RICHMOND, Va.— Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has three career victories at Richmond International Raceway, but his recent results at the .75-mile short track have been less than scintillating.
“We suck here,” said Johnson, who hasn’t won at RIR since the fall race of 2008 and has but one top-five finish since then. “We’re terrible, and hopefully we’re a lot better this weekend.”
Johnson was at a loss to explain his recent struggles at Richmond, but he has a theory.
“They used to put a sealer down here, and I think a lot of our success came when they put the sealer down,” he explained. “You could move around the race track to find some grip and really get your right sides (tires) on the edge to get more grip and speed out of the race car.
“They don’t have sealer down, so I can’t count on that this weekend. But I love watching races here, and for the races that I have been competitive in and had a chance to race in the top five, I love it. I think it’s a fantastic race track, it puts on a great show, it’s great for the fans, and in my heart I think we need more short tracks on the schedule.
“I just need to get this one figured out.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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