Johnson breaks through for first win at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. – There’s an aura about Bristol Motor Speedway, a track that drivers and fans love equally for its electric, throwback-style racing.

Jimmie Johnson never chalked it up as one of his favorites.

The four-time defending NASCAR champion could never get a handle on the .533-mile bullring, where he struggled far more than he ever succeeded.

Until Sunday, that is.

Johnson finally knocked Bristol off his to-do list, plowing from sixth to first in just three laps to grab his first career victory at the revered Tennessee track.

“It’s really been a downer for me to walk through the gates, look around, ‘Man, I’m going to (stink) today,’ ” Johnson said. “I really had that mind-set coming here.”

Kurt Busch led 278 of the 500 laps and had a decent gap on Johnson when his easy drive to victory was clouded by a debris caution with 17 laps remaining.

All the leaders headed to pit road, and Busch and Johnson both took four tires on the final stop.

Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart all took two tires, giving them the first four positions on the restart. Busch was fifth, Johnson was sixth and the race resumed with 10 laps to go.

Kenseth’s difficulty getting up to speed stacked up traffic behind him, including Busch, who lost his opportunity to leapfrog his way to the front.

Not Johnson, though. He weaved through the mess up to second, Stewart moved into the lead, and Johnson needed just over one lap to pick him off, too.

“When we’re winning at tracks that we’re not supposed to, boys better look out,” Johnson warned, “even that 2 car (Busch) that doesn’t want the 48 to win.”

Busch, a five-time Bristol winner who hasn’t been to Victory Lane at the bullring since 2006, was irate over his radio at the loss. He settled for third behind Johnson and Stewart.

“I’d rather lose to any of the other 41 cars out there than the 48 car,” Busch said. “I thought we had him beat. I gave it my heart today, but we came up short.”