Lack of testing doesn't hurt Johnson at LMS

CONCORD, N.C. -- Friday's final practice ended in the heat of the North Carolina day, hours before a qualifying session that will include a four-tire pit stop.

	Johnson is second in points heading into the Coca-Cola 600. Credit: Autostock

So do the speeds really matter? Remember, the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge starts at 9 p.m. ET Saturday night, with track temperatures well below what they were Friday during the two all-star practices.

Defending race champion Jimmie Johnson topped the charts in "Happy Hour," going 182.334 mph in his No. 48 Chevrolet. Kevin Harvick was second at 181.318, with rookie Brian Vickers third at 181.257.

But does it really matter?

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"Every time we're on the track, it matters," Johnson said. "You're not going to have it exactly right, but you can learn trends. We have experience with our notes on what the track does."

Boy, do Johnson and his team have experience. Johnson won The Winston last year and followed it up by winning the Coca-Cola 600 the following week. He's also won two poles at Lowe's Motor Speedway and should've won the 600 in his rookie season if not for a mistake on pit road.

But still, Johnson needs the track time, he said.

"With us not testing here, this has been a good practice for us," Johnson said. "We spent a lot of time in race trim, just trying to get the rhythm back and get our car driving smooth because it is a new tire."

Nextel Open  1st Practice Speeds  2nd Practice Speeds  Lineup

The car must have been driving pretty smoothly, for Johnson was a tenth-of-a-second faster than the other All-Star Challenge drivers.

"The track was really slick," Johnson said. "For being as slick as it was, we were running quick times. I would expect to see the track record fall for the 600."

Ryan Newman holds the LMS record of 186.657 mph set last fall. With a pit stop in all-star qualifying, no one will come close to that.

Nextel All-Star Challenge  1st Practice Speeds  2nd Practice Speeds

The decision to not test for the all-star race/600 double doesn't necessarily come from the team's confidence at LMS, nor did his speed Friday confirm the decision was sound.

Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus have the bigger picture in sight. Johnson is second in Nextel Cup points, and the team is looking down the road at the Chase for the Championship.

"You only get so many tests a year," Johnson said. "We've been so strong here. We had some teammates that came here and tested, and we felt we should preserve the test and save it for somewhere in the final 10."

For now, though, the focus is on the Nextel All-Star Challenge. The race is usually one of the wildest of the year, with a crazy format and a million-dollar first prize bringing out the best - and sometimes the worst - in the drivers.

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There really isn't much strategy this year, other than to go to the front. The inversion process comes after the first segment, so there is a chance some guys could float around mid-pack to take advantage of an inversion, but there still are 50 laps to get back up front.

"I think there's (some) strategy with the inversion happening earlier in the night," Johnson said. "You have more laps to work your way to the front. You can expect it to be a full inversion. Fans' history repeats itself on that, so I would expect them to invert us.

	Kevin Harvick was second-quickest in the second session. Credit: Autostock

"Maybe somebody will play some strategy on that, but luckily there's enough laps to where everybody will be racing hard."

Joe Nemechek might have been racing a little too hard during the final practice, as his No. 01 Chevrolet slipped out from under him and bounced off the wall between Turns 1 and 2.

His MB2 Motorsports team had to bring out the backup car for qualifying Friday.

"The car got real loose, and it slid into the wall," Nemechek said. "Unfortunately, we're going into tonight's qualifying session without any practice time in the backup car."