we have just been focused on winning races and help our teammates advance through the rounds. We got the No. 24 through last week and now it’s time to go out here and not have to worry about teammates and just go for a win and we got it. Just very rewarding for the team, this No. 48 team worked all year to be in championship contention. We clearly don’t have a shot at it (Jeff Gordon comes to Victory Lane to congratulate Jimmie). Just so happy for this team. It’s tough to work so hard all year long and not have a shot at the championship. This is kind of a silver lining in that.”
75 CAREER WINS ONE BEHIND DALE EARNHARDT. WHAT WILL THAT MEAN TO YOU WHEN YOU HAVE TIME TO LET THAT SINK IN?
“Wow. That is all there is to it. I forgot about that. So happy to be where we are at. So honored, been so fortunate with great cars, great teammates and look forward to that day to tie such a stud.”