Many in the media and elsewhere made Jimmie Johnson their preseason pick to win this year’s Nextel Cup championship.

Johnson will arrive at Kansas Speedway as one of the 10 drivers involved in the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship. He spent eight weeks in the middle of the season first in points.

Do you think the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship is creating the fan interest that NASCAR intended?

Johnson: “At the end of the season there is a lot of discussion and hype to crown our champion, and it’s got a totally different twist to it, where it’s a 36-race schedule and, toward the end of it as other sports come on, I think people have seen their share of NASCAR. The points championship is usually a one-or two-guy race and now it is definitely different. That was their goal, and they’ve accomplished that.”

Is it good different or bad different?

Johnson: “It’s hard to say. I’ve been critical of it from one point of view. But I guess the bottom line is if it grows our sport, it benefits everyone. I think we have to get through the year to see if sponsors that are involved with the other race teams did get added exposure and they feel their value in NASCAR is more important now and if the television packages increase and if the media exposure increases. Once we’re able to get through the year and can look back and evaluate everything, I think we’ll all be able to determine if it was a good move or not.”

Have you noticed any change in the on-track product — either in the races leading up to the Chase or the two Chase races that have been run so far?

Johnson: “No, I think it’s been the same stuff. The points system — even though the overall scheme of things is different — still pays the same amount of points for a position and per event. So the mindset on the racetrack has been pretty much the same. Everybody wants to win. Everybody is trying to get the maximum number of points. I think some of the other teams may have been doing it there in some of the closing races to find something new going into the final 10. But beyond that, I think it’s been the same thing.”

Have you thought what it must be like for the drivers who are not in the Chase?

Johnson: “That’s what needs to be evaluated at the end of the year (to see if) there was more exposure passed out throughout the entire field over this new system versus the old system.”