Johnson characterizes run-in with Kyle Busch as “hard racing”

Johnson characterizes run-in with Kyle Busch as “hard racing”

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(September 25, 2011)

LOUDON, N.H.—Five-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson really didn’t take umbrage when Kyle Busch crowded him with 21 laps left in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 After all, both drivers are in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and are expected to contest positions.

 Johnson, however, lost three spots after contact between his No. 48 Chevrolet and Busch’s No. 18 Toyota. He finished 18th and dropped to 10th in the series standings, 29 points behind leader Tony Stewart. Busch finished 11th.

 “I think track position was really important, and he was just racing really hard, which was just what he’s supposed to do,” Johnson said. “Typically, the one lane off the bottom is the lane you give someone when they’re on the inside of you. And he didn’t want to give that lane up. And we just made some contact. It wasn’t like he was trying to wreck me or anything; he was just being kind of stubborn and ‘end of a race’ mentality.

 “When we got together the second time, I think our wheels locked and it whipped the wheel out of my hand and bent something in the steering up front.  It was just the end of a bad day. We didn’t have a car like we thought we would. We were really optimistic yesterday. After practice, the car was just great. Today, it just didn’t have the speed, and then track position was so important and some pit calls didn’t work out our way. But we’ll take this one on the chin and go on to the next one.”

 More out of character for the No. 48 team was the sniping on the radio between Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, who have fashioned five championships together. At one point, Johnson urged Knaus to stop cheerleading, because the driver already was trying as hard as he could.

 “I’m going 100 percent, regardless of what’s being said on the radio,” Johnson said. “That’s all we had all day long. I think he (Knaus) was just being optimistic there about what was left in my back pocket—but my suit doesn’t have any back pockets.”