Johnson Holds Off Late Challenges For Atlanta Victory

Jimmie Johnson survived a late race restart to score his 71st career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory Sunday afternoon at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The win not only gives him four career victories at the Hampton, GA speedway, but it gives him a virtual lock into the 2015 Chase for the Sprint championship chase later in the year.

Johnson felt pressure on the final restart with 14 laps to go from his teammate, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who pulled alongside the six-time Sprint Cup champion down the backstretch, but held off the challenge to hold onto the lead. He then held off Kevin Harvick to score the win.

“It was just a surprising start to the race for me,” said Johnson. “We felt like we were okay in the test session, the practice sessions through Friday and Saturday. We didn’t think we had a dominant car or really kind of a car to race for the win. Seemed that other guys showed some speed.

“But through our process and through getting to know the new folks on our team, the engineers, they understood what I was asking for, found a way to give it to me. I knew within about two sets of corners when the race started we were going to have an awesome day.”

Kevin Harvick came back from losing an engine on Saturday, which relegated him to the back of the field on the start, to lead the most laps on the day, 116 of 325. He was able to slip past Earnhardt, Jr. with six laps to go to finish in second. It’s his second straight runner-up finish after last week’s Daytona 500.

“Everybody on our team did a great job,” Harvick said. “Jimmie (Johnson) really got rolling there halfway through the race. We had a heck of a race, had a lot of fun out there racing with him, trading the lead back and forth several times.

“All in all it was a good, solid day. I know everybody wants to win. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing. You put yourself in that position, you’ll be able to win races.”

Earnhardt, Jr. would hold on for a third place finish.

“I got outside of him (Johnson) there on that last restart, but I knew in turn three and four I didn’t have the preferred line,” Earnhardt, Jr. said. “He was pretty quick around the bottom. We ran over something on the racetrack, knocked the grille out of it. It hurt the aerodynamics. Think we might have been able to race Kevin (Harvick) a little bit. It was pretty much over with when that happened.”

With the race being delayed slightly due to rain, but once the green flag flew, Logano moved to the top spot, a position he would hold until lap 87, when Harvick would take his first stint in the top spot. He would give up the point briefly to Matt Kenseth following a round of green flag pit stops, but would regain the lead on lap 148, while Denny Hamlin and Earnhardt Jr. moved to second and third.

A caution on lap 175 for debris on the frontstretch meant another stop on pit road for the leaders, and a slow stop by Harvick’s crew gave the lead to Denny Hamlin, with Earnhardt, Jr. in second. Harvick would come out in third.

While Hamlin led, Harvick moved to second, and on lap 190, he would again move to the top of the scoring pylon, with Johnson passing Hamlin for second.

Johnson would take the lead for the first time on the day on lap 198 with a power move on the backstretch. Harvick stalked Johnson over the ensuing laps, with the two racing three wide at one point, splitting a lap car between them as they raced off turn four.

The field hit pit road again for green flag pit stops with 100 laps to go. This time, the advantage went to Harvick, as his crew got him out in front of Johnson. Another caution for debris with 86 laps sent the field to pit road again, with Johnson’s crew getting him back out ahead of Harvick.

The first of two major crashes on the day occurred with 70 laps to go, when the back end of Denny Hamlin’s car stepped out coming off turn two, gathering up Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. McMurray’s car went up the track, clipping Jeff Gordon before hitting the outside wall. Gordon’s car spun, hitting the inside wall in an area not covered by a SAFER barrier, destroying his No. 24 Chevrolet.

“I saw the No. 11 (Hamlin) going sideways,” Gordon said. “I had him cleared. I stood on the gas and went by him, but I guess he might have clipped the No. 1 (McMurray) and it turned the No. 1 back into me. After that I was just along for the ride. It looks like maybe the No. 31 (Newman) came down in trying to avoid the No. 11 and got into the No. 1 and then he clipped me in the left rear and sent me down the back straightaway.

“It wouldn’t have been too bad except that I found that one spot where there’s no SAFER barrier. I can’t believe it. That’s amazing to me. Anyway, hopefully soon that will get fixed. It was a pretty big impact.”

Back under green, Johnson would continue to hold the lead until lap 28, when a blown engine by Cole Whitt brought out another caution flag, and sent most of the leaders to pit road. Matt Kenseth made the decision to stay out, gambling on track position over new tires.

The race stayed green for less than a lap, the second big shunt of the afternoon occurred when Joe Nemechek and Greg Biffle made contact in turn three. That triggered a melee that gathered up six other cars in turn four, including Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Regan Smith and Sam Hornish, Jr.

No one was injured, but the carnage resulted in a red flag to allow for clean up.

From there, the race belonged to Johnson, as he outdistanced Harvick and Earnhardt, Jr. for the win.

