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He is only four races from possibly making NASCAR history, with his biggest obstacle at 2.66 miles in length quietly looming on the horizon.
In 15 starts at the house that Earnhardt built, Jimmie Johnson is hoping to add another victory to his one and only win which came back on May 1, 2006 when he started from the 16th spot.
And even with that 16th place finish, it would not be enough to stop Johnson from taking his first step towards his first Sprint cup championship.
Johnson, who enters this weekends race with a 118-point lead over his Hendrick teammate, Mark Martin, while leading the chase, knows that he is not out of danger until the checkered flag waves after the Amp Energy 500 on Sunday.
"Talladega is the track where you don't have any control. So much can happen. You've just got to stay focused on your little world, or I stay focused on my world, and that's it. I encourage my guys to do the same.”
If looks were ever more deceiving, Johnson could easily overlook the size of the tri-oval that will be aiming to put a stop at his pursuit towards NASCAR greatness, and take a gander to last season when he had a 149 point lead with only four races to go.
Johnson would eventually go on to win his third championship in a row by 69 points over Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards, while escaping the wild card race with a ninth place finish.
So when the comparisons start up once again even though Johnson may be sitting in the drivers seat, but even he knows that claiming his fourth championship will not be an easy task during these last four races.
Not only is Talladega just around the corner, which is very unpredictable, but the last race of the season at Homestead is also a track that he has never won at.
Johnson is approaching Dega this weekend with a very cautious attitude, and at the same time giving the track the respect that it deserves.
“Again, one flat tire, one mechanical, Talladega, we all seem to know the risks at Talladega, that's just gone. That 90 points is just gone.”
Johnson also added, “I'm not trying to downplay where we're at. I'm very, very, very happy where we're at. But there are still four races left. There's a lot of racing left. I need to just worry about doing my job and not let the emotions affect my effort and my focus.”
The excitement is continuing to build for the No. 48 team as the season is just about to come to an end. And with the energy level at its highest, along with the expectations that come with leading the points with only four to go.
It's time for Jimmie Johnson, along with the rest of team to put the experience to work that won them last three championships if they expect to make history with No. 4.
“We've got good tracks ahead for us, so from a team standpoint we're excited and optimistic, but at the same time there's a lot of danger out there and we've just got to be smart.”
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