INDIANAPOLIS - Jimmie Johnson ran off with the fourth and final International Race of Champions event of the year Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the series championship was settled far back in his rearview mirror.
Kurt Busch, who entered with an eight-point lead over NASCAR Truck series driver Mike Bliss and nine over Mark Martin, held off Martin and finished fourth to seal his first IROC title.
"It was all that I could do (to hold off Martin)," Busch said. "It was an honor just to be in this series."
Busch finished with 69 points, Martin moved into second with 58 and Johnson into third at 56. Martin was bidding for his fifth series title, which would have broken a tie for the record with the late Dale Earnhardt.
Johnson earned his first series win by holding off 2002 IROC champ Kevin Harvick by .696 of a second. Two-time Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves led the first 21 laps until a caution because of debris on the track. Cars restarted in six rows of two and Johnson pulled in front on Turn 3. Johnson was never seriously challenged thereafter.
"I just need to know how to find the draft," Castroneves said. "Those guys, side-by-side, I don't know how they do it. Harvick was pushing Jimmie like crazy (on the restart) and I was thinking, "How was this possible?"'
IROC pits drivers from different types of racing against each other over 100-mile courses in similarly prepared cars. NASCAR Winston Cup drivers were dominant on Saturday, claiming the top five spots and five of the top six in the final point standings.
Ryan Newman finished third on Saturday, followed by Busch, Martin, IRL driver Scott Sharp, Winston Cup driver Greg Biffle, Castroneves, sprint car champion Steve Kinser, Bliss (who fell to fourth in points), two-time IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. and sprint car driver Danny Lasoski. Series rookies have won the title in consecutive seasons.
