Notes: Johnson looking for momentum after crash

INDIANAPOLIS -- With four victories and 11 top-10 finishes this season, Jimmie Johnson should be comfortably in the Chase with six races remaining.

However, after suffering his second consecutive finish outside of the top 30, Johnson has dropped to ninth -- and sounds like someone searching for lost momentum.

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On Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Johnson first got caught up in the middle of a six-car pileup and lost a lap (watch video). Then while trying to remain close enough to earn his lap back, the fender on Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet began rubbing the tire, resulting in a blowout and an unwanted meeting with the Turn 2 wall on Lap 61 (watch video).

Johnson, who had been solidly in the top 10 at that point, wound up 39th, two weeks after finishing 37th at Chicagoland after he crashed while leading the race.

"It's been a steady roll of bad races for us," Johnson said. "We've had lots of speed. Chicago, we were in a position to win. Here, we had a top-five car, but we don't have the results to show for it.

"We need to make sure we don't lose our focus, which is building fast racecars. And we continue to do that, but we can't control these outside elements. We'll sit down with the guys next week and get everybody pumped up. We've got to keep fighting and make sure we stay in the Chase."

Not getting out of Dodge

Dodge fully expects to return to Sprint Cup racing in 2008, according to the company's vice president of U.S. sales.

Chrysler Group's Darryl Jackson, answering questions in the media center before Sunday's race, said he hasn't spoken personally with the new management group specifically about the motorsports program, but "we have long-term contracts and commitments and we will honor those long-term contracts and commitments -- and they are long-term."

Ray Evernham has reportedly been seeking new sponsorship -- Budweiser has been mentioned -- and perhaps even a partner for his factory-backed team, most notably George N. Gillett, Jr., owner of the Montreal Canadiens. Jackson said Dodge plans to continue to support Evernham's efforts.

"The company is always looking for good long-term relationships," Jackson said. "Budweiser or whoever is a very, very solid brand. It brings with it a very good clientele base of which just so happens to line up with us pretty well from a Dodge perspective."

Jackson also said he did not expect Penske Racing to abandon the manufacturer during the offseason.

Weekly Busch watch

Kyle Busch said he's looking seriously at three teams as a potential new home for next season, after the driver leaves Hendrick Motorsports. He's spoken with Joe Gibbs Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., and Evernham Motorsports, the latter of which hopes to sit down with Busch and his agent later this week.

"A lot of teams, they want to have a decision. They have sponsors and things like that they have to get rounded up for next year," Busch said Sunday. "I'm not sure that this is any bigger a week than any other week has been. We'll just have to see how everything plays out. I think it's good to meet with all of them a couple of more times, probably, and discuss things further. I always come up with some more questions here and there, and they always come up with some more questions. It's nice just to sit down and go through that."

As for Internet reports that he has already signed with Gibbs: "Absolutely nothing. We are nowhere," he said. "We don't have anything signed, we haven't signed anything, and we are not really that close to signing anything yet."

Busch was the odd man out when Hendrick added Dale Earnhardt Jr. for next season. He's taking his time to make what he calls a "career-defining" move, and one he doesn't want to make more than once.

"It's a pain in the neck, and it's not a lot of fun," he said. "But it's nice to see what's out there. It's nice to meet with different people. I've never met with [Gibbs president] J.D. Gibbs, [DEI president] Max Siegel, [owner] Ray Evernham. It's nice to meet with those guys. They've gotten a sense of my personality, and who I am. Obviously, with them still talking to me, they still like me. That's nice. It's definitely been a learning experience, but something you don't want to go through too many times."

Joining the 800 club

Kyle Petty's 800th Cup start won't be one for the record books. Petty was involved in the multi-car crash when Casey Mears and Elliott Sadler made contact on Lap 55.

Petty's car suffered heavy damage but returned to the track 17 laps down and wound up 32nd.

"I couldn't see what happened on that wreck, just a lot of smoke," Petty said. "We got caught up in the wreck and the damage pushed the radiator into the oil cooler and caused a leak."

As the sixth driver to reach 800 starts, Petty has recorded eight wins, eight poles, 52 top-five and 173 top-10 finishes. His father, Richard, leads all drivers with 1,184. Ricky Rudd is five starts away from 900.

Other drivers with more than 800 starts include Dave Marcis, Terry Labonte and Darrell Waltrip.

Have a post-race pop?

NASCAR officials called Kevin Harvick into the Nextel Cup hauler following the race to discuss his contact with Tony Stewart's winning car on the cool-down lap (watch video).

Harvick reportedly told NASCAR that the contact was to congratulate Stewart on his victory, not retaliation for what occurred a few laps earlier when the two cars got together while racing for the lead, which apparently satisfied those in charge.