Two-time reigning Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson will make his 250th Cup Series start when he takes the green flag for Saturday’s Sprint Cup race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

To commemorate the event, Johnson will be debuting the 2009 No. 48 Lowe’s Impala SS paint scheme, which will carry a special decal honoring Johnson’s 250th start on the decklid during Saturday night’s event.

Starting in the Sprint Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports in 2001, Johnson has collected 38 wins, 98 top-five and 152 top-10 finishes heading into this Saturday’s race. Lowe’s has been the primary sponsor on Johnson’s Chevrolet since he entered the series.

To date, Johnson has visited Victory Lane 35.7% of the times he’s taken the green flag at 1.5-mile Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He has finished in the top-three 57% of the time.

In addition to Saturday’s event, Johnson will pilot the No. 5 Lowe’s Chevrolet fielded by JR Motorsports in Friday night’s Nationwide Series race. In 14 Nationwide Series starts at Lowe’s, Johnson has collected one top-five and four top-10 finishes.

Jimmie Johnson highlights entering 250th Sprint Cup Race:

· 15.3% of Sprint Cup Series starts have resulted in wins

· 39.4% of Sprint Cup Series starts have resulted in top-five finishes for Johnson

· 61% of Sprint Cup Series starts have ended with top-10 results

· Johnson has led 9.5% of total laps in his seven-year career

JOHNSON QUOTES:

LOOKING AHEAD TO LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY, HOW WAS THE TEST? “Since the track has been repaved, we end up competitive at the end of the race to get things right, but we’ve had tough practice sessions in the past and tough tests in the past. The test that we had a couple of weeks ago didn’t go as we wanted it to there. But I have a lot of confidence in the team and I know when we get into race conditions that our stuff will be where it needs to be. If it were the old track, I would feel more confident about it. But right now I think of it almost like I would Texas. I’ve won there, but it’s still a very challenging track. I don’t know where we’re going to be and I’ve just got to show up ready for anything.”

ON 250TH SPRINT CUP SERIES START: “I can’t believe this weekend is my 250th start. I've been very lucky in my career that I've had one sponsor, Lowe's, since I started racing in the Sprint Cup Series. It somehow seems fitting that we'll be able to celebrate the occasion together at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“I’m fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living. I’m so thankful for the success this team has had. I also know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the hard work of Chad and my guys. This sport is a total team effort and I am so lucky to have such an awesome team.”

RACE NOTES

Lowe’s Motor Speedway

Johnson has made 14 Cup Series starts at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, collecting five wins, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Johnson has two poles at the 1.5-mile track, May of 2002 and 2004. The Team Lowe’s Racing driver has completed 96.2% (4828 of 5019) of competition laps at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and has led 1169. Johnson has an average start and finish of 8.8 and 9.1. Chassis

Chassis No. 504 will be the primary for Saturday night’s race. Johnson has won three races from the pole in that chassis this season, Indianapolis, California and Kansas. Johnson’s backup chassis, No. 502, was last driven to a third-place finish at Pocono Raceway in Aug.

CAREER NOTES

Career Wins

Johnson has 38 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent at Kansas Speedway. The El Cajon, Calif.-native is 16th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list. He also has the third-highest win total among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (81) and Bill Elliott (44). Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first seven full-time seasons. Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but six (Bristol, Michigan, Infineon, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes. Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998. The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record. Career Poles

Johnson has collected 18 poles in his Sprint Cup career. He has two poles at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, May of 2002 and 2004. The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002. He has a career-high five this season. Johnson’s most recent pole position was in the Sept. 28 event at Kansas Speedway. Career Starts

Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002. This is Johnson’s fifth consecutive year in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In 249 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 98 top five and 152 top-10 finishes. He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. Johnson has led a total of 6,786 laps (of 71,436) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 95,892 miles. He has finished on the lead lap 191 times.