NASCAR New Hampshire 2014: Jimmie Johnson: ‘We’re not the dominant car right now’

Traditionally the beginning of the Chase for the Sprint Cup is the time of the year when Jimmie Johnson asserts his superiority en route to an eventual championship.

But although NASCAR’s playoffs have completed just one of 10 races, Johnson’s No. 48 team is a noticeable step behind the guys who are the likeliest threats to unseat the defending and six-time series champion.

A week ago at Chicagoland Speedway, race-winner Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon (finished second) and Kevin Harvick (fifth) all were significantly better than Johnson, who placed 12th and failed to lead a single lap. On multiple occasions crew chief Chad Knaus frequently reminded Johnson that their car lacked speed and they were going to have to rely on pit strategy to secure a positive result.

“Truth be told, you look at the No. 4 (Harvick) and look at the No. 2 (Keselowski) and you look at the No. 24 (Gordon) consistently over the year, those guys have been there,” Johnson said Friday New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Believe me, we’re working our guts out to find the speed and to be that dominant car. But truthfully, we’re not the dominant car right now.”

While Johnson isn’t at his customary high level, the new Chase format does provide a cushion that didn’t exist in years past. No longer is the champion determined by who collects the most points over a course of 10 weeks. Instead, the playoffs consist of four rounds with the four lowest-ranked drivers eliminated after each of the first three rounds.

That structure allows Johnson additional time to find his customary form, provided he can continue to score enough points to avoid elimination. Johnson is tied for sixth in the standings, 12 points above the current cutline.

“We still have nine weeks to get our act together, especially the way this Chase lays out,” he said.

Also working in Johnson’s favor is consecutive races at two of his better tracks. He’s a three-time winner at New Hampshire, the site of Sunday’s Sylvania 300, and owns a track-record nine victories at Dover International Speedway, which hosts the first Chase elimination next week.

“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. “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.”

Even then, despite his past successes, Johnson is taking nothing for granted.

“Stats are nice to look at, but you’ve got to live in the present,” he said. “So, just because we’ve been good at those tracks before, 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 and places to look at and focus on, but we still have to show up there and get the job done.”

What’s holding the 48 team back according to Johnson, is a different aerodynamic package which doesn’t mesh with his driving style.

Johnson prefers a tighter handling and the changes to the car favors drivers who like a looser car such as Gordon, a Hendrick Motorsports teammate. The difference in preferences is why Johnson can’t just take a setup that works for Gordon and utilize it in his car.

“I look at how strong the No. 24 has been and the style in which Jeff drives his car, it’s not surprising to me that he’s hot and I’m not as hot, just because our styles are so different,” Johnson said. “The rules have changed so much. So, I’m trying to get my head around how do I drive a tighter race car? And then, how do we get speed?

“We’re looking for just that little sliver of speed to get back to a dominant position.”