Jimmie Johnson celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday night. Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson became the first four-time winner of the Sprint All Star race, leading the final eight laps to score a million-dollar payday Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Johnson passed his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne with eight laps to go and then easily beat out Joey Logano by nearly half-a-straightaway to secure his fourth victory in the winner-take-all event, breaking a tie he held with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon and becoming the first driver since Davey Allison to score back-to-back all star victories.
Kyle Busch finished third, followed by Kahne and Kurt Busch.
“I’m very proud of this race team,” said Johnson. “To beat Jeff (Gordon) and (Dale) Earnhardt (Sr.), two guys that I’ve looked up to my whole life and two massive icons of our sport, this means the world to me. I really didn’t think we had a shot at winning tonight, starting 20th. But we had a great race car and worked our way through there and got the job done. I don’t know how we keep doing it.”
It was fitting that after Johnson botched the pit stop in Friday’s qualifying session that saw him start deep in the field, it was Johnson’s crew that got him out in front after the final pit stop with ten laps to go.
“I didn’t do us any favors qualifying yesterday,” said Johnson. “With this average that we had through the first four segments, I was really fearful I wouldn’t have a shot at a front row start or a second row start and I felt like the winner would come from one of those two rows. Not to state the obvious but that’s really the goal from all of us is to try to be in that front row for the final restart.”
Johnson was once able to claim deed and title to Charlotte Motor Speedway, racking up six victories since 2004 including a streak of four straight, but prior to his victory in last years all star event, his last points win was in 2009.
From the start of race, Kurt and Kyle Busch dominated the event, combining to win the first four segments and leading 58 of 90 laps.
After Kurt Busch took the checkered flag in the fourth segment, the field was realigned for the final mandatory pit stop, with the order determined by the each driver’s average finish in the first four segments, putting Kurt Busch at the head of the field, followed by Kyle Busch, Kahne, Johnson and Logano
On pit road, Kurt Busch’s team had a slow stop, while Kahne and Johnson were able to get pit road ahead of the Busch brothers, with Kahne leading the way followed by Johnson, Kyle Busch, Logano and Kurt Busch.
Back under green for the final 10-lap segment, Kahne and Johnson ran door to door for a lap and a half before Johnson finally pulled off the pass coming off turn four with eight laps to go.
Logano charged up onto Kahne’s bumper and pulled a bump and run coming through the frontstretch with six laps to go, but by then Johnson was already gone.
“The 22 guys did a great job with great pit stops. They got us that last spot before the 10 to go and that put us in the second row,” said Logano. “The only shot I had is to get a caution…that was my only shot to have a restart and have to really pin him or do something to try to win this thing, but it was a lot of fun.
“We weren’t the winning car, but I wish we had another caution to at least give him a run for his money.”
Kyle Busch, who won Friday night’s truck series race, has now led the most laps in two of his eight starts in the All Star race, still searching for his first win.
“We didn’t have a good stop and came out too far behind,” said Busch of his final pit stop. “We came out third, but you have to be on the front row if you’re going to win this thing in 10 laps.
“We definitely had the best car, just didn’t quite get the best pit stop there at the end to get us out on the front row. Then when you’re back behind cars you’re getting beat up on. That’s the All Star race. It is what it is.”
Jamie McMurray, who won the Sprint Showdown to advance to the All Star race, finished eighth while Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – who finished second in the Showdown to claim a spot in the field – came home 16th.
Danica Patrick, who won the Sprint Fan Vote to claim the final spot in the all star field, finished 20th.
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Defending series champion Brad Keselowski finished last after blowing his transmission just three laps into the event.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, NC
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race – May 18, 2013
1. (18) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 90, $1039175.
2. (5) Joey Logano, Ford, 90, $244175.
3. (4) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 90, $144175.
4. (9) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 90, $114150.
5. (2) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 90, $109150.
6. (7) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 90, $103150.
7. (15) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 90, $96975.
8. (20) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 90, $95975.
9. (16) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 90, $94975.
10. (1) Carl Edwards, Ford, 90, $93975.
11. (19) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 90, $92950.
12. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 90, $91950.
13. (11) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 90, $90950.
14. (13) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 90, $90450.
15. (3) Greg Biffle, Ford, 90, $89850.
16. (21) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #, Ford, 90, $89575.
17. (17) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 90, $89450.
18. (6) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 90, $89350.
19. (14) David Ragan, Ford, 90, $89250.
20. (22) Danica Patrick #, Chevrolet, 90, $89150.
21. (8) Mark Martin, Toyota, Accident, 87, $88412.
22. (12) Brad Keselowski, Ford, Transmission, 2, $87000.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 90.672 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 29 Mins, 20 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.722 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 7 for 13 laps.
Lead Changes: 8 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: 0; Kurt Busch 1-20; C. Bowyer 21-28; Kyle Busch 29-40; C. Bowyer 41-43; Kyle Busch 44-60; K. Kahne 61-71; Kurt Busch 72-80; J. Johnson 81-90.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Kyle Busch 2 times for 29 laps; Kurt Busch 2 times for 29 laps; C. Bowyer 2 times for 11 laps; K. Kahne 1 time for 11 laps; J. Johnson 1 time for 10 laps.
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