(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Heading into the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, there was one thing many NASCAR fans and Chase drivers all needed relief from: Jimmie Johnson.
After dominating last week's NASCAR Banking 500 at "his house," Lowe's Motor Speedway, Johnson extended his championship lead over teammate Mark Martin to 90 points.
Unfortunately for the field, Martinsville happens to be Johnson's personal playground—in 15 career starts at the track, Johnson and company have six wins, 11 top fives, and hasn't finished in the top ten since his first race there back in 2002.
Mark Martin was fastest in the weekend's lone practice session, followed by teammate Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya, who was looking to rebound after his disappointing 36th-place finish last weekend.
Ryan Newman tied Buck Baker with career poles, winning his 45th on Friday.
With the fans giving the command to start engines, the “Rocket Man” led the 43-car field to the green flag at 1:47 local time.
It quickly fell to single file up front as Newman led Gordon, Truex, Jr., Martin, and Reutimann rounded out the top five. Chasers Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Denny Hamlin were stuck back in traffic, battling within the first five laps for 15th and back.
Trouble occurred on lap eight as Matt Kenseth got into the No. 47 of Marcos Ambrose, collecting Robby Gordon and Derrick Cope along with him. They would all beat leader Newman back to the start/finish line, remaining on the lead lap.
Choosing the inside lane, Newman led the field to the green on lap 13, quickly taking the lead and leaving Truex, Jr. to battle side-by-side with Gordon. The two battled hard, with Truex getting loose and nearly running the No. 24 into the wall.
Gordon took the lead from Newman on lap 23 as they went into turn four, while his teammate Johnson continued to pick up spots, moving up to sixth after starting 15th. Kyle Busch was also making strides, and ran 29th after starting all the way back in 41st.
On lap 43, Michael Waltrip—with a flat left rear tire—spun right in front of third place Johnson, but missed the championship leader. His spin would be the second caution of the day, and NASCAR used the yellow as their planned lap 50 competition caution.
At 30 miles per hour, Gordon led the field down pit road, and while the No. 24 took just two right side tires, his teammates Martin and Johnson took four, along with the majority of the lead lap cars. Hamlin nailed the back of the No. 88 of Earnhardt, Jr., giving both cars damage as they exited pit road.
Side-by-side, Gordon and Truex, Jr. led the field to the green on lap 51, with Gordon quickly taking the lead while Johnson stole second from the No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet a lap later. Further back, Montoya, Earnhardt, Jr., Harvick, and Bowyer all battled for seventh through 10th, with Bowyer getting loose on the inside of his teammate, slipping back.
After starting 15th, it took Johnson just 60 laps to take the lead. By lap 61, all four Hendrick drivers ran in the top five. Gordon, though, would continue to fall back after losing the lead after taking two tires.
“We need to tighten this thing up,” Gordon said as he continued to lose spots. “Oh, and we need tires.”
Approaching 90 laps into the race, it was Johnson leading Newman, Martin, Montoya, and Hamlin as caution came out for Earnhardt, Jr. loosing a tire and hitting the wall. Johnson led the field down pit road, with everyone taking four tires.
On lap 94 Johnson was quick, as all the leaders had been on restarts, to jump out ahead of the field and leave his competitors in the dust. Newman and Martin and Gordon and Montoya all had great side-by-side battles for second through fifth, ending with Newman regaining the spot he'd lost on pit road.
Montoya and Gordon had a great side-by-side battle, trading fourth and fifth back and forth before JPM managed to get Gordon going into the turn and taking the position.
“I don't know what's wrong with him,” Gordon said over the radio after the contact. “But I'm [expletive] pissed!”
Meanwhile, Johnson continued to dominate 113 laps in, leading Newman by just over a second.
Truex, Jr. brought his No. 1 Chevrolet down pit road on lap 126, telling his crew he felt the right rear tire was coming off his car. He would lose two laps. Just as Truex came back onto pit road, Earnhardt, Jr., who would have been the lucky dog, brought out the day's fourth caution by once again making contact with the wall.
Johnson once again won the race off pit road, and restarted on lap 137 with an aggressive Montoya, who was able to clear the No. 39 to charge toward the lead.
Side-by-side, the pair ran and Montoya charged to the lead as they entered turn three on lap 141.
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