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Jimmie Johnson Scores Fifth Win Of The Season

11/10/2009

Three-Time Champ Takes over the Points Lead with Six Races Remaining in the Season

Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe's team scored their fifth victory of the 2009 season by leading 126 of the 250 laps in Sunday's running of the Pepsi 500 at California Speedway. Fellow Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin also finished in the top-five while Dale Earnhardt, Jr. spent a lot of time in the top-10 before a late-race incident ended his day early.

Johnson, who is gunning for a record-setting fourth consecutive championship, dominated the race leading the most laps and earning 10 bonus points. He was on the point more than 10 different times and fought through some pit road issues early in the race to take the win. Johnson's win also marked his 16th career Chase victory.

"It is such a long race and so much takes place," commented Johnson on the pit road trouble. "I knew on pit road that you win some and lose some. Just a solid day all along. I'm so proud of this Lowe's team. I'm so thankful to Lowe's for allowing me to put the foundation on the side of the car and we had store 2712 riding with us today so it's nice to do that for them. Man what an awesome car and what an awesome day. Those cautions at the end really had me nervous. I just didn't know what to do on the restarts. The No. 24 would get me on some of them. The No. 42 was racing.

"I knew once we had three or four laps I was in good shape but there at the end I really didn't have many laps. I'm glad I got a good start and got going."
Fellow HMS driver Jeff Gordon took the runner-up position scoring his 14th top-five finish of the season with Mark Martin earning his 12th top-five finish of the year. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a decent run spoiled by a multi-car accident late in the race that brought out the red flag for over 20 minutes. The lap 246 melee took out several cars running in the top-ten.

Johnson took over the points lead with six races remaining in the season. Mark Martin fell to the second position with Jeff Gordon gaining two spots and moving into the fifth spot. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. remains in the 22nd position.

Flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Banking 500 only by Bank of America at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina will take the green flag Saturday, October 17 beginning at 7:00 p.m. (EDT) on ABC.  The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio beginning at 6:15 p.m. (EDT).