No. 2 - Jimmie Johnson

The NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup has become a two-car race. Jimmie Johnson is 53 points behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, and has a little momentum on his side. He won the crash-filled race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday and won the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. But Johnson knows better than anyone that he is chasing a legend in Gordon.
"I do lay it all out there against him, but I don't feel that it's because of a friendship situation," said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "It's basically because he's good. He's arguably the best to sit in a stock car. Statistics show that. So I know, especially in this stretch for a championship, that if I'm going to beat him, I've got to bring my A-game."
Johnson also said he is a little concerned about the guys behind him in the Chase standings. With four races to go in the Chase, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart, the third and fourth place drivers, are not out of it yet.
"And that goes for the No. 07 (Bowyer) and the No. 20 (Stewart), the guys who I think are really still in this points battle," Johnson said. "So our friendship makes things tough from time to time, considering I'm worried about teammate situations or friendships as you get into that cutthroat, decision-making process at the end of a race. But the intensity and all the things that go into it, I've got to bring my A-game and be that intense just because he's Jeff Gordon."
Johnson's team is bringing a three-time winner to Atlanta. It won the races at California Speedway in September and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. It also won the All-Star Challenge in 2006. It's probably getting to the point that there isn't a car at Hendrick Motorsports that hasn't won a race. The car Johnson will have at Atlanta looks like it's one of the team's best and his experience there should make for a potent combination.
"Well, you're trying to be in the top five after the last pit stop," Johnson said. "That's a goal I typically have. It would be great if you're leading and defending. But if you run in the top five, there is enough that goes on in the last pit stop that you can pick up some spots.”