Johnson: 'We expect a lot of ourselves'

LOUDON, N.H. – New Hampshire Motor Speedway has provided some great finishes for Jimmie Johnson.

A three-time winner there, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS ranks third among active drivers with an average finish of 10.5 at the track.

It comes at the right time, as Johnson is looking to improve on his 12th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway last weekend.

“We’re showing up here I think eighth in points and certainly don’t want to fall any further than that,” Johnson said. “And with the past success we’ve had here at this racetrack, we’re hopeful for a win to make the next week, at least, very easy.”

Johnson said he’s happy with how the team is running, but is hopeful for better results as the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup wears on.

“As the No. 48 and in the culture of Hendrick Motorsports, we expect a lot out of ourselves, let alone what any outside pressure would be,” he said. “And we’re not where we want to be. But again, with this format of the Chase, there’s time. In some respects, it could be a little bit more forgiving for you, where the gross points total doesn’t determine the champion at the end of the year. So, we’re going to play the game that’s ahead for us and get the best results we can and hopefully heat up as this Chase wears on.”

The driver noted that the 10 tracks in the Chase are some of his best, including next week at Dover. With that in mind, he’s looking for his team to “get to that hot spot again” and string together solid performances in his quest for a seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

“We’re hopeful to heat up and find some more speed and be more of a more dominant car, especially as this Chase wears on,” Johnson said. “But, we’re holding our own right now and I’m looking forward to this track, and certainly next weekend; my favorite race track and probably my best track on the circuit. So, we’re just plugging along.”