Hendrick finally gets first ‘08 win

Ignore that talk about Hendrick Motorsports slipping into the pack.

Jimmie Johnson, the two-time reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, gave Rick Hendrick’s powerhouse team its first win of the year Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway.

“We’re back,” Johnson said. “We’ve been working very hard to get back. I couldn’t be more proud of the folks back at Hendrick Motorsports.”

But despite leading a race-high 120 laps on the mile oval, this one wasn’t secure for the No. 48 Chevrolet until crew chief Chad Knaus gambled on going the last 80 laps without stopping for gas.

When the leaders began diving onto pit road for a splash of gas to get to the end of the Subway Fresh Fit 500, Johnson was in third place, just behind leader Mark Martin and runner-up Denny Hamlin, and not too far ahead of Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Hamlin’s team was the first to blink, pitting on lap 297. Martin was next, driving onto pit road and giving the lead to Johnson on lap 302.

Only Clint Bowyer, running in the top 10 most of the evening, stayed on track with the leader the rest of the way. But Bowyer never got closer than the final margin of 7.002 seconds.

NHRA

Tim Wilkerson raced to his first Funny Car victory since 2004, beating Ashley Force on Sunday in the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Wilkerson reached 292 mph to finish in 4.96 seconds, while Force was denied in her attempt to become the first female Funny Car winner in finishing at 4.99.

Another championship drought ended in the Top Fuel division when Cory McClenathan won for the first time in 30 races. He beat Antron Brown with a time of 4.65 seconds in 315 mph.

In the Pro Stock division, Jason Line beat Greg Stanfield for the championship at 6.78 seconds in 203 mph. Line has been to the finals three times in the last five races.