Confident Johnson says he's ready for grueling 600 (cont'd)

He was making it happen last weekend at the start of the All-Star Race, when he dominated the opening 50-lap segment. Although his run at the outset of that four-segment, 100-lap, non-points event was impressive, other drivers said they doubt it will mean that much when the 600 gets under way Sunday at 5:45 p.m. ET.

"It doesn't really mean a lot. I did the same thing last year. I started on the pole and took off and was gone until the motor started having issues," Kyle Busch said. "So it really doesn't matter. Six-hundred miles is such a long race, there are going to be so many guys that get up front.

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"I don't see passing for the lead a whole lot, unfortunately. ... Nobody ever really challenges the leader."

And while no one challenged Johnson over the first segment of the All-Star Race, Jeff Burton added that last Saturday's early performance is not what has him wary of Johnson. It's Johnson's track record.

"You cannot deny his success here. You cannot argue with his success here," Burton said of Johnson. "You certainly have to understand that Jimmie and that team are going to be someone you have to beat.

"But I'll be honest, that All-Star Race thing to me is not a barometer. It's really not. I know it's easy to think it is and if I would have won the race I'd be telling you it is. But we ran next-to-last last year and came back and ran well in the spring and won the fall race. I just don't believe it's the barometer about who can be successful this weekend."

Johnson, on the other hand, hopes that it does serve as a barometer of sorts. Or better yet, an omen.

Based on how he started out under the night lights during the All-Star event, he expects to be extremely fast this Sunday -- especially once the sun goes down. So what he learned last Saturday actually may come more into play for him in the latter stages of the 600, rather than the early ones.

He said the All-Star Race was the beginning of a process through two weekends leading up to Sunday's 600. Another step was taken during Thursday's 90-minute Sprint Cup practice at the track, followed by qualifying Thursday. There will be two more Cup practices on Saturday.

"The journey begins on how to find that balance to have the car turning well enough at 9 o'clock at night, and then to also have it driveable at 5:30 when the race starts. We'll continue that process on Saturday," Johnson said.

"I think we had everything just right for those first 50 laps [in the All-Star Race]. Once we lost track position, a lot of people took two tires and some took none. We kept taking four tires, thinking it would eventually pay off."

He never had a chance to find out for sure if it would. He started the final 10-lap segment in fifth and ended up getting wrecked when the No. 11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin inadvertently tapped him from behind. Johnson said it was "just one of those racing deals" and added that he chooses to take what positives he can from that night.

"I think we're close. We've learned a lot and we know we need to be better, especially as the night wears on," Johnson said. "But I think we're going to be good. I really do."

There could be another advantage for Johnson once the sun goes down Sunday. If he has to climb out of his car and shed his helmet in Victory Lane afterward, maybe the glare off of the "new aero package" on his head won't be so blinding after dark.

"Once I get some sun on my scalp, I think it will look a whole lot better," Johnson said. "It's a little white and bright right now."

Joe Menzer is the author of "The Great American Gamble: How the 1979 Daytona 500 Gave Birth to a NASCAR Nation." Click here to purchase.