Johnson Good To the Last Drop at Phoenix

Jimmie Johnson kicked all of those stories about Hendrick Motorsports struggling to find its way to the curb Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway.

By outlasting the rest of the field, Johnson had enough gas at the end to take his first victory of the season during the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

A restart on lap 233 left 79 laps left until the checkered flag and forced teams to calculate their pit strategy according to how far they could run on fuel. Only Johnson and Clint Bowyer were able to conserve enough to avoid a pit stop.

Mark Martin looked to be running away with the event during the last 30 laps after passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead, but was relinquished to a fifth-place finish after his team decided to bring the No. 8 U.S. Army DEI Chevrolet onto pit road for fuel.

Denny Hamlin had the field covered had Johnson and Bowyer ran out of fuel after crew chief Mike Ford brought the No. 11 Toyota down pit road earlier than most and gave Hamlin a splash of gas and two right side tires. Hamlin wound up third with last week's winner Carl Edwards taking fourth.

Edwards likely had the strongest car all evening, but a pit road penalty on lap 114 dropped Edwards a lap down and to the tail end of the field due to an ill-timed caution flag.

Polesitter Ryan Newman led the first 30 laps but later had a power steering problem and never made it back on track after oiling down turns three and four, causing a pile-up that involved point-leader Jeff Burton spinning through the grass. Newman finished dead last in 43rd.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-13-2008 @ 11:25AM

Kim said...

WOO HOO!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS, JIMMIE! I had no doubts! What a race! For the first time in a while, this race was actually exciting to watch & then to have my favorite driver finally win this season, just made my night! Chad Knaus is BY FAR the BEST Crew Chief in all of NASCAR! Great job, boys! Let's see many more wins just like it!

Kim

4-13-2008 @ 1:30PM

c_gin_1959 said...

I have to admit it was a really good race for once. But I think some of the other drivers would like to win too. Over the years Nascar isn't like it used to be where everyone had a chance to win. They keep changing things and makes it harder for a veteran to win. Plus the price of a ticket is so outragous which leaves many people sitting at home to watch. Nascar has to think about the fans too or the reward for winning wouldn't be so great withoutt he fans, besides the fans are the ones who is paying the winner!
Cindi-Flint

4-13-2008 @ 5:48PM

anzajoe said...

WOW, SAINT JIMMY HAS FINALLY DONE IT.
I knew he would,he got close in a couple of previous races. Congratulation JJ. The problem now remains when are TONY and JEFF and DALE going to finally get their first win?

4-13-2008 @ 6:46PM

Susan said...

Congratulations to Jimmy and Chad.

I'm waiting on a Tony, Jr and a Gordon win too!

4-13-2008 @ 8:32PM

Mike said...

That was great. What a gamble. That move should have been saved for Vegas.
MBL

4-13-2008 @ 9:00PM

c_gin, there have been 8 races and 6 different drivers have been in the winners circle. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart (two of the winingest drivers there are) have yet to win a single race. Exactly how much more do you think it should be spread around?
MBL

4-14-2008 @ 1:04AM

GIN GIN, I agree with you about the tickets being way over priced.About spreading the winners, i don't think that's a NASCAR responsability. All the
other team owners, crews and drivers have to do is compete with HMS-JGR-RCR and let me stretch a little
to GROUCH/FINNWAVES. Money talks, BS walks, QUALITY WINS,CRAP LOOSES, FAST/FIERSTY, get the ceckers flag,SLOW/LOW TIERS get the leftover.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE in any type of sports, any type of business, every type of trade.That's todays competitive world all in all. Works for some, works not for many.

4-14-2008 @ 8:59AM

tootsie said...

34 and still counting.

4-14-2008 @ 12:22PM

Bernie said...

This COT car of today is certainly stirring the pot a bit. In 2007 we saw HMS dominate the COT races now the rest of the Nascar teams are up to speed on the new car. With all of the parity we are seeing today I think the best driver and crew in the HMS camp proves to be J.Johnson. Congrats to Jimmie! I'm sure you make El Cajon, CA. proud.

4-14-2008 @ 10:17PM

Stan said...

JJ had a good race but Tonys going to be the champ this year just wait and see.

4-17-2008 @ 10:17AM

Mark Martin had been saving fuel and he thought that he had saved enough fuel for at least 5 laps. He wanted to stay out and go for the win but the higher ups wouldn't allow it.

Mark isn't running for points. He was certain that he would have won the race if he stayed out.

I think he should have been allowed to stay out. At the very least, they should have told him they were going to make him come in. If he had known they were going to make him pit then he would have have gone all out to keep up with the leaders.

4-17-2008 @ 6:36PM

travis russell said...

I am from Marks hometown and have spoke with him on occasion.I don't like him being a hired gun any more than he does.Any other time, he would have sucked it up and fought it out with J.J.LUCK.But,that's the way it goes.Mark has alot of pride and enjoys what he does more than anyone I ever seen.He'll win some more races before he's done.

Travis