Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images |
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| 2005 Season |
| Final Points Standing | 5th
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| After First 26 Races | 4th
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| Earnings | $8,336,712
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| Starts | 36
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| Poles | 1
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| Wins | 4
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| Top 5 | 13
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| 6-10 | 9
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| Laps Led | 547
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| Lead Lap Finishes | 28
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| Bonus Points | 95
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| Races Led | 17 |
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| 2005 Performance |
| Below is the ranking of the team on each type of track along with the driver's best finish. |
| Track Type | Ranking |
| Flat Tracks | 5th
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| Best Finish | 1st, Las Vegas
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| Intermediate Tracks | 3rd
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| Best Finish | 1st, Dover, Lowe's (2)
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| Plate Tracks | 8th
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| Best Finish | 5th, Daytona
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| Road Courses | 16th
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| Best Finish | 5th, Watkins Glen
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| Short Tracks | 19th
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| Best Finish | 3rd, Martinsville |
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2006 Spin
For the third year in a row, Jimmie Johnson entered Homestead second in the point standings and walked away Cupless. While his '04 charge through the field left him eight points shy of the title, at least the Lowe's team could sleep knowing it had done all it could do. In 2005, Johnson detected a vibration in a tire that ultimately blew. With the event not halfway through, Johnson's championship dreams had been dashed once again.
Which brings us to 2006. Has the bridesmaid status strengthened the team's resolve or has it hit a mental wall? Some insiders say the close-but-no-cigar results are taking their toll on the crew. Rumors even swirled around the time of the Nextel Cup banquet in December that crew chief Chad Knaus intended to leave.
The question, however, remains: Can this team win a Nextel Cup? Frankly, it is a matter of when, not if. Rick Hendrick will continue to throw whatever resources are necessary to ensure Team Lowe's stays near the sport's pinnacle. And although we do not see this as being the year that a Cup title becomes a reality, it's a solid bet that Johnson will be in the thick of the Chase hunt all season.
2006 Recap
Jimmie Johnson and Team Lowe's hit the ground running last season, racking up seven top 10s to begin the year and assuming the points lead by race No. 4. It would be a lead Johnson would retain for 16 of the next 17 events. Not until Tony Stewart hit on all eight cylinders and finally bagged his Brickyard trophy did Johnson give up the lead for a substantial period of time.
A mini-slump that lasted eight races, from New Hampshire in July to Richmond in September, when Johnson's average finish was 19.3, finally brought the team back to the pack.
Johnson would regain the points lead after his win at Dover in the Chase, but a Talladega wreck of his own doing dropped him to fourth. Five more top 10s kept the team in contention until Homestead, but the aforementioned tire problems ended what was otherwise a great season that included four wins and 22 top 10 finishes.
• The Good: Adjusting the car from a mid-packer to winner at both Lowe's events was the season's true highlight. This team's ability to tune the car throughout the day is its strong point.
• The Bad: The Hendrick teams ran a new shifter/transmission package at Infineon. It backfired. Both Johnson and Jeff Gordon were adversely affected, resulting in a 36th-place finish for the Lowe's crew.
• The Ugly: Johnson caused two Talladega Big Ones that wrecked two dozen cars. He blamed everyone else, but the video told the truth. A champion does not cause pileups on the plate tracks.
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