Jimmie Johnson has staked his claim for the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup by triumphing for the first time at Texas Motor Speedway – his third straight success – to give his title challenge a real shot in the arm.
The reigning Nextel Cup king headed to the deep south state with two goals in mind – to capture his career-first victory at the track, and in so doing seize the Chase lead from Hendrick Motorsports team-mate Jeff Gordon, who he trailed by a scant nine points entering the meeting. Just 48 hours later – and in a similar fashion to his championship-making run twelve months earlier – it was mission accomplished on both fronts.
The California native's success was his ninth of the season, third consecutive victory and 32nd of his NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (NNCS) career, and it came at the end of a dramatic, late-race side-by-side duel with Matt Kenseth. In addition to the wins, three pole positions and 19 top-five finishes over the course of the 2007 campaign have enabled Johnson to assume a 30-point lead over Gordon – who could do no better then seventh in the Dickies 500 after starting second – into the final two races on the calendar.
“This is amazing,” the 32-year-old enthused from victory lane afterwards. “We didn't have a great car at the start of the race, but we just kept working away at it until we got what we needed. At the end we were on pace with everybody's strategy and never really lost track position.
“We were able to battle Matt for the win and put on a hell of a show for the fans, just great hard racing. Really at the end it came down to a full-blown brawl with Matt, but I don't mean that in a bad way. There are only a handful of guys I would feel comfortable racing that hard with at the end and being in the position we're in. Matt certainly is one; I've had a lot of great racing with him over the years, and I think we both have respect for one another that we can get in there and do it all without running each other over.
“We both wanted that win really bad; I think it was evident from how close our cars were! It was a lot of fun, knowing I didn't have to worry about him putting me in a bad position because of the championship and he also knew I wouldn't come in there and take him out.”
While acknowledging his thirst for victory in Texas, Johnson confessed it had crossed his mind to just back off and settle for second on more than one occasion, with one eye on the crown.
“At times I thought about the points,” he agreed, “but I knew Jeff was getting better as the night went on and I knew I needed every point I could get and had to go for it. That's really the position I feel Jeff and I are both in for the remaining races – every spot counts and you've got to go for it.
“We've been on quite a roll here, and when you go to victory lane there's just a buzz that goes through all of Hendrick Motorsports and the #48 team. We have momentum going in our direction right now and I don't want this groove we are in to go anywhere, so hopefully we can keep things together and be the champion again this year. Regardless of what happens, Hendrick Motorsports is such a great organisation and has given us this opportunity.
