Jimmie Johnson finished eighth in Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway.
In doing so, Johnson jumped from 10th to 5th as the NASCAR Cup points were reset for the playoffs that start next Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
While Johnson enters the playoffs 36 points behind Martin Truex Jr., he feels he has a good chance to not only defend last year’s Cup championship, but also to go on to win his eighth Cup crown, which would pass the record he currently shares with NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.