Jimmie Johnson: MBNA America 400 preview

Jimmie Johnson and Team 48 continue the NASCAR Nextel Cup "Chase For The Championship" this weekend at Dover International Speedway. Johnson is fifth in the "Chase" points race just 30 points behind leaders Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kurt Busch.

Johnson swept both Dover races in 2002 and looked ready to battle for victory in June before back markers triggered a 19-car accident on lap 347 that ended his race leaving him with a 32nd-place finish.

IF YOU COULD START WITH A CLEAN SHEET OF PAPER, HOW WOULD YOU DETERMINE A CHAMPION?

"For competition, I think you'd set-up a point schedule that pays heavily for winning races and top-three finishes. From there, you could go to a similar breakdown to what you have now. But there's been a lot of talk to promote better and more competitive racing. And if you weight the top three, top five spots a little heavier - giving them a big points separation - then you've got a reason to make it from third to second or fifth to fourth or whatever it may be. I think that would be an interesting change to make."

OF THE LAST 10 TRACKS, IS THERE ONE THAT YOU WISH YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH?

"For me, all the tracks in the final 10 are good events. I would think Talladega is probably going to be the one where the teams sweat it the most. In one move, it's all over. At that point you hope all top 10 are in the pile up (laughs)."

HOW DO YOU THINK THE DRIVERS WHO ARE NOT IN THE CHASE SHOULD RACE THE DRIVERS WHO ARE IN THE TOP 10?

"I think they should race everyone the same. In a perfect world, you're going to have the guy who's racing you as hard as he can but who's not crossing the line and leaning on you and spinning anyone out. And they do that with everyone. Hopefully you don't get to the end of the race and one guy looks in his mirror and thinks he likes the guy behind him and doesn't mind giving him the spot and let's one car go around him. And then, he doesn't like the next guy and so he drives his butt off to keep him behind him. So hopefully, none of that will take place. I think that's the extent of what you'd ever see where somebody will cut somebody else a little more slack and let him go. But those guys have races to win and sponsors to please. They have teams working day and night so they can do their jobs. They need to go out there and drive as hard as they can and just keep their eyes open and pay a little bit more respect to the guys who are competing for the championship. Beyond that, I feel they need to get out there and race as hard as they can and do the best job that they can."

DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE DARK HORSES MIGHT BE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN DRIVERS WHO HAVE BEEN RUNNING UP FRONT MOST OF THE YEAR?

"I think the first few races you're going to see a split in strategy for the teams. But I would think that regardless of wherever you are after race five or six, it will look like a typical championship team. Once you get up there and you're getting down to the final three or four races and you're looking good in points, you're going to switch to conservative mode."