Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images[/caption] Told that Las Vegas bettors have him at a 7-1 odds to hoist the big trophy, Johnson smiled. "I think our chances are really good and we should be in the conversation," he said. "I know we need to earn that right to go out and be a part of the conversation. So maybe there is a good bet there to be had.” With the change in postseason formats and Johnson’s huge trophy haul already, no one is likely to ever have this historic chance again. Looking at his statistics for the next 10 playoff stops, you have to appreciate his prime opportunity, however. Here’s a reminder of his work: this week’s 1.5-miler outside Chicago is the only track left on this year's schedule where Johnson has yet to win. However, he has three wins at next week’s venue in New Hampshire, including 21 top-10 finishes in 31 starts. Johnson has a historic 11-win total at Dover, including one this summer. He has eight wins at Charlotte and is the defending winner of the Bank of America 500. He has a pair of wins at Talladega and three wins at Kansas Speedway -- including two in the playoffs (2008, 2011) -- and an amazing 17 top-10 finishes in 22 starts at the track. He has nine victories at Martinsville and is the defending winner there, along with a 77.4 percent record of finishing among the top 10. At Texas Motor Speedway, Johnson has seven wins. He’s won four of the last six races there and six of the last 10. At Phoenix, Johnson has won four times. Which brings us to Homestead, where the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy was pulled off pit road during pre-race ceremonies last November for a last-minute technical inspection. Johnson returned to win his first race at the track -- a record-tying, historic seventh title -- after starting LAST in the field. Johnson will start 14th at Chicagoland, full of the same confidence he has demonstrated and earned through a career of ultimate achievement. He doesn’t need the spotlight or the headlines yet. Judging by his track record, that most likely comes in a couple months. “We’re digging deep,’’ Johnson said after qualifying on Friday, while the other title rivals were already snipping and posturing. “I think we’ve improved some. It’s playoff time and the weather is cooling down and fall is here, so it’s time for the No. 48 to get hot.”
Cain: Johnson’s California-cool confidence, history guide him in NASCAR Playoffs
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Somewhere in the Chicagoland Speedway infield Friday evening, Jimmie Johnson returned from a long, l-o-n-g bike ride, showered and likely settled in with a kale salad and water to watch the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular-season finale from his comfy motorhome couch.
Perhaps the seven-time Cup champion allowed a few chuckles reviewing his Twitter feed and seeing the scrappy, go-time exchanges between this weekend’s fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship contenders, polesitter and Toyota driver Kyle Busch and proud pot-stirrer in Ford driver Brad Keselowski.
Even setting his sights on an unprecedented eighth Cup season championship, Johnson has -- again -- managed to fly under the radar while his competition officially begins the mind games. The all-time best playoff-race winner (29 victories) enters Sunday’s opening round of the 2017 championship almost unheeded.
No one’s picking fights with him, no one appears overly concerned -- yet -- that the most-decorated driver in the modern era will indeed be THE man celebrating with a new championship ring.
His three victories on the season all came early -- the last at Dover in June -- and as his Hendrick Motorsports team has done in the past, it looks again to have gambled summer victories on learning something for the Fall playoffs.
And now we’ll see.
“We won early, had good speed early, and in the back of my mind I was thinking that I hoped we were not peaking too soon,’’ Johnson allowed this week at the playoff press conference. “Then the summer happens and then as you are in the middle of summer the silver lining is that we are going to get through this eventually and come out on top. Maybe it is good to peak early, have the summer kind of challenge you, and then peak again.
“There have been guys that peak prior to the playoffs consistently, but I have put a little more weight in the tracks and the lineup of the tracks than I do anything else. There’s guys that get hot in the summer and guys that are not hot in the spring and fall and get the summer. We are kind of the opposite. So, I really feel like the tracks have something to do with it.”
Even with all the record-setting potential for Johnson -- who celebrates his 42nd birthday on race morning -- he remains his typical California cool. With 83 wins to his name, he has reason.
“I heard something about that,’’ Johnson joked to reporters this week about making NASCAR history with an eighth title. “You know, I do think about it occasionally but the format really doesn’t allow you to do so.
“Even last year, we had the summer slump, started the playoffs and we do well with winning Charlotte and winning Martinsville. Things start rolling and momentum picks up that we didn’t have six to eight weeks before and we are the champions.
