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Jimmie Johnson: getting eliminated ‘is great medicine’

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One week after being eliminated from the Chase, Jimmie Johnson arrives at Martinsville Speedway without the special playoff-styled colored numbers and decals on his car.

Like 35 other drivers on the track this weekend, Johnson is a non-Chaser, the first time in his Cup Series career.

“This is great medicine to sit and watch this Chase unfold,” Johnson said during his Friday morning media availability. “It’s great motivation for us.”

The six-time champion needed a win at Talladega last weekend to advance to the next round of the Chase. Even though he led the most laps, he didn’t receive any drafting support in the final stages of the race, dropping him down to a 24th place finish.

“If I made a mistake at Talladega, I should’ve pushed the 2 (Brad Keselowski),” Johnson said about the first green-white-checkered restart.

Johnson said that he and crew chief Chad Knaus plan on using the next four races as test material for the 2015 season. He then squashed the rumors about him and Knaus’ relationship on the decline.

"I have no plans or desire to make a (crew chief) change,” Johnson said. “We made it 13 years in this thing and I want to see it go as long as it can. We’re like family, and we fight like family, but I’m comfortable with Chad.”

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