Nascar Sprint Cup

Nascar Sprint Cup

Nascar Sprint Cup

Nascar Sprint Cup- Jimmie Johnson Takes Second Victory Of The Season

Once again, Jimmie Johnson, four-time champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup, has found himself standing at the top of the podium. Johnson took first at the Shelby American, the third race of the season for the top flight in NASCAR.

During the competition, which took place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway circuit, Johnson gave a full demonstration of his talent and driving ability. This time, it wasn't a matter of luck that launched Johnson into first – unlike his last victory. This time, it was merit alone that gave the driver the win, reinforcing his position as among the best drivers in the series.

Kurt Busch managed pole position in Vegas, followed by Jeff Gordon; Johnson, on the other hand, was relegated to twentieth in the grid exit.

Busch, however, could only keep himself ahead of the competition for a single curve, after which Gordon quickly passed him to place himself in first.

Gordon managed an incredible feat, leading the race for 210 of the schedule 267 laps.

Once in the second round, the race saw its first yellow flag after a crash from rookie Kevin Conway.

Upon the restart, during lap 5, Gordon again took the lead. He held this position until lap 46, when another yellow flag was raised after Mike Bliss hit the protective wall. Gordon surprised again when he easily regained first after leaving the pits.

The race had been predicted to be a high-speed event, but, as so often happens, the predictions turned out to be wrong. On a sunny afternoon with a completely clear sky, the brightness obscured the pilots' vision, and the drivers didn't dare speed up their cars to their maximum potential.

A few laps later, a third yellow flag arose; the indicator lights were not turned off, and NASCAR officials decided to stop the competition to rectify the problem.

Upon returning to the competition, Gordon finally lost first, passed by Greg Biffle. During this restart, Johnson was able to climb several positions and place himself in the group of the top ten riders marking the route.

Gordon and Biffle went head to head, and Gordon quickly regained first. Meanwhile, Johnson managed a slow rise in the ranks; at lap 70, the driver managed to gain third place behind Matt Kenseth and Gordon, his teammate.

These three drivers directed the course until lap 88, when a new setback stopped the event with the raising of a fourth yellow flag. On his way through the pits, Johnson had a problem with his tire change, and he entered the track in sixth. At the same time, Kenseth moved to the head of the race, in front of Edwards and Gordon.

At lap 93, a multiple-car accident provoked the fifth yellow flag. Gordon regained the lead after returning to the track. Twelve laps later the lights failed again, and the race stopped for a sixth time.

Back on track, Scott Speed took first place, but was quickly surpassed by Gordon, who apparently had grown to like the position. Johnson was in third.

Johnson managed to move up into second, and at lap 133, the two drivers of the Hendrick Motorsports team went head to head.

During the last neutralization, the #48 Chevrolet driver changed all four of his car's tires, while his teammate only changed two. Johnson returned to the track in fourth, but managed to not only reach his teammate, but pass him to cross the finish line in first.

The podium was completed with Kevin Harvick in second and Jeff Gordon in third.

The victory raises Johnson to fifth in the overall drivers' standings, with a total of 443 points. Harvick is in first, leading with 506 points.

About the Author

Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on daily NASCAR races; sports news and the sportsbook industry for many exceptional sport web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.