NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 26, 2016

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Atlanta Motor Speedway and discussed what he expects from Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, his expectations of the new low-downforce package and many other topics. Full Transcript:

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST HERE AT ATLANTA. TALK ABOUT COMING BACK TO THE TRACK AND EXPECTATIONS THIS WEEKEND:
“Expectations are high. We are very excited to get to a 1.5-mile track. I’m excited about the new rules package. I think these cooler temperatures are going to add a lot of grip and maybe not show the real potential. The drivers are so excited about the rules package. I’ve always had great success here. It’s been a lot of fun. I think this track with the high tire wear and the bumpy conditions and the fact that you have to search around for lines really suits my style, and suits my upbringing racing on the dirt. It’s been a great race track for me. Looking forward to a strong performance.”

DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE A LOT OF SLIDING AROUND LIKE THE ATLANTA OF OLD WITH THE NEW RULES PACKAGE THIS WEEKEND?
“We definitely have less downforce on the cars, which directionally will lead to that. I’ve kind of felt and maybe it’s just my opinion, but I’ve felt like the surface of this track has always created the slick conditions. Even with a rules package that the drivers might not love, we still come to Atlanta and the drivers still love racing here. As rough as it is and how porous the asphalt is it just continues to create an environment that we love regardless of rules package or tire that shows up. It’s always fun here.”

YOU GUYS AREN’T CHANGING MANUFACTURERS ANYTIME SOON ARE YOU?
“No.”

HOW FAR DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAVE COME WITH THIS PACKAGE? HOW MUCH IS THERE STILL OUT THERE TO LEARN?
“There is still a lot to learn. The Las Vegas test for us went really well. That is our only true kind of measuring stick and how we think we will perform for the ’16 season with the new rules package. But it’s going to be a constant evolution. The teams are going to continue to figure out how to create more downforce and more mechanical grip. It’s just kind of what we do every year. Honestly the amount of downforce that has been taken away. I assume by the time we reach Homestead we will get most of that back. It’s just the way these engineers work and the evolution of race cars. Hopefully, we can take a bigger chunk out moving forward and really keep the downforce off the cars for all the reasons we have been talking about. Nothing has changed underneath mechanically really with the race car. It’s kind of aero over the top. I don’t think there is a huge learning curve for everyone. I think it might fit the style of some drivers, the feel that some drivers are looking for more than others.”

DOES THAT CHANGE WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO TO A CAR IN FRONT OF YOU OR BESIDE YOU ON THE TRACK?
“Directionally I think if you can get to the bumper in front of you with the smaller spoiler it will be easier to create the high pressure area and take rear downforce away from the car in front of you. In the two races we ran last year it seemed that we could, more than anything, run closer to someone and get inside that three to five car length window easier. So, we are all speculating and assuming that with the smaller spoiler it’s allowing the air to change directions and get back down low again so that the approaching race car has proper downforce on it. That is something we have kind of strategized and said would work and then we were able to really feel it in those two races.”

YOU DID THE VEGAS TEST EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE THINGS THAT STUCK OUT TO ME THAT YOU KEPT SAYING ABOUT IT WAS HOW FAST IT WAS. CAN YOU LOOK AHEAD TO THAT RACE?
“Yeah, that wasn’t the goal. I think NASCAR, the drivers, Goodyear, everybody felt like with the softer tire compound we should be able to pop off a fast lap or two, but it would create a lot of fall off. At that test, with the weather conditions and the green race track the fall off with minimal. It’s really difficult to make a tire have the fall off at every race track the same way, so it might be more of a Vegas characteristic. The speeds might stay sustained longer. I was at the tire test in Kansas, hot summer day, the same tire that we ran in Vegas and it had seconds of fall off. Everybody left there smiling ear to ear. It still ran a fast lap and had all this fall off and then went to Vegas and it wouldn’t slow down. We were like ‘wait a second this wasn’t what we were hoping for.’ But every situation is different and hopefully the weather comes up and will help create some more fall off once we get out to Las Vegas.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS WEEKEND ONLY HAVE 39 ENTRIES FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE?
“I wasn’t aware of the count. With the Charter system I assumed there would be 40 here. Well, I guess there aren’t 40 Charters. So, the whole point of the Charter system was to create quality over quantity. We have all known there have been a lot of start and park teams that have come along. From the way I understand, it the new Charter system doesn’t necessarily promote that to come and try to qualify for the show and then makes some laps and head home. I think the money is being distributed equally or better served through the rest of the field and the people that support the series week in and week out. I hate hearing smaller numbers, but I guess directionally that is where the Charter has taken things and you do have those four spots on the end that might not show.”

