For most of Johnson’s career, Chad Knaus was his crew chief and together, the two created NASCAR history. But over time, the personalities of the two began to clash and despite all of the success, it was obvious that it was time for a change.
That came at the start of the year, when Knaus moved over to the No. 24 Chevrolet to work with young William Byron.
Knaus and Byron are locked into the NASCAR playoffs based on points. Johnson is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since NASCAR implemented this system in 2004.
“I know what we had,” Johnson said of his days with Knaus. “We had lightening in a bottle. We had 14 out of 17 years that were just out of this world. We had a great run. There is no doubt about it.
“But, unfortunately, just where our relationship went in the final couple of years, we weren’t bringing the best out of one another. And that’s why we had to change paths.
“I still think Chad Knaus is the best crew chief to ever walk through the garage area. I do. I am his biggest fan and proponent and I think William is a great student for him to teach and evolve as a driver. So, I’m happy for them. Of course, I want to beat them. Of course, I want to outrun them. But that’s Chad Knaus and he knows what he is doing. And, he is developing William at a rapid rate and they’re doing a great job.”
Johnson’s quest just to get into the playoffs will begin in Sunday morning’s pole qualifications that begin at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. He believes he needs to qualify well and try to dominate the race that begins at 2 p.m. in order to have a chance at winning the race.
“I don’t think you’re going to win from 20th, so, you need to have a fast car,” Johnson said. “You need to be in the mix. You need to run up front. And if you run up front, I think you’re going to get plenty of stage points and then have a shot to win.
“So, I think we need to be a dominant car and we need to be up front all day long to have a shot to win the race.”