Johnson off to fast start

The sport's star

Jimmie Johnson must be wondering whether or not he should bring back his crew chief.

Chad Knaus was suspended for four races prior to the season-opening Daytona 500 for making an illegal modification to Johnson’s car during qualifying.

It wasn’t the first time Knaus landed in trouble with NASCAR officials. Last year, he was reprimanded after Johnson’s car failed inspection following a race in Las Vegas.

Despite Knaus’ absence, Johnson has won two of the first three Nextel Cup races including the Daytona 500. In the one race he didn’t win, Johnson finished second.

Driving his Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson has built a solid lead in the Nextel Cup standings. Currently, he tops the standings with 540 points.

Following in second is former Nextel Cup champ Matt Kenseth with 488 points and Kasey Kahne with 455.

This weekend in Atlanta, if Johnson were to win the Golden Corral 500, the 30-year-old California racer would match the fastest start in NASCAR history.

As it sits now, Herb Thomas (1952) and Bill Elliott (1992) are the only drivers to have won three of NASCAR’s first four races.

Johnson is a co-favorite to win Sunday’s race, which takes place at the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway (1 p.m. ET, FOX). He opened at +500.

Last year, Johnson finished second in the race behind Carl Edwards, who is also at +500. A native of Columbia, Missouri, Edwards won twice in Atlanta last season.

The 26-year-old racer, who celebrates victories by back-flipping off the door of his car, is currently No. 23 in the driver standings with one Top 5 finish – he finished third at the Auto Club 500 in California.

Following behind Johnson and Edwards, is Greg Biffle at +700. Sitting at No. 25 in the driver standings, Biffle has one pole and one Top 10 finish this season – he had the pole at last week’s UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 and finished eighth.

The Vancouver, Washington native has four consecutive Top 10 finishes in Atlanta.

Kenseth checks in at +800 along with defending Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart. Kenseth finished second last week and captured the checkered flag at the Auto Club 500.

Stewart, meanwhile, is off to a disappointing start this season. He was penalized for aggressive driving at Daytona and ended up finishing fifth. The following week in California, he finished last after running into engine problems.

Then last week in Las Vegas, Stewart started second and led six times for 54 laps. But with just nine laps to go, Stewart was dealt a flat tire and wound up in 21st. He is currently No. 19 in the driver standings.

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