Jimmie Johnson went into the “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” hoping to use the first two races as a springboard towards a fifth consecutive title. The first one at New Hampshire didn’t go so well, but the second at one of his favorite tracks – Dover International Speedway – sure did.
Johnson claimed Sunday’s “AAA 400” at the Monster Mile, starting from the pole position to win for the sixth time at the one-mile concrete oval. Johnson won the race by 2.637 seconds over Jeff Burton, who advanced from a 27th place starting position to finish runner-up. Johnson is now second to only Richard Petty and Bobby Allison, who each won seven times in their careers at Dover.
Moments after beating Jeff Burton to the checkered flag by a convincing 2.637 seconds on the 1-mile concrete oval, Johnson stirred up a cloud of smoke with a burnout on the Monster Mile’s asphalt apron near the entrance to the garage.
As the drivers he beat rolled through the gate to the garage area, they had to pass through Johnson’s smoky celebration. It wasn’t exactly a case of “eat my dust,” but it was close.
“Man, you are rubbing it into all these guys’ faces here,” crew chief Chad Knaus radioed to the driver, after Johnson completed the best-case rally from last week’s 25th-place run.
Indeed. Johnson won the pole, led the most laps (191) and scored maximum points (195) as he vaulted four positions to second in the Cup standings, 35 points behind ninth-place finisher Denny Hamlin, who posted a respectable result at a track that has plagued him in past Chases. NASCAR.com
“At the end of the day, I’m just concerned about where I am in the points, what the deficit is,” said Johnson, who moved to 35 points behind series leader Denny Hamlin with eight races left in NASCAR’s playoffs. “If we’re fortunate to get on top, it’s how big that gap is and what we need to do to be champions.”
Being champions is becoming a pattern, one that centers on the No. 48 team’s tendency to perform at its best as the series’ schedule transitions into fall. Another crown would give Johnson an unprecedented NASCAR five-peat and would leave only seven-time champs Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt ahead of him on the all-time list.
“They’re not good, they’re great,” said runner-up Jeff Burton. “That word is not being overused when I say that. They’ve won four in a row. You’re not good doing that. You have to be great to do that.” USA Today
Chase drivers filled five of the top-six spots. Jeff Burton was second, Kurt Busch was fourth, Carl Edwards fifth and Kyle Busch sixth.
Denny Hamlin kept his points lead with a ninth-place finish. He holds a 35-point advantage over Johnson heading into next week’s race at Kansas Speedway. The points leader after Dover has never gone on to win the championship since the Chase’s inception in 2004.
“A lot of people are waiting for us to slip up like we have in the past, but I don’t see it this time around,” Hamlin said. “I just think our team is too focused at this point and we’re running too well for that to happen. I think it’s going to go all the way to the wire.”
His points lead is the largest for any driver after the second Chase race. The Associated Press
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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway - Race Results
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