Johnson Dominates 600
Jimmie Johnson made hay under the sunshine and turned out the lights after darkness fell Sunday. Johnson blistered the field in NASCAR’s 600-miler at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, leading 334 of the 400 laps that made up the Cup series longest event of the year.
“It was a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “But there is more pressure leading a race with the target on your bumper. But we did everything right. It was just an incredible day.”
Only the gamble of Jamie McMurray on pit strategy under a late caution and a red-flag following Ryan Newman’s later engine failure with seven laps to go provided drama in the final 50 miles in an otherwise boring event.
Johnson was two seconds ahead when Newman and Derrike Cope crashed on lap 366. McMurray took the lead and Michael Waltrip moved into second when they did not pit as the others on the lead lap did under the ensuing yellow.
Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne were the first two off pit road, putting Johnson fifth for the restart on lap 374.
“I knew we would roll out of the pits in the top five or eight,” Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus said. “At that point, it was get back out there and get after it.”
Johnson remained stuck in traffic until he shot between Kahne and the lapped car of Robby Gordon on lap 376.
“I was on kill,” Johnson said. “I saw a hole and just hoped they would back off. Fortunately, they did. All I was thinking about was the trophy and the place for it at our shop.”
Johnson blasted past Waltrip for second as they completed the 379th lap and then regained the lead on lap 384 from McMurray. Johnson streaked away and had a two-second lead when Newman’s engine expired in a cloud of smoke on lap 393.
NASCAR officials stopped the race on lap 395 during cleanup of the oil to help ensure a finish under the green flag. Johnson drove away after the restart on lap 398 and was over a second ahead when Bobby Labonte hit the wall on the final lap after a bump from Kasey Kahne.
“I knew there would be no decisions about pitting under that yellow,” Johnson said. “It was just a matter of going on the restart.”
When the yellow flag waved for Labonte’s crash, positions were frozen and guaranteed Johnson’s second win of the season.
Michael Waltrip, Matt Kenseth and McMurray were fighting for second place when the yellow waved. NASCAR ruled Waltrip was second, Kenseth third and McMurray fourth at the time the caution lights started flashing.
McMurray said he and crew chief Donnie Wingo saw the decision not to pit with 32 laps to go as their best chance to finish second. McMurray was in second when the race was stopped and lost that position on the final lap.
“I was going to run no better than third if we didn’t pit,” McMurray said. “We saw not stopping as a shot to finish second. But we weren’t going to beat Jimmie.”
Johnson attributed the domination to a combination of superior horsepower and handling. “It’s fun to drive when you can drive that aggressively and run fast laps.”
Elliott Sadler, points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr., Casey Mears, Mayfield, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace completed the top 10.
Source: High Point Enterprise (reg. req)
