Around Iredell Sports

2007 Nov-24

Johnson finishes on top

By Larry Sullivan

Mooresville’s Jimmie Johnson finished what he started on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series circuit this past weekend.

The reigning series point champion entering the season, Johnson motored his way to the front of this season’s Chase for the Championship field on the strength of four straight wins over the season’s final five races and locked into a successful repeat of the points championship following a seventh-place finish in the season finale, Ford 400, at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend.

Needing no worse than an 18th-place finish in order to sew up his second career points title in six years on professional stock car racing’s premier circuit, Johnson got a major head start towards that goal by sitting on the preferred pole position as the race’s start. He quickly picked up five available bonus points for serving as a race leader and merely bided his time before fashioning the seventh-place finish that easily enabled him to merit a seat back at the head table for the end-of-year series banquet that will take place next month.

“It’s a huge feat to pull this off two years in a row,’’ summed up Johnson, a member of the strong and soon-to-be-stronger Hendrick Motorsports garage. “I am so proud of this moment. Last year was such an amazing season. To come back this year and not lose anything. Everything came together. We’re rocking.”

Rock on.

Johnson got a head start on the field buoyed by his run of four straight wins during the latter phases of the Chase that put established him as the driver and team to beat. Fighting off his closest challenger from within the team’s own garage, he posted the fasted time in qualifying to sit on the pole for the season finale. He quickly collected the bonus points as a race leader and basically stayed among the top 10 throughout in order to meet the season’s primary goal.

“There was probably a little more in the car,’’ noted Johnson, “but I don’t think we had enough to win the race. We had a top-three car, if we needed to. It was just a long night. I’m really happy with the way we attacked.”

Johnson posted the seventh-place finish that merely served to chip just nine points off the 86-point cushion he held entering the season’s final race. In the process, he became the first driver to successfully repeat as a champion since 1998. Johnson landed the title by picking up a series-best 10 wins this season, upping his total of wins for his career to 33. Over the course of the final 10 races used to comprise the Chase for the Championship, Johnson average just better than a fifth-place finish to boost his bid.

Johnson did more than just make himself, his team and his Hendrick Motorsports organization proud. He also pleased all associated with his primary sponsor in Lowe’s Home Improvement, which has its corporate headquarters also situated in the immediate Mooresville area. As was the case during the course of his title effort last year, all Lowe’s outlets and employees are expected to play a role in the season’s extended celebration process.

The season-ending results posted by points champion Johnson served to overshadow somewhat the race-day efforts of several other area drivers and teams, some of them also involved in the championship Chase.

Mooresville’s Matt Kenseth with Roush Fenway Racing constructed his fifth straight placement in the field’s top-five position courtesy of his first-place finish following a fourth-place starting nod. He used the win, coupled with bonus points received for serving as a race leader, to fashion a final showing of fourth place in the updated points standings.

Mooresville’s Kurt Busch with local-based Penske South Racing chalked up an overall second-place finish on the heels of a fifth-place starting slot. He, too, took a turn as a race leader and he used the effort in the finale to make the financially-enhancing move from 10th place into a final finish of seventh place in the updated points standings.

Martin Truex Jr., with Mooresville’s Dale Earnhardt Inc., solidified his stance as the only entry from that multi-car team to figure in on the Chase picture. He chimed in with a sixth-place finish following a 15th-place start, a performance that allowed him to account for three consecutive top-10 finishes to close out the season. He wound up in 11th-place in points.

Also among area Chase competitors: Mooresville’s Kyle Busch in his final race with Hendrick Motorsports logged in 20th after starting 18th and wound up fifth in the final points standings

Elsewhere: Mooresville’s Greg Biffle, with Roush Fenway Racing, clocked home 13th after starting 37th and wound up 14th in points; Lake Norman’s Ryan Newman with Penske South Racing landed 18th after starting second on the outside pole and placed 13th in points; Ricky Rudd with Yates Racing closed out his career that spanned 32 years and featured an all-time consecutive race run of 788 straight races at one point with a 21st-place finish following a 38th-place start; Mooresville’s Jeremy Mayfield took 26th after starting 34th; and David Gilliland also with Yates Racing checked in 32nd after starting 12th.

Also: Paul Menard wit DEI logged in 35th after starting 39th, Mooresville’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. in his final ride with his family-owned DEI organization limped home 36th following a 13th-place start and wound up 16th in points; and Brian Vickers with Mooresville’s Red Bull Racing checked in 42nd after starting 17th.

Area teams and drivers will now be idle except for those finishing in the top 12 spots. They will be highlighted during the course of the season-ending banquet that will conclude with the official crowning of Johnson as the repeat series points champion.

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