October 22, 2009
NASCAR Sprint Cup - Jimmie Johnson Usurps Martin for Sprint Cup Lead
By Stephen Lars
In the grueling competition that is the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson has earned the top position in the driver’s standings. He took his sixth victory of the season at the Banking 500 and, of the five competitions in the Chase, has stood at the top of the podium after three. As a result, he has landed in first in the drivers’ standings with 5,923 points, almost 100 points ahead of former leader Mark Martin, who is now in second with 5,833 points.
Last weekend’s event took place at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, where Johnson showcased great style and ability, earning pole position in the qualifying tests.
Once the big event began, Johnson was followed closely by his teammate and close competitor, Martin, who quickly managed to accelerate past him. (Martin earned an additional 5 points for leading in the first lap.) But the driver of the #48 Chevrolet was able to recover his leading position after overcoming several yellow flags on the track. Johnson kept at the head of the competition until the competition was stopped for rain in lap 34.
After the race restarted, several drivers closed in behind him, trying to take first place from the defending champion. Denny Hamlin finally managed to zoom in to lead the rest, controlling the challenge until lap 119 when another accident, this time caused by Hamlin teammate Kyle Busch, afforded the appearance of another yellow flag in the competition.
All drivers were forced to enter the pit area to rest and refuel. Here, Johnson’s team took the risk of changing all four tires, a decision that lost Johnson valuable time and allowed several drivers to move ahead of him.
Then, in lap 126, a triple collision between Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer and Martin caused heavy damage to Montoya’s car, and the Columbian spun out of control as he entered the pits.
The race was stopped again, and in the next restart, a four-way faceoff between Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Johnson, and Hamlin ensued to gain the lead. But a piece from Montoya’s car halted the event yet again in lap 188, with all drivers withdrawing to their garages. Martin’s mechanics adjusted the front of the car while Hamlin’s mechanics tried desperately to repair his damaged Toyota #11.
Kenseth took the lead from the restart, staying at the head of the race for 28 laps until Kasey Kahne accelerated past him. A few laps later, the race was interrupted after Max Papis had trouble with his engine, and the order was given for the drivers to enter the pits.
Upon exiting the pits, Johnson took advantage of the moment to beat Kahne and capture the top position, which he maintained until another accident occurred, with only 20 laps to go. The race was revived with a bitter dispute between the two Hendrick Motorsport drivers over first place, a confrontation that Johnson eventually won. He crossed the race at first shortly thereafter.
Johnson was followed by Matt Kenseth in second and Kahne in third.
About the Author
Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on daily NASCAR races; sports news and the sports book industry for many exceptional sport web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.