bigbadbrother
06-15-2014, 08:01 PM
FOX Sports
Suddenly red-hot Jimmie Johnson played the fuel-mileage game to perfection to capture Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Johnson scored his first career victory at the 2-mile track, and captured his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race victory in the last four weeks, after going winless in the first 11 events of this season.
The win was the 69th in the six-time series champion's career. It was also the fifth consecutive race victory for Hendrick Motorsports.
Kevin Harvick finished second in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, followed by Brad Keselowski and his No. Team Penske Ford, Paul Menard, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jt.
Harvick started from a pole after qualifying at 204.557 miles per hour, the fastest NASCAR qualifying lap ever at a non-restrictor-plate track.
Harvick led the first 18 laps, until giving way to a charging Jeff Gordon.
At the one-quarter distance Gordon led Harvick by 1.96 sec., followed by Johnson, Joey Logano, Menard and Earnhardt. Harvick went back out front on Lap 57, after Gordon got balked by a lapped car.
Johnson took his first lead by virtue of a two-tire pit stop under caution on Lap 75, only to be passed on the restart by Joey Logano. Johnson retook the point on Lap 92, and at halfway, the order was Johnson, Logano, Gordon and Earnhardt.
A caution for a single-car spin by David Ragan sent the field down pit road again on Lap 105, and Harvick was first off pit road this time.
Then things turned strange. Between Lap 105 and Lap 123, there were four cautions for spins or crashes, the last coming when Denny Hamlin went around and took out Aric Almirola with him.
Under caution, leader Harvick stayed out, as did six others, though most of the lead-lap cars pitted. Logano took the lead on the restart, with Harvick close behind. They switched spots on Lap 142, Logano dropping to second after picking up some trash on his grille.
Another yellow, this one for debris, sent the field down pit road on Lap 149. This time, five drivers stayed out, with Jamie McMurray taking the lead ahead of Johnson, Earnhardt, Paul Menard and Gordon.
On the restart on Lap 153, McMurray stumbled and Johnson jumped to the front.
Johnson, Menard and Gordon all pitted on Lap 166, followed by McMurray one lap later and then Earnhardt on Lap 168.
That put Kurt Busch out front ahead of Keselowski and Clint Bowyer, although they all still had to make an additional stop.
On Lap 183, Kasey Kahne passed Busch for his first lead of the day, but Kahne had to pit 2 laps later for fuel only. At this point, Busch came in, too.
One by one, the leaders came in for fuel and that handed the lead back to Johnson, who easily held off Harvick to win.
Jun 15, 2014 | Michigan International Speedway - Brooklyn, Michigan | 400.0 mi (200 of 200 Laps)
Pos Driver Car # Make Started
1 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet 7
2 Kevin Harvick 4 Chevrolet 1
3 Brad Keselowski 2 Ford 6
4 Paul Menard 27 Chevrolet 5
5 Kasey Kahne 5 Chevrolet 13
6 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet 2
7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 Chevrolet 3
8 Kyle Larson 42 Chevrolet 12
9 Joey Logano 22 Ford 9
10 Clint Bowyer 15 Toyota 15
11 Tony Stewart 14 Chevrolet 26
12 Jamie McMurray 1 Chevrolet 11
13 Kurt Busch 41 Chevrolet 8
14 Matt Kenseth 20 Toyota 21
15 Ryan Newman 31 Chevrolet 24
16 Justin Allgaier 51 Chevrolet 17
17 Danica Patrick 10 Chevrolet 27
18 Juan Pablo Montoya 12 Ford 28
19 Trevor Bayne 21 Ford 23
20 Greg Biffle 16 Ford 18
21 Michael Annett 7 Chevrolet 37
22 AJ Allmendinger 47 Chevrolet 25
23 Carl Edwards 99 Ford 22
24 Casey Mears 13 Chevrolet 31
25 Marcos Ambrose 9 Ford 20
26 David Gilliland 38 Ford 32
27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 17 Ford 30
28 Cole Whitt 26 Toyota 42
29 Denny Hamlin 11 Toyota 29
30 Austin Dillon 3 Chevrolet 19
31 Aric Almirola 43 Ford 4
32 Reed Sorenson 36 Chevrolet 40
33 Josh Wise 98 Chevrolet 38
34 Brett Moffitt 66 Toyota 34
35 Landon Cassill 40 Chevrolet 39
36 J.J. Yeley 144 Chevrolet 35
37 Martin Truex Jr. 78 Chevrolet 16
38 David Ragan 34 Ford 33
39 David Stremme 33 Chevrolet 36
40 Alex Bowman 23 Toyota 41
41 Kyle Busch 18 Toyota 14
42 Brian Vickers 55 Toyota 10
43 Travis Kvapil 32 Ford 43
Suddenly red-hot Jimmie Johnson played the fuel-mileage game to perfection to capture Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Johnson scored his first career victory at the 2-mile track, and captured his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race victory in the last four weeks, after going winless in the first 11 events of this season.
