Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
News FuzeArticle Launched:03/12/2007 02:46:24 AM PDTLAS VEGAS- New track configuration, same old results for Jimmie Johnson. The defending series champion beat teammate Jeff Gordon on Sunday to win his third straight Nextel Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Johnson had few problems navigating his way around the track that was under intense scrutiny all weekend because of changes owner Bruton Smith made to the 1.5-mile speedway. It included an increase in the banking from 12 degrees to 20, and a curved pit lane unlike anything the drivers had seen before.
Because the new surface produced such fast speeds, Goodyear had to bring a very hard left-side tire that was capable of withstanding the loads. The drivers didn't like that, either, and spent the entire weekend complaining about the conditions.
But it didn't bother Johnson, who overcame a pit-road penalty and a minor brush with the wall to lead 89 of the 267 laps en route to the 150th NASCAR victory for Hendrick Motorsports.
It came at Gordon's expense, though.
Gordon dominated the race by leading 111 laps, and appeared poised to tie the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the career list with 76 victories. But Gordon thought he had a flat left-rear tire following a late round of pit stops, and gave up the lead with 32 laps to go when Jeff Burton passed him.
Johnson got by both of them five laps later and held on after a final restart with 11 to go. Gordon finished second for a 1-2 finish for Hendrick.
"I thought we had this won here," Gordon said. "We just got beat. We keep bringing cars like this, we'll win some."
Denny Hamlin finished third and was followed by Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin and Carl Edwards.
Martin is still on top of the points standings, up six over Gordon. Martin, who has never won a Nextel Cup title, is planning to run only 23 races this season and is expected to sit out of the race at Bristol later this month.
"The plans haven't changed," Martin said, "Yet."
Tony Stewart, the most vocal critic of the track and the tires, finished seventh. He was followed by Ryan Newman, Las Vegas native Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. wound up a disappointing 11th after a mental error cost him a top-five finish. He was in fifth when Kasey Kahne's wreck brought out the final caution, and didn't notice that pit road was closed when he mistakenly followed Jeff Burton down it.
"I followed the 31. I followed the 31. I wasn't even looking at the (pit road) light," he radioed his team.
The penalty dropped him to 13th on the restart. He picked up two spots in the finishing order and 12 in the points—he's now 28th overall.
Even without the mistake, Earnhardt wouldn't have challenged the Hendrick tandem of Johnson and Gordon, who had the field covered for most of the race.
But it was Johnson who wound up in Victory Lane, even after a tire rolled loose on pit road earlier in the race. The penalty dropped Johnson to 25th, but he wasted little time moving back to the front.
He also brushed the wall at some point to make for an eventful race.
"I got into the wall and thought I had messed up the car," he said. "We overcame a lot of adversity."
The race was marred by nine cautions, most of them products of the new configuration and tough tire. David Ragan spun on the opening lap, and Casey Mears, Robby Gordon and Ward Burton were in a three-car accident 10 laps in.
Joe Nemechek and Dave Blaney wrecked eight laps after that. "There's just no grip at all," said Mears, who blamed Gordon for the accident. "Everybody is having a hard time getting a hold of their cars."
News FuzeArticle Launched:03/12/2007 02:46:24 AM PDTLAS VEGAS- New track configuration, same old results for Jimmie Johnson. The defending series champion beat teammate Jeff Gordon on Sunday to win his third straight Nextel Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Johnson had few problems navigating his way around the track that was under intense scrutiny all weekend because of changes owner Bruton Smith made to the 1.5-mile speedway. It included an increase in the banking from 12 degrees to 20, and a curved pit lane unlike anything the drivers had seen before.
Because the new surface produced such fast speeds, Goodyear had to bring a very hard left-side tire that was capable of withstanding the loads. The drivers didn't like that, either, and spent the entire weekend complaining about the conditions.
But it didn't bother Johnson, who overcame a pit-road penalty and a minor brush with the wall to lead 89 of the 267 laps en route to the 150th NASCAR victory for Hendrick Motorsports.
It came at Gordon's expense, though.
Gordon dominated the race by leading 111 laps, and appeared poised to tie the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the career list with 76 victories. But Gordon thought he had a flat left-rear tire following a late round of pit stops, and gave up the lead with 32 laps to go when Jeff Burton passed him.
Johnson got by both of them five laps later and held on after a final restart with 11 to go. Gordon finished second for a 1-2 finish for Hendrick.
"I thought we had this won here," Gordon said. "We just got beat. We keep bringing cars like this, we'll win some."
Denny Hamlin finished third and was followed by Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin and Carl Edwards.
Martin is still on top of the points standings, up six over Gordon. Martin, who has never won a Nextel Cup title, is planning to run only 23 races this season and is expected to sit out of the race at Bristol later this month.
"The plans haven't changed," Martin said, "Yet."
Tony Stewart, the most vocal critic of the track and the tires, finished seventh. He was followed by Ryan Newman, Las Vegas native Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. wound up a disappointing 11th after a mental error cost him a top-five finish. He was in fifth when Kasey Kahne's wreck brought out the final caution, and didn't notice that pit road was closed when he mistakenly followed Jeff Burton down it.
"I followed the 31. I followed the 31. I wasn't even looking at the (pit road) light," he radioed his team.
The penalty dropped him to 13th on the restart. He picked up two spots in the finishing order and 12 in the points—he's now 28th overall.
Even without the mistake, Earnhardt wouldn't have challenged the Hendrick tandem of Johnson and Gordon, who had the field covered for most of the race.
But it was Johnson who wound up in Victory Lane, even after a tire rolled loose on pit road earlier in the race. The penalty dropped Johnson to 25th, but he wasted little time moving back to the front.
He also brushed the wall at some point to make for an eventful race.
"I got into the wall and thought I had messed up the car," he said. "We overcame a lot of adversity."
The race was marred by nine cautions, most of them products of the new configuration and tough tire. David Ragan spun on the opening lap, and Casey Mears, Robby Gordon and Ward Burton were in a three-car accident 10 laps in.
Joe Nemechek and Dave Blaney wrecked eight laps after that. "There's just no grip at all," said Mears, who blamed Gordon for the accident. "Everybody is having a hard time getting a hold of their cars."