Johnson on heading to finale at HMS: This isn't over

The headline says it all!

Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of five tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit where Johnson has yet to win. Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and Kentucky Speedway in Sparta are the others.

Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

Four top-five finishes (36.4 percent) and seven top-10s (63.6 percent) in 11 starts.

One DNF (did not finish – November 2005).

Average start of 17.2 and average finish of 13.5.

Completed 2,793 of 2,942 laps (94.9 percent) and led 74.

Sprint Cup’s fifth-best driver rating (95.2 average of a possible 150 points).

Leads all drivers this season with 1,719 of a possible 10,175 laps led (16.9 percent). Kyle Busch is second with 1,245 laps led (12.2 percent).

Johnson lost his points lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship after a 32nd-place finish Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway in the ninth of 10 races in the 2012 Chase. He is in second place, 20 points behind new leader Brad Keselowski.

To date in 2012, Johnson has five wins, four poles, 18 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s in 35 races.

Johnson will pilot the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

JIMMIE JOHNSON, Driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports:

How are you approaching this final weekend of the season? “My focus is going down there and winning the race. We typically haven’t had to have that mentality going into this race, but we have shown we can race for the win. We did it in 2010 against Denny (Hamlin), finished second and won the championship. This 48 Lowe’s team can do it again. We have nothing to lose and can gamble and take chances. Brad (Keselowski) doesn’t have that luxury. This isn’t over. This team never gives up and we don’t intend to, now.”

Jimmie Johnson