Pete Pistone
Managing Editor
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Posted
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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1/10
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Some drivers raced and others spent the off weekend just relaxing.
Jimmie Johnson had planned to take a little vacation, but when you're a two-time champion expected to dominate the season and find yourself winless after five races, plans change.
Johnson and company decided to hit the road and test in hopes of getting back on track this week at Martinsville Speedway, where the No. 48 team will shoot for a fourth straight win.
In addition to his four wins at the half-mile Virginia track, Johnson has finished 10th or better in all but one of his 12 Martinsville Cup starts.
"We were supposed to test Kentucky (Speedway), but weather came in, so we went to Rockingham on Tuesday," Johnson said of his testing itinerary. "Our goal was to go to Kentucky to work on the big track stuff, but the weather messed us up there. We had the tires and the cars ready, and going to a track, period, we felt would be helpful, so we went (to Rockingham) to work through some things. We don't race on a track like that and that track's so old and rough, we're not sure what's really going to apply (to other tracks), but we have a good direction."
The added testing sessions means Johnson will be behind-the-wheel of his race car for seven straight days. But he's not worried about any aditional stress or strain.
"This early in the year, no it doesn't," he said. "We just came off the off season. I know we only have three of these (scheduled off weekends in the season) a year, so it would be great to take advantage of it and do something else, but we haven't had the runs like we want, so there's only one way to correct that and that's to get out there and start testing and get to work. I'm eager to do it."
If there's a cure for Johnson's early season woes it may just be Martinsville, where he has had great success.
"There are certain rhythms at Martinsville that I fortunately found and picked up after my first year of being there," Johnson said. "My first race, I did not have the rhythm of the track, and there are a lot of components that go into it.
"There’s really, in my opinion, a rhythm that’s necessary. I still may struggle, even at the start of practice, to find the rhythm, but once the race starts, it always comes back to me now. I know what I'm looking for, and I know what that rhythm is for the 500 laps we make there, and I can usually get good performances out of it."
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