By Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel –
INDIANAPOLIS — First, a refresher course.
Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR title each year from 2006-’10. He won stock-car racing’s most prestigious event, the Daytona 500, in 2008. And as of Sunday morning, he had won three times at the most famous track in the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
So imagine the message he sent both in the Brickyard 400 — dominating for a fourth victory in one of the series’ most challenging races — and with his words afterward.
“I feel that from a performance standpoint,” he said, “we’re as strong as we’ve ever been.”
His point would have been hard to argue on this day, as will this one: If Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and Hendrick Motorsports can maintain that performance, they’re well on their way to Johnson’s sixth Sprint Cup Series title.
Johnson led 99 of the 160 laps and pulled away for a victory of 4.758 seconds over Kyle Busch, the largest margin in the race’s 19-year history.
“We were probably in our ZIP code on the rest of the field, but Jimmie Johnson was in his own country today,” Busch said. “We just couldn’t keep up with him. That was the best we had, and it seemed like that was the best anybody had.”
Greg Biffle finished third. He beat Johnson out of the pits on their final stop under caution and held on for three laps after the green flag before getting out of the way and watching in awe as that blue-and-white Chevrolet disappeared out his windshield.
“It didn’t really matter if you were in front of him or not, he was going to pass you in about four or five laps anyway,” Biffle said. “His car was just really, really good.
“He ran me down in two laps from 25 car lengths.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of Johnson’s teammates, finished fourth and moved into the points lead, 14 ahead of Matt Kenseth, who crashed. Jeff Gordon, another Hendrick driver, was fifth.
“I knew second or third lap yesterday on the track that we were going to have an awfully good chance at winning,” Johnson said.
“That confidence that I had helped us through practice yesterday. There were a couple moments where maybe an adjustment didn’t work and we lost a little pace, but I just had a feeling, and I just knew we were going to be fine.”
In Johnson’s eyes, three drivers might have had a chance to challenge him under the right circumstances, pole-sitter Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Gordon.
Or not.
Hamlin led the first 26 laps, but Johnson got around him with a daring pass at the exit of the pits and the narrow acceleration lane. Hamlin retook the lead on the next stop but then slid in Turn 1 on the restart, nearly crashed and dropped into the field never to be a factor again.
“I couldn’t steer it into the corner, and I did it again on the last restart,” said Hamlin, who finished sixth. “We got pushed into the corner and I couldn’t control it after that. It was just one of those days where we didn’t have the car to win anyways.”
Keselowski got to the front with pit strategy, staying out when other leaders stopped and then catching a caution flag on the 94th lap, just after he came in. When the others followed, they ended up behind Keselowski.
But after the restart, Keselowski’s car wiggled in Turn 2 as he battled with Regan Smith, and Johnson squeezed by them both. Keselowski made a spectacular save but finished ninth.
The exchange was the closest Johnson came to danger during a trouble-free day on the track and in the pits.
“I could see how close they were, and I checked up just a little bit, and I’m glad that I did because it gave me time to get turned,” said Johnson who had backed off on the three-wide pass he considered. “I was down on the apron and maybe got a little bit of the grass to avoid (Keselowski’) car as it was spinning around.”
Gordon, who gave owner Rick Hendrick his other four Brickyard wins, lurked all day and gained on Johnson as they ran 1-2 for a time. But he got bottled up in the pits on his final stop, lost several spots and never recovered.
“I don’t think we could have passed him,” Gordon said. “Those guys were definitely the class of the field today and had the track position.”
Johnson became the sixth driver to have won at least four times in major races at the 103-year-old facility, following Gordon, Indianapolis 500 legends A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears (four each) and Formula One’s Michael Schumacher (five).
With three victories this season, Johnson also joined Keselowski and Tony Stewart atop the unofficial standings. Bonus points are awarded for each win when the Chase for the Sprint Cup starts seven races from now.
During that 10-race championship shootout, Johnson, 36, will have the opportunity to move within one championship of the all-time lead held by Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
“I feel really good about the Chase,” Johnson said. “I’m ready for it to start.”
As ready as ever.
