Johnson Wins to Take Points Lead
Jimmie Johnson took the points lead in the Chase for the Nextel Cup after winning today at Dover International Speedway, relegating previous points leader Tony Stewart to fifth
This was Johnson's third victory of the season and he now leads the standings by a mere seven points from Rusty Wallace, who moved up two positions. Pole sitter Ryan Newman remained in third, having finished the race in fifth position.
The 404-lap race around the 'Monster Mile' saw Johnson hold off his teammate Kyle Busch in the closing stages, the two crossing the finish line nose to tail. Mark Martin, who looked set to win the race at mid point, finished third.
Stewart, who held the lead in the points over the past seven rounds, was only able to finish in 18th, having suffered throughout the weekend from an ill-handling car. He now trails Johnson by 23 points and is tied with Greg Biffle, who finished 13th.
There are only eight more rounds to run before the Chase for the Cup is decided.
Pos Driver Make Laps 1. Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 404 2. Kyle Busch Chevrolet 404 3. Rusty Wallace Dodge 404 4. Mark Martin Ford 404 5. Ryan Newman Dodge 404 6. Elliott Sadler Ford 404 7. Jeremy Mayfield Dodge 404 8. Kyle Petty Dodge 404 9. Carl Edwards Ford 404 10. Casey Mears Dodge 404 11. Jeff Burton Chevrolet 404 12. Ricky Rudd Ford 403 13. Greg Biffle Ford 403 14. Brian Vickers Chevrolet 403 15. Dale Jarrett Ford 403 16. Kasey Kahne Dodge 403 17. Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 403 18. Tony Stewart Chevrolet 402 19. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 402 20. Dave Blaney Chevrolet 402 21. Travis Kvapil Dodge 402 22. Mike Wallace Chevrolet 402 23. Kurt Busch Ford 401 24. Scott Riggs Chevrolet 401 25. J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 401 26. Michael Waltrip Chevrolet 401 27. Jeff Green Dodge 401 28. Ken Schrader Dodge 401 29. Jamie McMurray Dodge 400 30. Mike Bliss Chevrolet 399 31. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 397 32. Bobby Labonte Chevrolet 397 33. Bobby Hamilton Jr. Chevrolet 386 34. Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 381 35. Matt Kenseth Ford 367 36. Scott Wimmer Dodge 293 37. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 291 38. Tony Raines Dodge 288 39. Robby Gordon Chevrolet 280 40. Kevin Lepage Ford 197 41. Sterling Marlin Dodge 190 42. Carl Long Chevrolet 144 43. Stanton Barrett Chevrolet 8 The Chase for the Cup - Standings: Pos Driver Points Change 1. Jimmie Johnson 5362 +5 2. Rusty Wallace 5355 +2 3. Ryan Newman 5350 = 4. Mark Martin 5341 +3 5. Tony Stewart 5339 -4 6. Greg Biffle 5339 -4 7. Jeremy Mayfield 5281 +1 8. Carl Edwards 5259 +1 9. Matt Kenseth 5238 -4 10. Kurt Busch 5192 =
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
How real-time scrutineering ensures fair and consistent competition in motorsport
How MotoGP brakes work: Secrets of stopping a 220mph bike
Hyundai enacts contingency plan after WRC Kenya fuel issue
Vanwall working on 2025 WEC comeback with heavily-revised Hypercar
The ex-F1 driver taking on NASCAR with a new team
The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car
How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style
Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments