Dale Earnhardt Interview

[Don]

Update from MotorSports.com:

Note: "We share air pressures during the race, pit strategies, setup information all weekend along. "

" On weekdays at the shop, employees wear one style shirt and prepare both cars together."

One of Johnson's keys to success has been a shift in focus in strategy. Instead of running flat out for the entire race, the No. 48 crew has let the race fall into their laps. Knowing he has a strong car underneath him, Johnson waits until the closing stages of the race to attack.

"We used to be the team that went out there and tried to be the fastest for the whole race and really didn't get the fruits that we wanted to from that kind of effort," explained Knaus. "So this year, we've adopted a new mentality to just kind of ride and find a position to be in so at the end of the race that the car, one, is in good shape, that Jimmie is not worn out for two, and to be where we need to be so if something happens at the end. If we're not able to get up there, maybe we can pull something and try to get up there and get a victory."

A unique aspect of Hendrick Motorsports is that both the No. 24 and No. 48 teams act as one. On weekdays at the shop, employees wear one style shirt and prepare both cars together. The sharing doesn't stop there. Setups are exchanged on race weekends and all four Hendrick teams help each other out. It's that kind of approach that has made both Johnson and Gordon so successful over the years.

"We share everything," explained Gordon's crew chief, Steve Letarte. "It's a complete open book-- All four cars are an open book to one another from week one at Daytona testing all the way to the final laps at Homestead. We share air pressures during the race, pit strategies, setup information all weekend along.