NASCAR Sprint Cup: Jamie McMurray Wins, Everyone Still Chasing Jimmie Johnson

You never wish bad luck to any race car driver, but that is exactly what needed to happen at the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The mission for the Chase contenders, should they choose to accept it, was to find a way to get an advantage on NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson, who is gunning for his fifth consecutive title.

A potpourri of action took place in just the first 50 or so laps that could have significant ramifications for the Chase. Ryan Newman's spin caused Tony Stewart to check up and get rear-ended. The damage to his right rear quarter panel could have been critical to his car's down force and then he nearly collided with Carl Edwards on a pit stop causing Stewart to have to back up.

The bad luck you never wish upon a driver ended up being self-inflicted as Jimmie Johnson took his car for a spin on lap 34 when going into turn 2 a bit hot and then blowing a tire. Strange that he did the same thing in the May race at CMS and he finished 37th. 

Kurt Busch tried to make history by winning the May race, the Sprint Cup Challenge and the Bank of America 500. His attempt at history was foiled when he took his car for a spin—much like Newman—by going into a turn too fast, too high, too early.

Though Jeff Gordon was surprised to get the pole, he did lead the the first laps and remained a front-runner, but Kyle Busch took the lead and held it during most of the first 100 laps. Soon after, though, he radioed that his throttle was sticking, causing him a little extra work in the cockpit. 

Busch continued to lead, though, and then a debris caution came out and Busch said the throttle  began working. After a pit stop he left pit road in the lead.

Johnson had one more little mishap when he was squeezed by Clint Bowyer leaving his pit stall. Damage was not significant to the No. 48, but Bowyer had a perfect donut on the side of his car much like the one on Johnson's car.

Denny Hamlin said pre-race that he would not drive aggressively until the last three races in the Chase, but Joe Gibbs Racing gave him a strong ride. You could see Hamlin changing his mind a third of the way through the race when he figured out just how good his car was.

Pit strategy and games with tires came into play with after Kasey Kahne and his loose car spun into Sam Hornish, bringing out a caution. Mark Martin led a new group with older tires when they took the green flag.

Johnson was one of a group of cars that chose not to take tires. On lap 141 Johnson had rebounded to third position, but you had to wonder about the pit strategy. Thoughts of not being able to keep Johnson down in the Chase began filtering in.

Kevin Harvick told his crew chief Gil Martin, "he couldn't pass a freakin' car." Martin tried to calm him since it was only near the mid-point of the race and they could regain track position. The driver who was third in the points going into the race was definitely showing his frustration.

On lap 189, Jimmie Johnson took the lead, Chad Knaus took a deep breath and the rest of the Chase contenders wondered if there was anything they could do to stop him.

Jeff Gordon badly needed a win at this race, but on lap 191 he lost power and went a lap down and was in 23rd position. He switched to another battery in hopes it was not really an alternator problem.

Marcos Ambrose spun and great work on pit road under the caution gave Kyle Busch hope again as he regained the lead. Johnson had some pit problems that dropped him four places and Gordon got the lucky dog pass to put him back on the lead lap.

On lap 225 Jeff Gordon told his crew chief Steve Letarte that his car was "terrible." The Bank of America 500 was proving tough medicine for Gordon who thought this might be one of his best chances to grab a win.

With 88 laps to go, another Chase contender, Jeff Burton, took his No. 31 for a spin, bringing out the eighth caution of the night. He had been running 16th prior to the spin, so his evening was hardly spectacular.

As the green flag waved it was Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson continuing to battle for the lead and Jamie McMurray appeared to be a possible spoiler with a very fast car that was able to stay near the front much of the race.

In round five of the ten race Chase it wasn't the non-Chasers who caused problems for those contending for the title. In the cool of the night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, several of the those in the top half of the point standings proved to be their own worst enemies.

With 39 laps to go, Gordon had to serve a speeding penalty for the second week in a row. His night continued to spiral down as he rode around in 24th position.

Kyle Busch had some great pit stops throughout the race, though his last one cost him a second or so, but he continued to lead with 31 laps to go. Busch was fighting to win and stay in contention to make a run against Johnson.

With 26 laps left, a debris caution came out leaving tire strategy a big question. Knaus dropped his head when the caution came out, knowing he had an important call to make for his driver who was running third.

On the restart, Busch had not taken tires, nor did McMurray in second or Johnson in third. Knaus said, "we've had a little bit more drama than we wanted." He was proud of his driver and thought he had made the proper call.

McMurray charged to the lead, followed by six Chase contenders. Kyle Busch ran second and Johnson continued to close in from third position with eight laps to go. Johnson was trying every line he could find to pass Busch, but as the white flag waved, Johnson just couldn't get him.

McMurray captured another big one for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing after winning the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400.

Yes, they call it the Chase, but as strong as Johnson is at most all of the tracks in the Chase format, it really doesn't matter who wins because the current champion still leads in the point standings.

Johnson said he couldn't give up, and he knew that the track would come to him, but that he had fun racing Kyle.

After watching the Bank of America 500, it just proved that the Chase is about 11 other drivers trying to beat a driver, Jimmie Johnson, and his crew chief, Chad Knaus. They have their program for the final 10 races down to an exact science this year just as in the past four years.

Only a few drivers have any chance of challenging the driver of the No. 48, and depending on the outcome of Martinsville and Talladega, it appears they might just keep on chasing Johnson until he has the NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy in his hands for a fifth consecutive time.

Johnson currently has an unofficial point lead of 41 over Hamlin. The finishing order for the top-five was Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle.