Jimmie Johnson Takes Victory and Points Lead at Martinsville
Jimmie Johnson stood in victory lane on Sunday after winning the Tums Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville, Virginia. It was Johnson's fourth victory of the season and his first in the 10-race championship series.
Johnson and Clint Bowyer both led well over 100 laps. With 10 laps remaining following a caution, Johnson took the lead from the restart and never looked back. Kyle Busch got very close but couldn't wrestle the lead away. Kasey Kahne finished in third place, Aric Amiorla fourth and Bowyer rounded out the top five.
Denny Hamilin had a very interesting day, staying in contention even after two seperate speeding penalties in the pits. But bad luck struck, as his car stalled late in the race, taking him to the garage. The race also saw the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. after missing two weeks with a concussion. He would stay in the top 10 for a good portion of the race until getting into a crash with Carl Edwards that set up the final caution. He wound up finishing 21st.
Johnson's win puts him into the points lead by a mere two points over Brad Keselowski, as the Sprint Cup Series heads to Texas next Sunday at 2 p.m.
Sprint Cup Standings
1. Jimmie Johnson, 2291
2. Brad Keselowski, 2289
3. Clint Bowyer, 2265
4. Kasey Kahne, 2262
5. Denny Hamlin, 2242
6. Jeff Gordon, 2237
7. Martin Truex Jr., 2228
8. Matt Kenseth, 2225
9. Greg Biffle, 2222
10. Tony Stewart, 2220
11. Kevin Harvick, 2203
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2151