Johnson wins at Pocono

Johnson, who had the dominant car from the start, appeared to be thwarted by the caution on Lap 154 (of 200), after Ricky Craven's blown engine oiled the track. The pace car failed to pick up Johnson, the leader, and Johnson thus had to come around the 2.5-mile track at caution speed one more time before pitting. When he finally reached the pit lane, he found it closed, due to crewmen having to push Craven's car to the garage.

Meanwhile, the NASCAR official guarding the pit entrance had signalled the lane open before Johnson made the extra circuit, allowing several others of the leaders to pit. That shuffled the order, putting Jeff Gordon in front, followed by Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, Jeremy Mayfield and Terry Labonte. Johnson came out of the confusion in sixth place.

And in addition, the caution stops came short of the teams' fuel window (about 38 laps), leaving Johnson and crew in high anxiety over a great opportunity gone suddenly wrong.

Fortunately for NASCAR, and for Johnson, caution came out again on Lap 167, when Rusty Wallace lost brakes and rammed the car of Michael Waltrip, both spinning into the wall. Gordon, Kahne and others pitted, with Johnson thus moving to second place, behind Mayfield.

Johnson immediately ambushed Mayfield on the restart (Lap 173) with an outside move into Turn 1. There was no assurance, however, that he would have enough fuel to finish. However, three subsequent cautions allowed Johnson to save gas, and he was primed to go hard at the last restart on 188.

Mayfield made a couple of valiant tries, especially off the second turn, but Jimmie held his line each time.

The ending was as confusing as the rest of the race, which counted a record 57 laps under caution. Caution came out on Lap 190, when Jamie McMurray unwisely attempted a three-wide move through the second turn, caving in the left-front fender of P.J. Jones. As NASCAR attempted to ready for a restart, engines blew in Dale Jarrett's contending car and in the Ford of Jeff Burton.

More troubling, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick got into an on-track scrap, with each spinning the other out under caution. Both were called to the office for consultation afterwards.

Johnson thus rolled to victory under yellow, ahead of Mayfield, Bobby Labonte (who rallied from an early oil-filter failure), Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Junior, as at Dover last week, made the best of a difficult day and maintained his points lead. He is up by 58 marks heading to next week's mid-season run at Michigan.