“I am obviously hoping for more of the same but all being said, it is so tough knowing who the person is going to be. I feel that the playoff points might change that, and should change that to where if you have had a good year and you collect those playoff points that you will be one of the four in Homestead. This playoff format to date -- nobody knows, and it takes away from over-thinking it, which is really nice.”
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images[/caption] Told that Las Vegas bettors have him at a 7-1 odds to hoist the big trophy, Johnson smiled. "I think our chances are really good and we should be in the conversation," he said. "I know we need to earn that right to go out and be a part of the conversation. So maybe there is a good bet there to be had.” With the change in postseason formats and Johnson’s huge trophy haul already, no one is likely to ever have this historic chance again. Looking at his statistics for the next 10 playoff stops, you have to appreciate his prime opportunity, however. Here’s a reminder of his work: this week’s 1.5-miler outside Chicago is the only track left on this year's schedule where Johnson has yet to win. However, he has three wins at next week’s venue in New Hampshire, including 21 top-10 finishes in 31 starts. Johnson has a historic 11-win total at Dover, including one this summer. He has eight wins at Charlotte and is the defending winner of the Bank of America 500. He has a pair of wins at Talladega and three wins at Kansas Speedway -- including two in the playoffs (2008, 2011) -- and an amazing 17 top-10 finishes in 22 starts at the track. He has nine victories at Martinsville and is the defending winner there, along with a 77.4 percent record of finishing among the top 10. At Texas Motor Speedway, Johnson has seven wins. He’s won four of the last six races there and six of the last 10. At Phoenix, Johnson has won four times. Which brings us to Homestead, where the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy was pulled off pit road during pre-race ceremonies last November for a last-minute technical inspection. Johnson returned to win his first race at the track -- a record-tying, historic seventh title -- after starting LAST in the field. Johnson will start 14th at Chicagoland, full of the same confidence he has demonstrated and earned through a career of ultimate achievement. He doesn’t need the spotlight or the headlines yet. Judging by his track record, that most likely comes in a couple months. “We’re digging deep,’’ Johnson said after qualifying on Friday, while the other title rivals were already snipping and posturing. “I think we’ve improved some. It’s playoff time and the weather is cooling down and fall is here, so it’s time for the No. 48 to get hot.”
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images[/caption] Told that Las Vegas bettors have him at a 7-1 odds to hoist the big trophy, Johnson smiled. "I think our chances are really good and we should be in the conversation," he said. "I know we need to earn that right to go out and be a part of the conversation. So maybe there is a good bet there to be had.” With the change in postseason formats and Johnson’s huge trophy haul already, no one is likely to ever have this historic chance again. Looking at his statistics for the next 10 playoff stops, you have to appreciate his prime opportunity, however. Here’s a reminder of his work: this week’s 1.5-miler outside Chicago is the only track left on this year's schedule where Johnson has yet to win. However, he has three wins at next week’s venue in New Hampshire, including 21 top-10 finishes in 31 starts. Johnson has a historic 11-win total at Dover, including one this summer. He has eight wins at Charlotte and is the defending winner of the Bank of America 500. He has a pair of wins at Talladega and three wins at Kansas Speedway -- including two in the playoffs (2008, 2011) -- and an amazing 17 top-10 finishes in 22 starts at the track. He has nine victories at Martinsville and is the defending winner there, along with a 77.4 percent record of finishing among the top 10. At Texas Motor Speedway, Johnson has seven wins. He’s won four of the last six races there and six of the last 10. At Phoenix, Johnson has won four times. Which brings us to Homestead, where the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy was pulled off pit road during pre-race ceremonies last November for a last-minute technical inspection. Johnson returned to win his first race at the track -- a record-tying, historic seventh title -- after starting LAST in the field. Johnson will start 14th at Chicagoland, full of the same confidence he has demonstrated and earned through a career of ultimate achievement. He doesn’t need the spotlight or the headlines yet. Judging by his track record, that most likely comes in a couple months. “We’re digging deep,’’ Johnson said after qualifying on Friday, while the other title rivals were already snipping and posturing. “I think we’ve improved some. It’s playoff time and the weather is cooling down and fall is here, so it’s time for the No. 48 to get hot.”