Johnson ends chatter with Bristol win

Notches consecutive wins for 11th time in his illustrious career

It was just last month that people were wondering what was wrong with Jimmie Johnson as he got off to a slow start.

How silly it was to worry.

Johnson grabbed a rare victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on Monday, giving him consecutive wins for the 11th time in his storied career.

It was just the second career win in Thunder Valley for Johnson, who considers it one of his most vexing tracks.

His Hendrick Motorsorts team hit on something during Saturday’s practice for his Chevrolet, 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.”

Johnson also on Feb. 9 at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s last event prior to Monday. It ended any chatter that the seven-time and reigning champion might not be up for a record eighth title.

Johnson now has 82 career victories, and is just one away from tying Cal Yarborough for sixth on the all-time wins list. Two more would put him alongside Darrell Waltrip.

“That’s just mind-blowing,” Johnson said of his place in history.

Johnson doesn’t like Bristol, but it wasn’t evident Monday as he contended with Kyle Larson, the points leader and most dominant driver of the day.

NFL

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said a trade involving star cornerback Richard Sherman is unlikely and that any offer at this point would have to go beyond anything the team has heard so far. Schneider is not closing the door on a deal involving Sherman but sounded pessimistic that something will happen.

Jake Long, the first n overall pick in the 2008 draft, has decided to retire. The four-time Pro Bowl left tackle for the Miami Dolphins announced the end of his injury-shortened career on Twitter.

Aaron Hernandez’s n family have bid their farewells at a private funeral for the former NFL star.

Hernandez’s mother, brother, and fiancee were among about 50 mourners at the invitation-only service in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut.

College football

Northwestern has reportedly agreed to a new contract with football coach Pat Fitzgerald that runs through the 2026 season.

Tennis

Serena Williams is briefly back at No. 1 in the WTA rankings, despite not playing a match since January. She also plans to take the rest of 2017 off because she is expecting a baby. Thanks to a calendar quirk, Williams moved up one spot from No. 2, swapping places with Angelique Kerber.

Handed a much-debated n wild card, Maria Sharapova will return to competitive tennis at the Porsche Grand Prix on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after her 15-month suspension for a doping offense has ended.

NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks have fired assistant coach Mike Kitchen. Kitchen joined the staff in July 2010.

College basketball

Louisville junior forward Jaylen Johnson will hire an agent and stay in the NBA draft.

North Carolina juniors n Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson will join freshman Tony Bradley in declaring for the NBA draft, but they won’t hire agents.

Track and field

Russian heptathlete Tatyana Chernova is stripped of her 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medal for doping with an anabolic steroid.