Johnson trying to regain edge at Charlotte track

CONCORD, N.C. -- The first glimpse of vulnerability came exactly a year ago, when Jimmie Johnson's Chevy grew so tight in the closing laps of the Coca-Cola 600 that he wasn't able to chase down Kasey Kahne. That runner-up finish ended a two-year streak where the only winner in points races at Lowe's Motor Speedway was the driver of the Lowe's-sponsored car.

The track's October event brought an identical result, with Kahne outrunning Johnson at the finish. Now a No. 48 team that referred to the metro Charlotte speedway as its "house" during a remarkable run of five victories in six starts looks to regain the edge it once held over the rest of the Nextel Cup field on the 1.5-mile layout.

"I feel we've addressed some things that hurt us last year in those two races where we ran second," said Johnson, who will start 21st in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. "We've developed some speed there, so I'm really excited."

They developed that speed during the Nextel Cup test held at Lowe's earlier this month, when the No. 48 team worked heavily on the handling issues that hampered its chances of winning last year. The car was inconsistent from the beginning of a run to the end, starting out loose before growing so tight Johnson found it difficult to make up ground. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus tried to find a balance, so the car would be able to maintain speed at the end of the race rather than falling off.

The Hendrick Motorsports squad saw progress in that regard in last weekend's all-star exhibition, where Johnson was forced to the rear of the field with a fender rub but had enough car to finish second behind Kevin Harvick. Other drivers took notice.

"After the test at Charlotte, it seemed like he was definitely the guy," Kahne said. "He was so much stronger than anyone else. Last weekend, I was really surprised. He just hung out from fifth to ninth for a lot of the race, and I was surprised from watching that. But at the end of the race he always seems to find his way to the front, and he did that again. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had pulled it off. But he's really strong. His team understands the racetrack. He'll definitely be the guy you have to beat if you want to win the race. I don't think there's anybody else who's as strong as him, that's for sure." (Continued)