HOW DOES THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND STEWART-HAAS RACING CHANGE NOW WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK?
“It was certainly a shock. We have contracts in place with Stewart-Haas Racing that Hendrick (Motorsports) has to honor and will honor and honor with integrity and the way that we always do. We have a lot of employees whose jobs count on that and rely on that. Nothing is different this year. Fortunately, we have a year to figure out if we want to service some other teams and provide engines and chassis or how we handle it. I know Rick’s (Hendrick) goal is to keep the staff where it is. That gets me excited because if we maintain the staff I think we will be able to develop that much more cool stuff for our race cars. It’s going to be tough to figure out how to fund it. There is no way around that, but I think this could be and will be really good for Hendrick Motorsports in the long run.”

DO YOU EVER SEE CHEVY GOING TO ONE ENGINE THE SAME WAY THAT FORD AND TOYOTA HAVE BOTH DONE?
“I’m not familiar with the programs all that well. I wasn’t aware Ford was in that situation. The Toyota stuff I know there certainly were some bumps in the road getting started and now they are in a good place. It would be really difficult for me to want to have engines provides from anywhere else than Hendrick Motorsports, because they have been the best hands down year after year. My selfish standpoint I don’t want to see it go that way.”

WAS THE NEWS FROM STEWART-HAAS THIS WEEK A REAL STUNNER TO YOU?
“Yeah, for sure with Tony (Stewart) relationship with GM (General Motors/Chevrolet) all these year’s (Kevin) Harvick’s. It definitely was a surprise to me to hear that, and the fact that it did stay quiet for a while.”

IS THIS A POSSIBLE GOOD THING THAT YOU GUYS AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS WON’T BE GETTING BEAT BY BASICALLY YOUR OWN STUFF?
“It’s certainly not fun to be beat by your own equipment, but at the same time it has helped motivate us in a lot of ways. We know that we have been getting out run by our own stuff. It’s helped us, maybe find a direction in where to work a little easier. It is still so new and we still have this year to finish out that I guess my mind hasn’t gone there yet and how it’s going to be different. Giving Rick Hendrick 12 months to figure out how to make it work is the exciting part. I feel like Hendrick Motorsports is going to be stronger yet come 2017.”

WHY DO DRIVERS WANT TIRES TO WEAR OFF AND SPEEDS TO DROP DOWN A LITTLE BIT?
“The problem is if we are all running the same speed every lap nobody is passing. The faster we go, the harder it is to pass. So, you start a run and you are running quick lap times it is great, it is fun and exhilarating and fans love it. But, slowing up a second or two if you don’t have an average lap speed posted somewhere you can’t see that. But it makes a huge difference in our worlds. It really allows us to race side-by-side. It also allows comers and goers. From a handling perspective or a driver style perspective if you are going to be nice to your tires they are going to last longer and work your way to the front. If you are a young guy and have something to prove, you are probably going to start off quick and then fall fast. It creates passing. That is what we are all after. You’ve got the best drivers, best teams in the country. Put them all in equal cars running the same speed it’s a parade. We don’t want that.”

WITH STEWART-HAAS CHANGING MANUFACTURERS NEXT SEASON IS THERE MUCH CONCERN FROM THE HENDRICK CAMP FIRST FROM WHAT YOU SHARE WITH THEM TECHNICALLY AND SECOND JUST THE BUSINESS IMPACT ON THE COMPANY AS A WHOLE?
“We were touching on it some. The business impact, fortunately we have 12 months to figure out how to stay where we are from an employee standpoint. I know that is Rick’s (Hendrick) goal and Rick has made that known through the company. We have 12 months to get there. We have contracts to honor now and Gene (Haas) and Tony (Stewart) and Rick (Hendrick) have worked through all those details. We are honoring the contracts as we would. They are Chevy powered, Hendrick powered engines and Hendrick chassis right now. We are going to continue to work hard and honor the contracts and give Rick the time to figure out how to bring in some more revenue. If it’s supplying engines and chassis’ for other teams, bringing in more sponsorship to keep everything where it’s at, we’ve got some time to figure all that out, which is cool.”