Jimmie Johnson getting "closer to the edge" at Laguna Seca

The Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda driver impressed at both Indianapolis Road Course and Portland, tracks with which he was familiar already, and hopes he can show the same promise at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

“It’s great to be back here because I think we’ve seen a big improvement on tracks I’ve been to before,” the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion told Motorsport.com. “So I certainly hope to build on that. I’m excited to challenge myself in areas I know I was slow in [during testing].

“I’ve been in a circle, really: as I improve somewhere, I need to catch up somewhere else. Some of the big gains I’ve had have been medium- to high-speed turns, understanding what the car can do closer to the edge.

“I’m now at a point where my initial brake hit is in the right spot, but managing the brakes is something I need to get a little better with.

“So it’s coming along, I’m down to the little tenths that add up. This is the hardest phase. From where I started to where I am now was easier – not that it was easy! – but now it’s getting really tough.”

Laguna Seca, he said, was particularly difficult because of tire behavior.

“The tire deg here… When we were here for the test, we had five sets of tires and if you go out and hit all the laps, you can be done before lunch!” he grinned. “So we had to pace ourselves, and every time we went out, the grip of the tire was going down, but as the rubber went down on the track, the track grip was coming up. So it’s a tough place to figure out.

“But I think here, with all the cars running, it will give us a stable environment, and that’s going to be helpful.”

Johnson said his ambitions have been raised following recent races, and finishing on the lead lap is no longer the target.

“I feel like I’ve crossed that hurdle and now it’s trying to qualify in the teens and race in the teens,” he said. “At Portland, with how short the lap is, I thought I was going to be really exposed and go down a lap, and I didn’t. So starting in the teens and finishing in the teens has to be the next step.”

When he’s racing against other IndyCars, Johnson says he can feel he’s braking at the same places as those around him, but added: “I don’t think I quite know how to pass a car yet. As funny as that may sound, what I mean is that I can use the push-to-pass button – that’s how I’m passing at the moment – but to really set up a pass and get alongside someone is something I need to figure out so I’m not using too much overtake [boost].

“So that’s what I need to sort out, running in dirty air and staying close to a car in front. In NASCAR, there’s plenty of dirty air but it’s very interesting because the trailing car can upset the balance of the car ahead. If I get right up close, I can make him slide out of the way. Here, I get right up close and nothing happens!”

Given Laguna Seca’s notoriety for its dearth of passing places for fast open-wheel cars, Johnson feels the key to any form of success for him this weekend will be “tire strategy and managing tire deg” – and also getting quicker on cold tires after a pitstop.

“Out laps – key for me,” he said. “They’re something I’m giving up so much time on. But I’ve also made some mistakes on out-laps this year, so I’ve been cautiously aggressive, when I just need to be aggressive.”

Johnson said controlling a 720hp IndyCar on cold tires is “crazy”, adding, “When you’re pushing, you think, ‘Whoah, I almost crashed!’ but you can’t back off. You have to keep pushing because you’ve got to get the tire to come in, so you can’t just tip-toe around. You’ve got to commit to putting the energy in the tire to get it up to temperature so it eventually gives you more grip. It’s a real challenge.”