Jimmie Johnson Pleased With Phoenix, Believes All Chase Pressure On Denny Hamlin

Jimmie Johnson appeared loose and relaxed, joking and smiling after he finished fifth thanks to a fuel-mileage strategy at Phoenix International Raceway.

The pressure heading into Homestead, Jimmie Johnson believed, was now squarely on points leader Denny Hamlin.

And Johnson loved it.

“That’s the best we could have hoped for today,” Johnson said. “Being ahead, that would have been a little bit better, but either way we got a lot of pressure on those guys.”

The way Johnson carried himself after the race – and his general attitude – was quite different from Hamlin’s. While Hamlin remained the points leader by 15, Johnson was the one who acted happier.

Much happier.

“The nine years being in Cup, I’ve lived in championship pressure – especially the last four years,” Johnson said. “I know how bad he wants to win a championship. I remember my first.

“So I don’t disrespect his anger. I don’t disrespect where he’s coming from because I understand. He wants to win this championship bad. He’s dedicated his life to it.”

Because Hamlin hasn’t dealt with the pressure of a one-race playoff before, Johnson said his experience gives the 48 team a possible advantage.

“I know that this week is going to be a tough week for him, because I’ve been there,” he said. “I hope he can’t handle it as well as I did in ‘06. I want it to work out for me.

“Selfishly for me, I want him to not do the right things. We’ll just see how the week works out.”

As Hamlin spoke in the media center following the race, Johnson waited outside instead of joining his competitor at the interview table (an unusual occurrence).

The reason, he said, was he had no desire to hear what Hamlin – or anyone else – thought about the Chase.

“I won’t turn on the television, watch any racing this week,” Johnson said. “(I’ll) remove myself from it. I know what I need to do, what my team has to do. I don’t want to hear what anybody else has to say.”

But didn’t Johnson cross paths with Hamlin on the way into the media center?

“He didn’t go out of his way to say hi on the way out,” Johnson cracked, “so I could imagine that he wasn’t in a good mood.”