Motorsports

Johnson looms large in mirror

No. 2 Chase driver wins second race in a row to cut Gordon's lead to nine points.

By BRANT JAMES, Times Staff Writer
Published October 29, 2007

Nextel Cup points leader Jeff Gordon, left, congratulates teammate Jimmie Johnson in victory lane after winning the Subway 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.
	[AP photo]

HAMPTON, Ga. - If a championship is the sum of decisions made during a season, Chad Knaus' astute move in the final laps of the Pep Boys Auto 500 on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway could go far in equaling another title for defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

Knaus, perched at his work station near the end of pit road, elected to change just two tires after watching most of his competition opt for four with seven laps remaining. That put his driver second in the running order with a short pit stop and in position to negotiate a bizarre restart with three laps left. That put Johnson on the lead for an abbreviated green/white/checker finish and in Victory Lane with his series-best eighth win of the season. And that could make him the first driver to win consecutive titles in NASCAR's top series since 1998.

The bottom line: Johnson, despite a No. 48 Chevrolet he said was no better than a "fifth- to eighth-place car," reduced Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon's points lead to just nine with three races left.

"When that caution came out, we knew we didn't have a car capable of winning the race," Knaus said. "Track position was going to be important, and we were fortunate enough to see some guys taking two tires (so) we kind of called an audible right there to take two tires and live with it."

Carl Edwards was second; followed by Reed Sorenson, who grew up in nearby Peachtree City; Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton. Gordon was seventh.

Clint Bowyer finished sixth and remained the only other Chase driver with a viable chance of running down the Hendrick breakaway. He shaved four points off Gordon's lead and is 111 back. Seven of 12 Chase drivers finished in the top 10.

There were seemingly as many pitfalls in the final seven laps as in the previous seven races in the Chase for the Championship.

Denny Hamlin led the field to the restart with three laps left because his team elected not to pit. But his car faltered, bunching the ever-slowing field onto his bumper and causing Bowyer to plow into the back of Martin Truex. Johnson pulled aside Hamlin and spurted ahead when the green flag was waved.

Johnson still wasn't secure in his position as a green/white/checker neared, though, with the faster cars of Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. lined up behind. The restart lasted two turns as Earnhardt's left rear wheel fell off, sending the No. 8 Chevrolet sideways into the wall and freezing the running order.

Oddly, most of the drivers in the top five seemed stunned they were able to navigate such finishes. Few were able to maintain a handle on the racing conditions for long, except Truex, who led a race-high 135 laps, Kurt Busch (98) and Kyle Busch (77). Kyle Busch led until the final pit sequence, but he was undone by a woefully long service. After Busch radioed his team not to "say a (expletive) word if it comes back wadded up," his No.5 Chevrolet careened onto the apron because of Hamlin's balky start, which Hamlin blamed on water in the fuel. Busch finished 20th.

Gordon complained about overcorrections and a tight No. 24 car most of the afternoon, but he was able to creep from as far back as 21st and into contention on long runs. He jumped three spots to eighth on a restart with 57 laps left, and scooted by braking cars during Earnhardt's accident to his 27th top-10 in 33 races.

"I'm just happy to have the points lead after the day we had," Gordon said. "I knew coming in, and every weekend you know you've got to fight hard every single lap, every position, and I'm a little disappointed."

Because everything counts.

[Last modified October 28, 2007, 22:52:41]