Johnson Caps Homecoming With Win At California Speedway

FONTANA, CA. — Jimmie Johnson capped a California homecoming by winning the 500-mile NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at California Speedway Sunday night.

Johnson, who spent the better part of last week in his home state, captured his fifth win of the season in a race that provided plenty of action. While in California, he hosted a charity golf tournament, was inducted into his high school Hall of Fame and capped the fast-paced week with a victory at his home track. The win was Johnson’s second at California.

Trailing Johnson was Carl Edwards, last week’s Bristol winner, and Kyle Busch, who looked like he had the car to beat in the first half of the race before the sun went down. Jeff Burton was fourth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who raced hard all day — and night — was fifth.

Johnson, one of the fittest drivers on the circuit, survived one of the hottest events in NASCAR history. The temperature at the start of the race was close to 110 degrees and was still in the 90’s at the finish.

Rounding out the top 10 were Matt Kenseth, Earnhardt teammate Martin Truex, Jr., Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Bobby Labonte.

Earnhardt’s finish cut the points distance from 13th to 12th down to 128 points with Kevin Harvick holding the bubble position going into next week’s 26th race at Richmond International Raceway. The top 12 drivers in points after Richmond qualify for The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship. The top eight drivers are already locked into the championship chase.

Eleven caution periods, a record-tying number for this event, kept things close at the two-mile track. The 11th caution damaged cars driven by Jeff Gordon, the current points leader, and David Reutimann, a rookie who ran in the top 10 much of the last half of the event. Several other cars were involved, including that of Ricky Rudd, who was transported to a local hospital for x-rays. Rudd’s start at California was the 900th of his career, second only to Richard Petty’s 1,185 starts.

The Busch brothers led most of the early laps with young Kyle keeping his Chevrolet ahead of all challengers most of the time.

Michael Waltrip’s’ hard-luck season continued when a right front tire exploded after contact with Rudd and caved the fender in on the tire. Waltrip, trying to ride out the tire rub after 38 laps, hastily exited his Toyota when it burst into flames. The blown tire shattered oil lines which created a fire when the oil spattered on the exhaust headers.

Five caution flags slowed the pace in the first quarter of the race. As expected, drivers already in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship, came to the front to join front-row starters Kurt Busch and Johnson, including Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Gordon, Earnhardt, and Earnhardt’s’ teammate Martin Truex, Jr.

Truex and Earnhardt beat Kyle Busch out of the pits on a restart at 81 laps but Busch went back in front right after the green flag waved. Burton moved into third spot. Earnhardt passed Busch back a couple of laps later and left no doubt he would not settle for anything less than a win on this hot, steaming Southern California night.

Robby Gordon brought out the sixth caution of the night when he lost control and spun out, riding the outside wall backwards through the tri-oval. Clint Bowyer’s car received some minor damage in the Gordon accident.

Ryan Newman, one of the drivers desperately trying to get into the top 12 for The Chase, spun on Lap 94 to bring out the seventh caution of the race. Just a few laps after a restart, J.J. Yeley also spun bringing out another caution period.

At the 125-lap halfway point, with the sun setting and the track cooling, Johnson’s car shot past Kyle Busch for the lead.

RacingNation Crew

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