Jimmie Johnson hopes to keep the positive momentum going in Kentucky

At the beginning of this season, Hendrick Motorsports struggled as they were unable post a victory, beyond Daytona with Dale Earnhardt Jr., and were caught behind the eight-ball. It looked as though Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske had a handle on it, while HMS struggled. It isn’t something that they hid from either as they knew that they had homework to do.

“We’ve been learning this new package,” Johnson said of the season so far. “We didn’t get off to the start we wanted to at the start of the season. Even though we were slow, I really feel there were opportunities to win. We had flat tires and various issues that kept us from going to Victory Lane.”

Though those moments are long forgotten after HMS posted five straight victories and have taken every opportunity that they’ve been given to win and now look to be the dominant team.

“I’m happy that the speed is there and it’s just a little more consistent for us compared to especially the first quarter of the year,” Johnson commented. “But more than anything, we’re taking advantage of opportunity and have been able to pull into Victory Lane.”

Johnson is hoping to take advantage of the situation this weekend and do just that. The six-time Sprint Cup Series Champion sees the opportunity given the wide range of lanes that “rough” Kentucky offers compared to freshly paved one-groove race tracks. Johnson says it’s refreshing to have the multiple grooves as it’s hard to pass when there’s only one main racing lane.

“With the speeds we’re going, in order to pass a driver with one-lane of racing surface to really utilize, you’ve got to be half a second faster,” he explained. “And there really isn’t a half a second worth of speed the way the cars are anymore. It’s so well regulated through NASCAR and so competitive, that you’re lucky to get a tenth, maybe two, is as much as you get.

“So when you have a surface that throws the cars around and forces drivers to make mistakes, it forces a second lane, a third lane. I don’t think we really have a third lane here. And a lot of it has to do with the grinding that’s been done on the track. Last year I tried to explore outside the black and think about a fourth lane or a third lane near the wall, but the surface just won’t allow it.

“So we’ve got a good couple of lanes from the three-quarter mark down on the race track that we can use. And the bumps make mistakes out of drivers. They put us in situations where we blow it, and open a door to get passed or look for an opportunity to pass someone.”

Johnson has been close to victory lane at Kentucky before, though seems to lose it in the final run of the last race.

“We’ve had a car capable of winning; I think two of them, at least,” Johsnon commented. “I’m not sure about the third. So, it’s just executing in that final run.”

Last year, Johnson got out-snickerered on one of the “cat-and-mouse” games on a restart, though doesn’t have that to worry about as a result of the changes that were made to the restart rules.

“I’m happy with the rule changes and certainly still today, feel that the scenario and the games played there is what led to our issue down there in Turns 1 and 2,” Johnson said.