Jimmie Johnson Kicks off Sweet Revenge Tour with Strong Run at Phoenix

Jimmie Johnson may have suffered the wrath of NASCAR prior to crashing in the second lap of the Daytona 500, but the five-time champ came firing back for revenge with his run at Phoenix.

The driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Kobalt Tools Chevrolet began the second race of the season with a negative standing in the points at minus-23.

Heavy penalties were assessed by NASCAR to the No. 48 team led by crew chief, Chad Knaus, for alterations to the "C posts" during inspection at Daytona. The penalties are pending appeal.

Johnson has four wins at Phoenix International Raceway and an average finish of 5.4 at the track in the desert.

The No. 48 started the Subway Fresh Fit 500 in the fourth slot on the grid, but it didn't take long for him to slide into the lead.

Johnson told the media at Phoenix, " Need to get points, win races for Lowe's. It is all about winning races even to make the Chase."

Adversity seems to be a motivator for the Lowe's team. Knaus was serving part of a four-race suspension assessed prior to the 2006 Daytona 500.

Darian Grubb was interim crew chief and Johnson won the "Great American Race."

This Hendrick team knows they have to get wins early and often, especially if Knaus and car chief, Ron Malec, fail to win the appeal by Hendrick Motorsports and face suspension.

Johnson had a dominant car until a loose wheel became problematic causing him to make three pit stops under caution.

He returned to the track on lap 138 in 25th place. On lap 210 he was eighth, making the gains under green-flag conditions.

Johnson was unofficially scored 37th in the points heading to Las Vegas, a track that has been very good for him. Should he regain his 25-point penalty from NASCAR, he would be back in the game.

The depth of talent at HMS should not have a major impact on the 48 team even if Knaus and Malec cannot be at the track.

It is likely Knaus will still be on the pit box at Las Vegas as the appeal process continues.

Johnson is on his "Sweet Revenge" tour to win races,  get top-five finishes and make the Chase, even if it is via the wild-card slot. His next stop after that is a sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

Daytona may have appeared devastating, but Johnson proved once again that he performs under pressure by leading laps and running strong in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix with a fourth place finish.

Quotes were obtained from NASCAR press conference or official press releases unless otherwise noted.