It took more than a minute to highlight Jimmie Johnson’s record 11 wins at Dover International Speedway.
And when they were done showcasing his victories – the most recent of which came last spring – the conversation inevitably turned to whether Johnson needs a victory this week in order to regain his reputation.
“I think his fans would love and perhaps need a win, but Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus don’t need a win,” said NBC Sports NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte. “They don’t have to prove to each other they can win. They need to continue to improve.”
Johnson’s wins have come in a variety of ways, but they are all partly attributable to the way he visualizes Dover.
“The best story I can say is: We were in a debrief one day and we had some big names in there – Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson – and Jimmie takes about five or six minutes with this very eloquent lap. ‘When I get in the corner, I look around at the apex. It does this, it does that, it does this’ and he had some great stuff. And I remember, I look at Dale and I was like, ‘Is our car doing that?’ And Dale looked at me and says, ‘I’m not on that track.’ ”
And that is part of what has made Johnson so successful at Dover. His unique talent for this track is not related to shocks, springs and aerodynamics, but how he approaches the corners.
For more, watch the above video.