(UPDATE) -- Jimmie Johnson is ranked 5th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. But the bug in the soup for him has always been Infineon Raceway. Johnson has an average finish of 20th there. He said he is gradually getting on the road courses. "We're working really hard over the last few years to close that gap. I think we have in a lot of ways. I don't have a result at Sonoma to show for it," said Johnson.

He said he has produced strong improvements at the other road course. "My Watkins Glen results certainly have been improving and I can't wait to do that out in Sonoma." Johnson said that infineon improvement is not going to come by accident. "We've tested a bunch for the Sonoma race."

Johnson does expect the usual suspects, Tony Stewart and Teammate Jeff Gordon to do well this weekend. "I think that the 20 car has been probably the best car there over the last four or five years. The 24 car will be right there behind them."