Kenseth would hold on top finish in fourth place with Logano coming home in fifth.

Martin Truex, Jr. was sixth, followed by A.J. Allmendinger in seventh, Brett Moffitt in eighth, Brad Keselowski in ninth and Ryan Newman in 10th.

For Johnson, who did not score a victory until Charlotte in late May last year, the win means a chance at a seventh Sprint Cup championship is in play early in the season.

“It takes pressure off in some ways,” Johnson said. “We don’t have the questions of, are you going to win this year, the stuff that is from the fans and what goes on in here. It’s nice to dodge that. We’ll have to win again in six to eight weeks or else those questions will come around. Buys us a little bit of a reprieve.

“It’s nice to know we’re locked into the Chase. There’s a lot of good things that come with it. We’re pumped, excited, and looking forward to going racing next week.”

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Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 – March 1, 2015

1. (37) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 325, $335901.
2. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 325, $284080.
3. (9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevrolet, 325, $184755.
4. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, 325, $198838.
5. (36) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 325, $170891.
6. (14) Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 325, $150615.
7. (11) A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 325, $152278.
8. (22) Brett Moffitt, Toyota, 325, $144284.
9. (12) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 325, $159261.
10. (7) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 325, $144720.
11. (23) Aric Almirola, Ford, 325, $148746.
12. (5) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 325, $107285.
13. (13) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 325, $118085.
14. (10) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 324, $122985.
15. (21) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 324, $132943.
16. (18) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 324, $115760.
17. (38) Regan Smith(i), Chevrolet, 324, $120460.
18. (17) David Ragan, Toyota, 323, $146651.
19. (29) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 323, $145510.
20. (16) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 323, $126593.
21. (8) Sam Hornish, Jr., Ford, 323, $129480.
22. (26) David Gilliland, Ford, 322, $121868.
23. (42) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 322, $110982.
24. (25) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 321, $134768.
25. (19) Greg Biffle, Ford, 320, $130843.
26. (6) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 320, $127018.
27. (24) Michael McDowell, Ford, 320, $95310.
28. (31) Brendan Gaughan(i), Chevrolet, 320, $97785.
29. (32) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 319, $97510.
30. (39) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 319, $126074.
31. (27) Mike Bliss(i), Ford, 318, $96710.
32. (33) Josh Wise, Ford, 318, $94035.
33. (28) Joe Nemechek(i), Ford, 318, $93860.
34. (30) J.J. Yeley(i), Toyota, 316, $93710.
35. (40) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 316, $95035.
36. (20) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Ford, Accident, 302, $101370.
37. (41) Cole Whitt, Ford, Engine, 295, $93204.
38. (4) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 284, $111105.
39. (15) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 282, $120801.
40. (3) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Accident, 256, $110356.
41. (35) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Accident, 256, $124401.
42. (34) Ron Hornaday, Jr., Chevrolet, Rear Gear, 187, $71865.
43. (43) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, Engine, 92, $68365.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 131.078 mph.

Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 49 Mins, 06 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.802 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 10 for 54 laps.

Lead Changes: 28 among 12 drivers.

Lap Leaders: J. Logano 1-27; J. Nemechek(i) 28; J. Logano 29-48; M. Bliss(i) 49; J. Logano 50-67; M. Bliss(i) 68; J. Logano 69-86; K. Harvick 87-95; J. Logano 96; D. Gilliland 97; K. Harvick 98-138; D. Hamlin 139; B. Keselowski 140-141; M. Kenseth 142-147; K. Harvick 148-176; D. Hamlin 177-189; K. Harvick 190-197; J. Johnson 198-211; K. Harvick 212; J. Johnson 213-225; K. Harvick 226-253; J. Johnson 254-261; D. Earnhardt Jr. 262; J. Johnson 263-293; C. Bowyer 294; B. Moffitt 295; J. Johnson 296-300; M. Kenseth 301-304; J. Johnson 305-325.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): K. Harvick 6 times for 116 laps; J. Johnson 6 times for 92 laps; J. Logano 5 times for 84 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 14 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 10 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 2 laps; M. Bliss(i) 2 times for 2 laps; J. Nemechek(i) 1 time for 1 lap; D. Gilliland 1 time for 1 lap; C. Bowyer 1 time for 1 lap; B. Moffitt 1 time for 1 lap; D. Earnhardt Jr. 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 16 in Points: J. Logano – 88; J. Johnson – 87; K. Harvick – 86; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 84; M. Truex Jr. – 75; C. Mears – 68; K. Kahne – 65; A. Allmendinger – 62; A. Almirola – 62; C. Bowyer – 58; D. Gilliland – 56; S. Hornish Jr. – 55; G. Biffle – 54; C. Edwards – 54; D. Ragan – 53; D. Patrick – 51.