Johnson looking to break through at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 19, 2009) – In eight full seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson has had limited success at Bristol Motor Speedway. Although he hasn’t reached Victory Lane yet, Johnson has posted two top-five finishes, six top-10s and has led a total of 43 laps in 14 Sprint Cup starts at the .533-mile oval. The Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway will air live on FOX this Sunday at 1:30 p.m., ET. “I’m just not going to admit defeat at that track,” said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. “I’m not going to let that track beat me. I will win there one of these days before my career is over.” A win would be a boost for Johnson and the No. 48 team, but a top finish is really all the team requires to stay in the hunt for the cutoff for the Chase. Johnson enters the Bristol weekend ranked 13th in the driver standings – 177 points behind leader Jeff Gordon. But the No. 48 team has history on its side. In 2006, the team made up a 156-point margin in five late-season races en route to Johnson’s first championship title. “I think we’ve got a great car there but I just don’t know how to get around that race track yet,” Johnson said. “I will show up and focus and do all the things that I need to and hopefully get it right this time.”