Johnson back on top at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Just last month people were wondering what was wrong with Jimmie Johnson and his slow start to the season.
How silly it was to worry.
Johnson grabbed a rare victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on Monday in the Food City 500 giving him consecutive wins for the 11th time in his storied career. It was just the second win at one of his most vexing tracks.
His Hendrick Motorsorts team hit on something for his Chevrolet during Saturday’s practice, and that locked him in for the race postponed a day by rain.
“This track has been really difficult,” admitted Johnson, who last won at Bristol in 2007. But that Saturday find was “honestly, it’s what I’ve been looking for for 16 years. We finally figured it out. So, I’m very very happy.”
Johnson also won on April 9 at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s most recent previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup event. It ended any chatter that the seven-time and reigning champion might not be up for a record eighth title.
Johnson has 82 victories, and is just one away from tying Cal Yarborough for sixth on the alltime wins list.
Johnson doesn’t like Bristol, but that wasn’t evident Monday as he contended with Kyle Larson, the points leader and most dominant driver of the day. A speeding penalty for Larson late in the race allowed Johnson to make it look easy in the end. Clint Bowyer finished second and his StewartHaas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick was third.
Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champion from Cambridge, Wis., finished fourth, his best result since the second race of the season, a third place at Atlanta.
“To say it’s been a terrible year so far would be a great understatement,” said Kenseth, who started 22nd after qualifying was rained out.
“We weren’t really up front very much today and we didn’t get any bonus point, but we were able to get a top-five at the end of the day so I guess we’ll try to build on that.”
Larson rallied to sixth. He had been dropped to 29th after the penalty.