Ron Malec knows Jimmie Johnson as well as or better than just about everyone else in the Sprint Cup garage.

Malec, car chief for the No. 48 Chevrolet driven by three-time defending Cup champion, spoke recently about whether or not Johnson really can handle those tools he waves so confidently in television commercials and what Malec does to relax away from the No. 48 shop.

“

[Jimmie] actually knows how to work on stuff. He probably knows a lot more than a lot of the other drivers do. I'll give him credit for that.

”

-- RON MALEC

Question: So is Jimmie really as handy as he comes across on those TV commercials?

Malec: Well, I used to work with him and I used to watch him work on cars. I know he struggles, but he could do it. He definitely could do it. The commercials definitely are funny. The fans like 'em, and they don't know the truth, so ...

Q: So he's really kind of dangerous with the tools?

Malec (chuckling): He actually knows how to work on stuff. He probably knows a lot more than a lot of the other drivers do. I'll give him credit for that. I used to watch him build race cars with us. It was just the two of us and he held his own pretty good. We used to make him do his own deal. He used to put his own seats in and things like that. If he didn't do it, it didn't get done.

Q: How many years ago was that?

Malec: That was about 12 years ago. When he was in ASA (Late Model Series), he used to work on his own car. He might have forgotten how to do it, but he did it then.

Q: You guys have been together a long time then?

Malec: Yeah, since he started racing cars. (Continued)