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How Jimmie Johnson is making sure Chicagoland error doesn't happen again

Whatever speed was missing during Hendrick Motorsports’ mid-summer slump has surged back into the program just in time for the Chase.

Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Action Sports Photography

Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and sparks
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet special throwback scheme
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

However, the one area where teams don’t want to be too fast is pit road.

And lately, speeding penalties have proven costly for the No. 48 Lowe’s team and driver Jimmie Johnson. The six-time champion has been busted on pit road in four of the last six races.

Johnson’s miscues at Watkins Glen and Darlington Raceway resulted in finishes of 40th and 33rd, respectively. Last week at Chicagoland, Johnson led a race-high 118 laps in the first 177 circuits. On Lap 234, Johnson pitted from second-place, and NASCAR popped the No. 48 car for speeding exiting the pits and hit Johnson with a drive-thru penalty. Three laps later, Johnson served his penance and returned to the field 21st in the running order.

In traditional 48 team fashion, Johnson recovered over the final 33 laps to finish 12th. But had Johnson not been penalized in the first place, he certainly would have been a contender for the win that instead went to Martin Truex Jr.

Making sure it doesn't happen again

Realizing how costly his miscalculations were on pit road, Johnson went back to the drawing board this week before coming to New Hampshire.

“Unfortunately I made a mistake again, and it hurt us,” Johnson said. “We could have finished much better than that. So, I’ve spent a lot of time this week working on pit road speed again, from simulators and looking at the simulator that we have for the dash which is on a workbench, to looking at my teammates to looking at everything.”

Johnson qualified fourth for Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300. The team selected the 41st pit box on pit road — which is the first box coming off of Turn 4 — in Section 3 of the timing lines.

To quick to pull the trigger

Johnson will hit the first timing line at “Pit In” then travel approximately 168 feet to the second timing line and an additional 110 feet before entering his pit stall just past the third timing line. He’ll cross 11 additional timing lines before he hits “Pit Out” and exits pit road.

“I was fine on pit road; I just left about two feet too early in the last segment,” Johnson said of his Chicagoland gaffe. “I thought the nose was at the line and evidently it was a couple of feet early and I got burned on that. So, I just might wait a bit longer before I punch it at the end of pit road (laughs).”

In 29 starts at the Magic Mile, Johnson earned three wins, 10 top fives and 19 top 10s.

Johnson started from the pole here in July. While running 11th on Lap 265, Johnson came to pit road under caution, slid through his stall, lost time and dropped to 24th. Although he recovered with a 12th-place finish, it was one more missed opportunity for the No. 48 team.

Improved performance comes at the perfect time

Still, Johnson feels like the additional speed Hendrick Motorsports has discovered will provide the No. 48 team with the necessary spark to be a factor in the Chase. After finishing 12th at Chicagoland and dropping to eighth in the standings, Johnson needs a solid finish on Sunday.

“It’s really just a lot of hard work from everybody at Hendrick Motorsports,” Johnson said. “We’re digging in all areas and finding a little in all areas. It hasn’t been just one thing. It’s nice to have speed on the big tracks, which we’ve seen; and now to come to a short track and qualify well and have that speed is pretty awesome, too.

“I’m very proud of everybody at Hendrick Motorsports and especially everybody on this Lowe’s team. They’re building a fast Chevy for me and it’s starting to be a lot of fun.”

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