In 1998, at the now-closed Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Matt Kenseth captured Colorado’s inaugural NASCAR Busch Series race from the pole.
After his weekend sweep, Kenseth – whose car’s primary sponsor was also the title sponsor of the race – said what everyone seemed to be thinking.
“It’s like it was rigged or something,” Kenseth said, grinning.
Jimmie Johnson has taken that type of joke to a higher level. The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet has been virtually unbeatable at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
Johnson, who collected $1 million for winning last weekend’s All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s, has won four straight and five out of the past six Nextel Cup point races at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. He’s looking for his fourth consecutive Coca-Cola 600 triumph when NASCAR’s longest race begins Sunday at Lowe’s.
“Really proud of it for a couple reasons, one probably more obvious than the other,” Johnson said of his success at his car’s namesake track. “One is the situation of Lowe’s sponsoring my car. But I think just in general to be able to hang on to something at a particular racetrack for the length of time we have is pretty special. To come back and repeat it year after year is tough to do.”
Johnson, the only driver to win three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s, also won the 2003 All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s. In his past eight points races there he has finished in the top 10.
Johnson, from El Cajon, Calif., said he feels like Lowe’s gives his team a home-track advantage.
“It’s a huge difference from other racetracks to Lowe’s because of the title sponsor of the racetrack,” Johnson said. “They have a huge, huge presence there, massive tent outside with concerts going on and stuff. We definitely feel the love from all the employees and all the Lowe’s fans at the racetrack.”
Interested in Indy
Johnson grew up in motocross and off-road car and truck racing, but he also has an appreciation for open-wheel racing. He said someday he would like to compete in the Indianapolis 500, which takes place the same day as the Coca-Cola 600.
“The racer in me would love to do it, (but) I don’t have any experience in an IndyCar,” Johnson said.
Several Cup regulars have completed the Indy-Coke doubleheader, but it’s more difficult to accomplish now because the Indy 500 starts an hour later after Indiana began using daylight-saving time.
“I’m hopeful that it gets adjusted to where drivers get to race in that,” Johnson said. “I think it’s a good story line and a really cool event.”
Yates fires GM
Robert Yates Racing released general manager Eddie D’Hondt in what the team called the first step in the reorganizing process. Yates Racing drivers Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler are 12th and 15th in the standings, respectively.
“We are re-evaluating the way we are doing business from the top down,” Yates said in a press release. “For so many years we were successful with the formula we used to run this team. We stayed small and didn’t grow as fast as the technology in the sport has grown. What worked five years ago doesn’t work now. We know we’ve fallen behind in that respect.”
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
