At Charlotte, schedule now tilts in champion's favor

Those weren't the Santa Ana Winds that swept through the infield of Auto Club Speedway following last weekend's Sprint Cup Series race. It was swirling air created by 11 drivers and race teams all gasping at the same time.

The cause of those deep breaths was Jimmie Johnson, who had just won the Pepsi 500 and moved to the top of the Chase standings. The fact is, and the history of the past three years has shown, once Johnson takes the lead in a Chase, he is tough to reel in.

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And if that wasn't cause enough for concern on the part of rest of the Chase field, there was this: Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the rest of their Hendrick Motorsports team are heading to a stretch of the Chase that features their best tracks.

"You know," Johnson said after winning at Auto Club, "this week we're on top of the world."

That stretch of Johnson tracks begins this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC).

Lowe's is all over Johnson's car and uniform as the company has served as his primary sponsor for years. But Johnson is also all over Lowe's Motor Speedway.

He and Knaus have won there five times in 16 starts. They won all four races in 2004 and 2005 and have eight podium finishes and 12 top 10s there.

Johnson has led laps in every race in which he has competed at the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval except his first one, which was back in 2001. He has led a total of 1,242 laps, and his average finish is 9.1, best among the Chase drivers.

And he knows that a good showing in Saturday night's NASCAR Banking 500 gives him a nice boost in his quest to become the first driver to win four consecutive championships.

Gasp, indeed.

"All the victories we have had there have been really neat," Johnson said this week in typical Johnson-ese.

But there is hope for the other Chase drivers this weekend. Johnson and Knaus have not won at Lowe's since 2005, and they have one top-10 finish in the past four races there.

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What's up with that?

"The track," Johnson said. "I really think since it was resurfaced, it just changed the dynamic of the race for us. I had some lines that worked really well. I think our setup worked really well for the abrasive track. Rough tracks with bumps and things like that seem to work well for me with my background. It just worked.

"They ground the track, and it still worked well for us. We came back and it was resurfaced and we were competitive, but we didn't have an advantage by any means. I really think the surface has a lot to do with it. It has made the track more forgiving than it was in the past, and I think it helped close the gap. I am hoping the track hurries up and ages and gets rough and bumpy and turns back into the track it used to be."

Even if the tack is not as rough and bumpy as Johnson and Knaus would like, confidence is still high for a good finish.

"We work on stuff each time we go back," Johnson said. "This year I think we'll be better yet. The last few times we have been there, we have just been super tight and needed more front grip with the car. I think we are a little smarter even from the All-Star and the Coca Cola 600 weekend ...and hopefully it makes a difference."

And even if he and the No. 48 team stumble this weekend, they know there is always next weekend. The race is at Martinsville, a place where they are every bit as good as they are at Lowe's.

Love that Chase schedule, Johnson says.

"I think it [Chase success] really boils down to the fact that the tracks in the Chase are my strongest tracks. ... They are tracks that we win at."

Teammate Jeff Gordon, who is still in the thick of the Chase, shakes his head when he thinks about Johnson, Knaus and the Chase, where they have won 16 races.

"Yeah, they have something magical about the final 10 races," Gordon said after finishing behind Johnson at Auto Club. "You know, these 10 tracks really suit them. They do an incredible job. What else can you say? They're the best out there. They've won the last three championships. They're going to be hard to beat for this one. Really, unless they make a mistake, I don't see how they lose it."

Five to watch

Martin

Mark Martin, No. 5: Another Chase driver who has had himself a career at Lowe's. He has four victories in 49 starts and has led 1,168 laps.

Kasey Kahne, No. 9: Kahne's championship hopes are fading. He must finish well Saturday night to keep those hopes alive. He has won three times in 11 starts at Lowe's.

Joey Logano, No. 20: The kid has been looking pretty good in recent weeks. In his only start at Lowe's, he started 14th and finished ninth.

Jeff Gordon, No. 24: As good as Johnson's numbers are at Lowe's, Gordon's are better. Yes, he has been driving longer, but he has five victories and 15 top fives.

Juan Montoya, No. 42: The switch has been flicked for the former open-wheel star. He is driving as well, as consistently, as anybody in the series right now.

Track chatter

Stewart

Tony Stewart: "If we have a chance to win the championship at the end, trust me, we're all for that and we would love nothing more than that. But I think right now where we're at and how many points we need to make up, I think it lets us have a go-for-broke attitude and just go out and try to do what we did at Kansas and win races."

Kyle Busch: "Next week is where you want to win next. You forget about what happened last week and focus on what's ahead. Winning at Lowe's Motor Speedway, since it is my favorite track, would be really special since I've been able to win there in other series and have been close a lot in the Cup car."

Ryan Newman: "I feel like we haven't capitalized on different situations when we could have, and that's one of the biggest things for us right now. With six races to go, we have to capitalize on every opportunity we have. This is obviously a very tight Chase and every position on the track will make the difference between first and second place in the points."