News and Media Releases

Jimmie Johnson Scores Second Win Of The Season

31/05/2009

Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, JR. Post Top-15 Finishes while Jeff Gordon Struggles to Finish 26th

Jimmie Johnson dominated Sunday's running of the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway by leading 298 laps on his way to his second victory of the season. Mark Martin finished 10th with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finishing 12th with a new crew chief on top of his pit box. Jeff Gordon got caught a lap down on pit road and fought handling problems throughout the event to finish 26th.

Starting from the eighth position, the three-time Sprint Cup Champion obviously had the best car of the field leading nine different times for almost two-thirds of the race. A bad pit stop late in the race put the Quaker State driver in the eighth position for the final restart where he battled his way back into the top-three. Johnson ended up retaking the lead after a late-race battle for the top spot in the closing laps to earn his second victory of the season.

Mark Martin had a strong car all day long finishing 10th to earn his seventh top-10 finish of the season while Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a new crew chief this week turning in a solid run after starting from the 22nd position.

Four-time champion Jeff Gordon struggled all weekend after wrecking his primary car in qualifying and having to go to a backup car. With no laps on the new car Gordon started the 400-lap event in the 42nd position. The Quaker State driver lost one lap when the caution flag waved while he was on pit road for a green-flag stop and handling problems resulted in another lap lost before taking the checkered flag in the 26th position.
With Gordon's rough day he lost one spot in the point standings falling to the second position and now sits 46 markers out of first place. 

Jimmie Johnson moved up one position to third with his win while Mark Martin maintained his 12th-place position. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also gained a spot moving into the 18th position.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads next to Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 7, 2009. Live television coverage of the Pocono 500 begins at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on TNT with radio coverage beginning at 1:15 p.m. on MRN (Motor Racing Network) and Sirius XM Satellite radio.