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Johnson wins, closes gap on Gordon

Jimmie Johnson, right, won his second consecutive race.Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Mike Harris Associated Press
Jimmie Johnson, right, won his second consecutive race.Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

HAMPTON, Ga. – Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are quickly turning the Chase for the Nextel Cup championship into their own private duel.

A two-tire stop for Johnson paid off with a victory Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, making the Chase a virtual dead heat at the top between the reigning champion and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and friend.

Johnson and Gordon, who came into the Pep Boys Auto 500 separated by 53 points, both struggled with the handling on their Chevrolets most of the day. But, thanks to a wild finish, they wound up first and seventh, leaving four-time champion Gordon with a nine-point lead with three of the 10 Chase races remaining.

“I just think it’s going to be a fight to the end,” Johnson said. “We took a good bite out of Jeff’s points lead today and it’s going to come down to a position or two in the next three.

“Now, I feel very good about where we are in the points. We can go lead laps, we can try to lead the most laps and really race for this championship over the next three races. I’m very excited about that.”

With all the leaders concerned about running out of gas, rookie Johnny Sauter’s blown tire brought out the 11th of a track record 12 caution flags on the 318th of a scheduled 325 laps on the 1.5-mile suburban Atlanta oval.

Denny Hamlin, who had been running sixth, was the only leader who stayed on track, taking the lead. The others pitted and Johnson jumped from fifth to second as crew chief Chad Knaus made a late decision to change only two tires.

Knaus, who has been Johnson’s crew chief for his entire Cup career, said going with two tires at the end was an easy decision to make.

“When that caution came out, we knew we didn’t have a car capable of winning the race,” Knaus said. “But, usually late in the race when cautions do come out, cautions breed cautions so track position was going to be important.

“We were fortunate enough to see some guys taking two tires and we kind of called an audible right there and went with two tires.”

NHRA

Hometown driver Rod Fuller completed the best weekend of his three-year pro career, winning the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals to take the Top Fuel points lead with one race left in the season.

The victory, Fuller’s third win of the season, followed a win Saturday in the Technicoat Top Fuel Shootout bonus event.