Notebook: Johnson can point to positives after fourth at Phoenix

Notebook: Johnson can point to positives after fourth at Phoenix

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Though he finished fourth in a car he felt was capable of winning Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, Jimmie Johnson would have to characterize the second race of 2012 as a positive.

For one thing, Johnson can point to his two-race total of 18 points. Positive 18 points. After a 42nd-place finish in Monday night's Daytona 500 and a 25-point penalty for unapproved "C" Posts on his No. 48 Chevrolet, Johnson came to Phoenix with a minus-23 point total.

Now he's in the black. Johnson led 55 laps at the one-mile track, but an unplanned pit stop under caution on Lap 134 because of a loose lug nut cost him track position. Johnson restarted 24th on Lap 141 and worked his way to fourth by the end of the race, but he had mixed feelings about the result.

"We'll take it," Johnson said after the race. "I'm not really satisfied. I really felt like we had a car to win the race with. Unfortunately things didn't work out there. We had a little hiccup early in the race, but we still rebounded back and got a very strong finish.

"So I'm proud of the fight this team has and the racecar we brought to the track, and I passed a lot of racecars on a track that's tough to pass and still got back to fourth."

STEWART HITS A SPEED BUMP

Tony Stewart is a master at saving fuel, but on Sunday, his car didn't cooperate.

As soon as caution flew for David Reutimann's blown engine on Lap 247, Stewart shut off his engine to stretch his fuel mileage. Only one problem -- the engine wouldn't re-fire.

Stewart got a push into the pits from a safety truck, but he lost two laps before his crew could diagnose the problem and get the engine started. Stewart finished 22nd and fell to 15th in the Sprint Cup standings, trailing leader and race winner Denny Hamlin by 37 points.

"I mean, I just shut the car off like we did at Daytona and turned it back on and it never re-fired," a mystified Stewart said after the race. "That's all I can tell you. I don't know why it didn't re-fire. I honestly don't know.

"It's not really my department. I just turned the switch back on and it never re-fired. I don't know why that was; but it definitely cost us a good day."

ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION

In the aftermath of Juan Pablo Montoya's collision with a jet dryer during Monday night's Daytona 500, NASCAR told drivers Sunday at Phoenix that, from now on, an extra caution car with lights flashing will trail jet dryers to remind drivers to slow down when approaching track service vehicles.

Under caution, Montoya spun entering Turn 3 at Daytona when a truck arm (rear suspension part) broke on his No. 42 Chevrolet. The dryer, which holds approximately 200 gallons of jet fuel, exploded and ignited Montoya's car. Both drivers escaped without harm.