Notes: Johnson refocusing after recent trend of DNFs

LONG POND, Pa. -- After dropping from second to ninth in the standings over the last seven races, defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson admits he has some concern about Sunday's Pennsylvania 500.

"We've got to finish a race -- we've had a heck of a time finishing lately," Johnson said. "This has been a good track for us. We had a good run in the spring. Our goals are to come in and finish in the top 10 and stop the bleeding from this point loss that we've had.

"There is concern. We don't want to be in this situation. But when we look at the performance of the team and where we've been as a whole, we've had very competitive cars. We feel very confident with the team and what we're doing and the product we're putting on track -- we've just got to eliminate these situations where we're getting in trouble and tearing up racecars."

Johnson did say the four wins he's scored this season, which result in a 40-point bonus point addition when the 12 Chase for the Nextel Cup drivers' points are all reset to 5,000, is a definite advantage.

"The Chase format certainly is forgiving," Johnson said. "I've been on both sides of it now where I've had a nice points lead and hated the fact that the Chase was coming; and now being in the situation that if it worked to my advantage, I'd be right back in the middle of it. So It's an interesting range of emotions to go through."

Stewart looks for trifecta
Tony Stewart hopes to win his third consecutive Nextel Cup race, but says he rues his mediocre qualifying effort Friday that places him 24th on the grid Sunday.

"Yeah, it matters [because] track position is big here," Stewart said. "If you've got a car that's capable of getting to the front, you'll get there anyway, but it just doesn't make it easy here. It's hard to pass here."

Stewart said winning at Pocono was more a concern than three-in-a-row.

"It's another week -- I'm not looking at it from that standpoint," Stewart said. "I'm just trying to figure out how to get back into Victory Lane here at Pocono. It's been a long time since we won here [July 2000] so this would be a nice weekend to get another win."

Stewart was another who said he was pining for bonus points.

"The big thing is to just get as many wins as you can get before the Chase starts to get those bonus points," Stewart said. "Whether you're first or 12th doesn't matter -- it's how many races you can win in the meantime and get those 10 extra bonus points right now."

Birthday Boy Gordon on Stewart
Jeff Gordon had a low-key 36th birthday Saturday, running 22nd and 24th in two practices, after scoring his 79th career victory here a month ago. But he did offer an opinion on Stewart going 18 races without a win, then winning two-in-a-row.

"I think it is just circumstances," Gordon said. "He has had some races this year that they have been capable of winning. We had a great battle at Phoenix and he was a dominant car. We just made our car a little bit better there at the end and were able to make a good pass.

"I don't think he changes his driving style; it is just either they get better as a team or they have fortune go their way to get the wins. The last couple of weeks they have been really strong and the race has been winding down for them to get the win." (Continued)