Comments (9) | Add a comment
Tire tactic vaults Johnson
-
John Locher/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Jimmie Johnson performs a burnout in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. » Buy this photo
-
JASON BEAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Jimmie Johnson shows off the champion's belt in Victory Lane after winning the Shelby American on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, » Buy this photo
-
John Locher/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Kyle Busch has plenty of room to race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Shelby American on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch, who won the race last year, had a poor-handling car and finished 15th. » Buy this photo
-
John Locher/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Jeff Gordon (24) needed only one lap to pass pole sitter Kurt Busch (2) for the lead. Busch was involved in a crash on the 94th lap and finished in 35th place, eight laps behind winner Jimmie Johnson. » Buy this photo
-
Duane Prokop/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Thunderbirds soar over Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the start of the Shelby American. » Buy this photo
Tools
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Mar. 1, 2010 | 8:48 a.m.
Luck was a word many used to explain Jimmie Johnson's Sprint Cup victory a week ago in Fontana, Calif., after he slipped onto pit road moments before a yellow flag helped him take the lead.
The four-time reigning series champion won for the fourth time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in six years Sunday -- and luck wasn't the reason.
Johnson captured the 267-lap Shelby American for his 49th career victory and 15th on a 1.5-mile speedway, setting a record he had shared with Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.
Late-race tire strategy by Johnson crew chief Chad Knaus helped their No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet overcome teammate Gordon, who led 219 of the race's first 250 laps.
While Gordon took two tires, Johnson took four. That was the difference, according to both drivers.
"We felt as though coming into that last pit stop, if we took four tires and went out somewhere in the top eight we would have a shot to win the race if everybody else took two," Johnson said.
He restarted the race third and quickly picked off leader Clint Bowyer before starting to run down Gordon in front of a near-capacity crowd estimated at 140,000.
Johnson passed Gordon on lap 251 and wasn't challenged over the final 16 laps to beat runner-up Kevin Harvick by 1.87 seconds. Gordon was third.
"No luck involved in that one, my friend," crew chief Chad Knaus told Johnson over the team's radio after Johnson took the checkered flag.
Gordon agreed.
"You do everything you can as a team (the right way), and when everything is clicking, good things happen," he said. "And that to me is not good luck; that's you creating things around you to work in the right direction."
Gordon can blame himself for Johnson's victory -- and take a little bit of pride, too. It was Gordon's suggestion to bring Johnson into the Hendrick fold and Gordon is part owner of Johnson's No. 48 team.
"Somebody once told me that if you're gonna get beat, make sure you're getting a piece of it," said Gordon, who was gunning for his third Las Vegas title. "That's one positive to take out of it."
Johnson earned $405,628 for his team after his second victory in three starts this year.
For nearly all of the 2-hour, 49-minute, 53-second race -- the second quickest 267-lap race at the speedway -- it looked like Gordon would be the one celebrating in Victory Lane.
On the first lap he took the lead from pole winner Kurt Busch, who was caught in a crash on lap 94 and finished eight laps down in 35th.
Younger brother Kyle Busch, who won the Cup race here last year, wrestled a poor-handling car and then was penalized for speeding on pit road. He finished 15th.
Gordon led by more than 8 seconds after 45 laps and only lost the lead when he pitted. Johnson, who qualified 20th in the 43-car field, worked his way into the top five by lap 61.
By lap 121 he was running second to Gordon and stayed there for all but a few laps before taking the lead.
Harvick, who won the Sam's Town 300 on Saturday, finished second to Johnson for the second consecutive Sunday.
"We can run with them, and they know it," he said.
Harvick might be able to run with Johnson, but he hasn't proved he can pass him.
Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.
Trending topics:
Comments
Terms & Conditions
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The Review-Journal does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please use the Report Abuse button.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
 needed only one lap to pass pole sitter Kurt Busch (2) for the lead. Busch was involved in a crash on the 94th lap and finished in 35th place, eight laps behind winner Jimmie Johnson.){kind=link}
I got to Craig and Rancho in 45 mins. After the race is over. But I did leave with 10 laps to go. No point in watching Johnson win uncontested. Its like watching paint dry.
JJ is a great driver but the thing that makes him so dominate is his crew chief. Just like when Gordon was dominating the series it is more about the driver/crew chief mix than the driver alone. Take Knaus away from the 48 team and you would definitely see them backslide.
Although the tire call on the last pit stop was critical for Gordon, my compliant is that NASCAR manipulates these types of finishes. The field had spread out with only Gordon and Johnson in position to win, so what does NASCAR do but come up with some bogus caution flag to bunch the field up again for a dash to the checkered flag. Nascar is worse than the NBA at manipulating close finishes.
NASCAR BRINGS ALOT OF MONEY TO VEGAS. OTHER THAN THAT MOST OF NASCAR IS A JOKE! 40 LAPS INTO THE RACE 13 CARS ARE A LAP DOWN, THAT MAKES THEM BILLBOARDS GOING AROUND THE TRACK! THE END OF THE RACE THERE ARE 12 CARS ON THE LEAD LAP OUT OF 43 STARTERS. ALWAYS THE SAME GUYS HOW IS THAT A RACE?
JIMMY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR? DIDN'T SEE THIS SPORT ( HA HA ) IN THE OLYMPICS!
NASCAR IS JUST ONE STEP ABOVE WRESTLING
To: An American. Please get an education.
You obviously know nothing of Hendrick's past, but, you choose to comment anyway. You don't know his felony record?
Pay attention. Never said Johnson wasn't good.
Get an education. Don't be such a fool.
And, grow up.
Stop acting like such an ignorant fool.,
To: An American. Please get an education.
You obviously know nothing of Hendrick's past, but, you choose to comment anyway. You don't know his felony record?
Pay attention. Never said Johnson wasn't good.
Get an education. Don't be such a fool.
And, grow up.
Stop acting like such an ignorant fool.
HEY VEGAS BIG FOOT OR BIG BABY JOHNSON WINS BECAUSE HES THE BEST DRIVER WITH THE BEST CREW GORDON TOOK A GAMBLE AND LOST!!! THATS WHAT HAPPENS IN NASCAR!!! AND UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME PROOF ON HENDRICK BEING A CROOK YOU PROBABLY SHOULD KEEP THAT BIG FOOT OUT OF YOUR BIG MOUTH!!!!
So, how do you like the way Rick Hendrick runs NASCAR?
No one takes 2 tires with 34 laps to go and only 12 cars on the lead lap when you've been the class act all day. No one.
Letarte didn't make the call. Hendrick told him what to do. For whatever reason, Hendrick wanted Johnson to win rather than Gordon.
Pay attention people. Many of the decisions and standings have a lot to do with the game plan of Hendrick.
He's been a criminal all his life. Do you really think he does anything any different now?.
So, how do you like the way Rick Hendrick runs NASCAR?
No one takes 2 tires with 34 laps to go and only 12 cars on the lead lap when you've been the class act all day. No one.
Letarte didn't make the call. Hendrick told him what to do. For whatever reason, Hendrick wanted Johnson to win rather than Gordon.
Pay attention people. Many of the decisions and standings have a lot to do with the game plan of Hendrick.
He's been a criminal all his life. Do you really think he does anything any different now?