Jimmie Johnson runs away at Kansas

Jimmie Johnson runs away at Kansas

 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(October 9, 2011)

 

KANSAS CITY, Kan.—He’s baaaack!

 

Jimmie Johnson answered all questions about his readiness to contend for a sixth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup title with a dominating performance in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

 

Johnson held off hard-charging Kasey Kahne in a green-white-checkered-flag finish set up by Jeff Gordon’s blown engine on Lap 265. Johnson beat Kahne to the finish line by .548 seconds in a race that went five laps past its scheduled distance of 267 laps.

 

The victory was Johnson’s second of the season, the 55th of his career and the 20th in 74 career Chase races. He left Kansas tied with Rusty Wallace for eighth on the all-time Cup win list.

 

Brad Keselowski came home third, followed by Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, who salvaged a top five despite falling a lap down earlier in the event.

 

A caution for debris on Lap 205 ended a green-flag run that began with a restart on Lap 90 and included two rounds of green-flag pit stops. Before the yellow flew, Johnson had built a lead of more than 12 seconds over second-place Tony Stewart, and Edwards, Chase co-leader entering the event, had fallen one lap down in 16th position.

 

Edwards got his lap back, however, when Landon Cassill’s spin through the tri-oval grass on Lap 220 brought out the fourth caution. Edwards got a free pass back to the lead lap as the highest-scored driver one lap down. Pit stops under the yellow with 47 laps left took fuel conservation out of the equation.