Bonus points battle heats up with return to Bristol (cont'd)

Johnson doesn't have the Bristol success that Gordon does. He has yet to pilot his No. 48 Chevy to Victory Lane and has just two top-five finishes on his resume with three finishes of 30th or worse. Johnson isn't thinking about bonus points right now, he's thinking about leaving Tennessee in one piece.

"I love to go watch the races there. I think it is a great place for a spectator," Johnson said. "But when you are in the car you seem to be escaping disaster multiple times each lap. I guess the only other way you would enjoy it is if you had a huge points lead so maybe [Gordon] will have a good time there. For us it is tough.

"It's a rush to drive the track. No doubt about it. But you are in a different mindset when you have something to lose when you go there verses if you are a fan or have a great position in the points."

With a good finish, Johnson could eliminate some drama and clinch a spot in the Chase. The same is true for Stewart, who should clinch his Chase berth this weekend as well. If the spring race is any indication, look for the No. 20 up front early.

Stewart led 257 of the first 289 laps in March, but a fuel pump cable broke forcing his engine to shut down and ruining any chance of a victory. Stewart though isn't concerned about bonus points right now, he just simply wants to win.

"If you win races the points take care of themselves," Stewart said. "Every week when we go to the track we're going to try to win the race, and if we can't win we'll finish as high as we can and get as many points as we can. Once we do that, the points will just have to be what they are."

He can try to ignore the points, but the fact is he's led more laps than anyone at Bristol except for Gordon and yet he has only a 2001 victory to show for it. But Stewart loves this track, and a second trip to Victory Lane would be one of the more special victories in his Cup career.

"The coolest thing about Bristol is that you have 160,000 fans that you can see all day long or all night long," Stewart said. "I can remember races where I passed [Jeff] Gordon for the lead and I could see the people cheering. It's one of the coolest tracks I've ever been to in my life. The grandstands are right on top of you. I mean, when you get out of the car after practice or qualifying, you can see what the fans are eating and what they're drinking. You're that close.

"And as hard as it is to win a race there -- because you've got to have a perfect day to do it -- it really makes you cherish a win there. The one win that I have there is one of the best wins of my career. Anybody who wins at Bristol appreciates it."

And the winner will definitely appreciate the 10 bonus points he receives when the Chase starts.