Jimmie Johnson Wins Fourth Sprint Cup All-Star Race
Jimmie Johnson won Saturday night’s Sprint Cup All-Star race in Charlotte, North Carolina. The win was the fourth for the Hendrick driver and a NASCAR record.
Johnson led the final 10 laps after the last restart to begin the final 10-lap shootout. In doing so, he was able to cruise to victory in the exhibition event, held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
While the win made the driver of the No. 48 the best all-star driver in NASCAR history, Johnson is also a five-time series champion. His No. 48 Chevrolet finished a comfortable 1.722 seconds in front of Joey Logano.
Kyle Busch followed in third, while Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five. The Busch brothers each won two of the first four 20-lap segments.
In winning Saturday’s race, Jimmie Johnson broke a tie with Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for most All-Star Race victories. Oh, and he also took home a $1 million payout. It was also Johnson’s second win at the exhibition race in as many years, though this year’s rules were vastly different than in 2012.
The 2013 All-Star race was divided into four 20-lap segments, then a final 10-lap shootout. The average finish of the first four segments determined the order in which the field would enter pit road before the final 10 laps.
Johnson started in 18th, so he wasn’t in position to win the first segment. However, he worked hard to gain spots and found himself in third in the final two 20-lap segment. Those third place finished allowed Jimmie to enter pit road fourth, behind Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, and Kasey Kahne.
Thanks to an incredibly fast pit stop, Johnson came off of pit road with only teammate Kahne in front of him. Kasey Kahne picked the outside line for the shootout and Johnson stayed glued to his inside, preventing his teammate from clearing him on the high side.
Johnson made the pass with eight laps to go, moving in front of Kahne, where he stayed for the rest of the race.
Are you glad Jimmie Johnson won his fourth All-Star Race in Charlotte?
[Image via Beelde Photography / Shutterstock.com]
