Johnson stormed into the Chase for the championship by winning his second consecutive race Sunday, getting a big boost as he starts his pursuit of a third straight title.
The two-time defending Cup champion passed Tony Stewart and Martin Truex for the lead with 32 laps to go at Richmond International Raceway, then held off Stewart’s late challenge over the final 10 laps.
“I think this ... car is going to be ready for this championship battle,” Johnson said in Victory Lane. “I think chances are high. We’re in the show and we’re going to give 100 percent and try to make history.”
Johnson is seeking to become the first driver to win three consecutive titles since Cale Yarborough (1976-78).
Stewart and third-place finisher Denny Hamlin also clinched spots in the Chase. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran fourth, followed by Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, David Reutimann and Kurt Busch.
Always aware that Stewart drives The Home Depot Toyota—the marketing rival of his Lowe’s Chevrolet—Johnson wondered during the closing laps if Stewart would try to move him aside for the win.
“He’s the orange car, and I’m the Lowe’s car,” Johnson said. “I was waiting for the bump, but fortunately, I got away from him the last few laps, and he couldn’t get to me.”
Stewart said he had no intention of rubbing his adversary.
“We got down there, and we couldn’t get by,” said Stewart, clearly disappointed with his fourth second-place finish of the season. “We did everything we could. We raced him clean. We raced him the way he would have raced us. I wanted to race him with respect, the way he would me, and we just came up short.”
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