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We interviewed two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson before the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on Saturday.

THE TRACKS

Happy Fourth of July! What's it like racing at five cars wide at 200mph on a track like this?

It's fun until something goes wrong! Up until that point it's a lot of fun, but when it all goes wrong, there's not much you can do to avoid it or stay out of trouble or keep yourself from getting something. Once mayhem gets loose, you're just along for the ride.

What's toughest - racing there, or racing at a smaller track like Bristol?

It's more frustrating to race on these tracks than anything else. It's hard to avoid anything. In most races you are worried about your speed and setting your car up and you have a lot of tools to work with to make the car better, and driver input matters. But here it's all about the drafter and who works with you. You ride around in a big glob and you can get stuck to the back.

What do you think NASCAR can do to improve safety?

There's some small things left to look at. I feel that some of the responsibility falls on the tracks themselves. Soft walls are great, but we can use soft walls on the inside of tracks - some tracks aren't taking those measures. There's some openings like we saw with Jeff Gordon's crash at Las Vegas - those walls can be reworked. I also think that there shouldn't be any grass on the infield of these tracks. They don't slow down cars before they hit the wall and cause cars to flip over.

THE VICTORIES

What's been your favourite victory?

My first. There were a lot of special ones and it meant I was going to continue to have a job in this!

EXPECTATIONS AND DALE JR

How high are your expectations of your No.48 race team going into this year after two straight championships, knowing that Toyota would be better?

NASCAR does a good job of keeping the manufacturers on a level playing field. We knew that Joe Gibbs Racing was going to be strong this year regardless of make, and they will always be a top contender. We've been below expectations this year. We've made a lot of progess this year, but we've been much closer to our old form. This year has been a challenging one and it's been a totally different set of challenges. With the Car of Tomorrow, it's about making it consistent.

Both you and Dale Jr have been very consistent this year - how have you helped him fit at Hendrick?

I can't say that I've helped him fit in. The one thing that Rick asks of his drivers and his employees is that they work hard. And Junior and [crew chief] Tony Eury Jr have turned up with that mentality. And there really hasn't been many difficulties. We all have our own styles and take care of things in a different way, but we share the same interest in winning races and Championships and making the company strong as possible, and that's the glue that holds everything together.

What do you feel about your prospects of getting in The Chase?

I feel confident about The Chase. We're getting stronger and stronger each week and it's raising my hopes of a shot at a third championship.

SOCIALISING

Who are your best friends outside of the car?

I think more guys get along outside of the cars than they do inside of the cars! Their competitive nature and we all have egos and stuff and in the course of the race we can all get upset at one another.

I'm closer to my other Hendrick Motorsports teammates. It's very difficult to spend a lot time with people outside of the team. We spend so much time working out how to make Hendrick Motorsports better that it's difficult to socialise with other drivers.

AND FINALLY....

One big scenario for you: Jeff Gordon's got the chance to win the Coke Zero 400 but needs a shove from you - even though it means you don't win the race. Would you?

If we don't have a chance to win, then yes! But if I've got a chance to win, I'll take it!

What would you say to people who say that NASCAR isn't for athletes?

Come sit your butt in one of these cars and give it a shot! It's foolish to say that any form motorsport - IndyCar, Formula One, or NASCAR - that we're not athletes. It's absolutely difficult. We're not like soccer players who run for hours on end, but we're professionals, and we take it seriously, that's for sure!