LOUDON, N.H. -- Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson finds himself in a somewhat foreign role these days.
He's just one of the guys.
"We haven't been the dominant car. We've been a good car," Johnson said. "We still have nine weeks to get our act together. If we turn our good car into a great car at Homestead, then maybe we get the seventh [title]. But this is a tough industry."
The results reflect that. Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet finished 12th last week at Chicagoland in the first race of the Chase. NASCAR tweaked its playoff format this season, creating a series of three-race elimination rounds.
Three of Johnson's favorite tracks -- Dover, Martinsville and Charlotte -- await on the Chase schedule, but Johnson has plenty at stake today in the Sylvania 300 on New Hampshire's 1.06-mile layout.
"We're eighth in points and certainly don't want to fall further than that," Johnson said. "We're rolling along, hoping to get hot."
He was hot in May and June, not surprisingly at some of his favorite tracks. Johnson won three races in the span of four weeks at Charlotte, Dover and Michigan.
Johnson was asked Friday how much comfort he takes in the upcoming schedule. Not much, apparently.
"Stats are nice to look at, but you've got to live in the present," Johnson said. "Just because we've been good at those tracks doesn't guarantee us anything going back. It makes the week leading into it feel a little bit better, it gives us some talking points, but you still have to go there and get the job done.
"Any benefit you have really just carries you through the week until you get on the track. Then timing and scoring are what we live by."
Johnson just celebrated his 39th birthday, and knowing he's a year away from 40 reminded him of his mortality in this sport.
" Time does fly and certainly in this industry," he said. "It's all in fast-forward."
All four Hendrick cars qualified for the Chase, so Johnson's teammates are also a large portion of his remaining competition. He sounded envious of the consistency teammate Jeff Gordon has demonstrated this season. The difference in their seasons illustrates there is no one-size-fits-all in sports, despite what the term "stock car" implies.
"Jeff Gordon and I have lived in the same shop for a long time," Johnson said. "Even though the cars are prepared by the same people and the core is the same, we have totally different set-ups to get our cars fast. I look at the 24 and the way he drives the car and I'm not surprised that I'm not as hot.
"Our styles are that different. The rules have changed so much, [limiting] our ability to get the car through the corners. A lot of tools have been taken away from us and I'm still getting my head around driving a tighter race car."
Johnson speculates his success at Dover and Martinsville (a combined 16 races won) is about those being "quirky" tracks where his off-road experience translates. He notes that two other Chase layouts, Phoenix and Homestead, haven't been so favorable to his style.
He knows this for sure: Whatever advantage he once held over the field has narrowed, if not disappeared.
"How do we get speed? We had it for three races this year, so it's in there," Johnson said. "But you all see how close the times are in practice and qualifying.
"It doesn't take that much to make a difference -- a tenth [of a mile per hour] can totally turn things around. We're just looking for that sliver of speed to get right back in that position."
TRUCK SERIES
16-year-old dominant
LOUDON, N.H. — Cole Custer’s first stand as a NASCAR winner landed him in the stock car record book.
Custer became the youngest winner in a NASCAR national series race at 16, taking the checkered flag at New Hampshire in his seventh career Camping World Truck Series start.
Custer dominated early and pulled away late off the final restart Saturday to win at 16 years, 7 months, 28 days. He set a track record of 131.897 mph to win the pole and led 148 of the 175 laps for his fifth top-10 of the season.
“This is a pretty special race for our team,” Custer said. “I just love this track. The fans are awesome. It was always one of my favorite tracks growing up. I can’t believe I get to come here and go to Victory Lane.”
Darrell Wallace Jr., Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter and John Nemechek completed the top five.
Last November in Phoenix, Erik Jones was the youngest winner in Truck Series history, winning at 17 years, 4 months. His stint in the record book was short-lived.
Custer had control of the race until a final pit stop dropped the No. 00 Chevrolet from the lead into seventh with 20 laps left. Custer was helped by pair of late cautions that allowed him to stay close to the leaders. He took shortly after the final restart with five laps left, seizing it from Crafton who had rallied from the back of the field, to take the lead.
Custer had enough to make one last stand for the victory.
“When I got back there, I was able to get my timing down on the restarts,” Custer said. “It was just trying to hold [Wallace] off for the win.”
Already in NASCAR competition, Custer has set records as the youngest winner in Pro Series history by scoring his first victory at Iowa on Aug. 2, 2013, at 15 years, 6 months, 10 days. He followed that up this season by becoming the youngest pole winner in national touring series history at 16 years, 4 months, 22 days at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill..
Custer is the son of the son of Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president Joe Custer and was raised around the racetrack. He started racing when he was 5 and quickly rose through the ranks all the way to the Truck Series.
Sports on 09/21/2014