The win was the 69th in the six-time series champion's career. It was also the fifth consecutive race victory for Hendrick Motorsports.
Kevin Harvick finished second in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, followed by Brad Keselowski and his No. Team Penske Ford, Paul Menard, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jt.
Harvick started from a pole after qualifying at 204.557 miles per hour, the fastest NASCAR qualifying lap ever at a non-restrictor-plate track.
Harvick led the first 18 laps, until giving way to a charging Jeff Gordon.
At the one-quarter distance Gordon led Harvick by 1.96 sec., followed by Johnson, Joey Logano, Menard and Earnhardt. Harvick went back out front on Lap 57, after Gordon got balked by a lapped car.
Johnson took his first lead by virtue of a two-tire pit stop under caution on Lap 75, only to be passed on the restart by Joey Logano. Johnson retook the point on Lap 92, and at halfway, the order was Johnson, Logano, Gordon and Earnhardt.
A caution for a single-car spin by David Ragan sent the field down pit road again on Lap 105, and Harvick was first off pit road this time.
Then things turned strange. Between Lap 105 and Lap 123, there were four cautions for spins or crashes, the last coming when Denny Hamlin went around and took out Aric Almirola with him.
Under caution, leader Harvick stayed out, as did six others, though most of the lead-lap cars pitted. Logano took the lead on the restart, with Harvick close behind. They switched spots on Lap 142, Logano dropping to second after picking up some trash on his grille.
Another yellow, this one for debris, sent the field down pit road on Lap 149. This time, five drivers stayed out, with Jamie McMurray taking the lead ahead of Johnson, Earnhardt, Paul Menard and Gordon.
On the restart on Lap 153, McMurray stumbled and Johnson jumped to the front.
Johnson, Menard and Gordon all pitted on Lap 166, followed by McMurray one lap later and then Earnhardt on Lap 168.
That put Kurt Busch out front ahead of Keselowski and Clint Bowyer, although they all still had to make an additional stop.
On Lap 183, Kasey Kahne passed Busch for his first lead of the day, but Kahne had to pit 2 laps later for fuel only. At this point, Busch came in, too.
One by one, the leaders came in for fuel and that handed the lead back to Johnson, who easily held off Harvick to win.
Jun 15, 2014 | Michigan International Speedway - Brooklyn, Michigan | 400.0 mi (200 of 200 Laps)
Pos Driver Car # Make Started
1 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet 7
2 Kevin Harvick 4 Chevrolet 1
3 Brad Keselowski 2 Ford 6
4 Paul Menard 27 Chevrolet 5
5 Kasey Kahne 5 Chevrolet 13
6 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet 2
7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 Chevrolet 3
8 Kyle Larson 42 Chevrolet 12
9 Joey Logano 22 Ford 9
10 Clint Bowyer 15 Toyota 15
11 Tony Stewart 14 Chevrolet 26
12 Jamie McMurray 1 Chevrolet 11
13 Kurt Busch 41 Chevrolet 8
14 Matt Kenseth 20 Toyota 21
15 Ryan Newman 31 Chevrolet 24
16 Justin Allgaier 51 Chevrolet 17
17 Danica Patrick 10 Chevrolet 27
18 Juan Pablo Montoya 12 Ford 28
19 Trevor Bayne 21 Ford 23
20 Greg Biffle 16 Ford 18
21 Michael Annett 7 Chevrolet 37
22 AJ Allmendinger 47 Chevrolet 25
23 Carl Edwards 99 Ford 22
24 Casey Mears 13 Chevrolet 31
25 Marcos Ambrose 9 Ford 20
26 David Gilliland 38 Ford 32
27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 17 Ford 30
28 Cole Whitt 26 Toyota 42
29 Denny Hamlin 11 Toyota 29
30 Austin Dillon 3 Chevrolet 19
31 Aric Almirola 43 Ford 4
32 Reed Sorenson 36 Chevrolet 40
33 Josh Wise 98 Chevrolet 38
34 Brett Moffitt 66 Toyota 34
35 Landon Cassill 40 Chevrolet 39
36 J.J. Yeley 144 Chevrolet 35
37 Martin Truex Jr. 78 Chevrolet 16
38 David Ragan 34 Ford 33
39 David Stremme 33 Chevrolet 36
40 Alex Bowman 23 Toyota 41
41 Kyle Busch 18 Toyota 14
42 Brian Vickers 55 Toyota 10
43 Travis Kvapil 32 Ford 43