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Jimmie Johnson takes Sprint Cup win at Atlanta

 
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates after winning Sunday's Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.   Getty Images
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates after winning Sunday's Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Getty Images
Published March 2, 2015

HAMPTON, Ga. — The season just started. The calendar hasn't even turned to spring. Yet Jimmie Johnson has all but wrapped up a shot at his record-tying seventh Sprint Cup title.

Quickly establishing he's one of the drivers to beat — boy, that sounds familiar — Johnson pulled away after the final restart with 13 laps left to win Sunday's Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Two days after a failed inspection prevented him from making a qualifying run, the six-time NASCAR champion picked off drivers left and right from his 37th starting spot.

By the end, there was no doubt the No. 48 Chevrolet was the fastest car on the track, finishing a comfortable 1.803 seconds ahead of defending Cup champion Kevin Harvick after leading a race-high 92 of 325 laps.

"I knew through about two sections of corners that we were going to have an awesome day," Johnson said.

It was Johnson's 71st Sprint Cup victory, fourth at the 1.54-mile Atlanta track. That should give him a spot in the Chase for the Championship, going for a title that would tie him with Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.

"I definitely think it gives you a sign of who's going to be competitive," said Johnson, who didn't win in 2014 until the 12th race. "It takes the pressure off in some ways."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third, followed by Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano, who started from the pole and led 84 laps early.

After a crash on Lap 305 brought out a red flag for nine minutes, Johnson was at the front. When the green flag waved, he got a good jump, fended off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Earnhardt down the backstretch, and was firmly in control from there.

"I got outside of him there on that last restart, but I knew in Turns 3 and 4 I didn't have the preferred line," said Earnhardt, whose chances were further damaged when his car struck some debris.

A crash on Lap 257 took out Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Jamie McMurray. Gordon hit an exposed inside wall on the backstretch — just beyond a SAFER barrier. Track officials had increased the padding in Atlanta after Kyle Busch smashed headfirst into an unprotected wall during the Xfinity series race on Feb. 21 in Daytona, leaving him with serious leg and foot injuries. "I found the one spot where there's no SAFER barrier," said Gordon, who wasn't injured. "Hopefully, soon, they'll get that fixed."