Jimmie Johnson had them covered. After winning the first segment of Saturday nights Sprint All-Star race Johnson and the team took advantage of the format of the All-Star event. Knowing that he would be pitting first when it came time for the mandatory final pit stop and having the best pit stall thanks to his crew winning the pit crew challenge, Johnson simply ran behind the field for the rest of the segments and waited for the end.
On the final mandatory pit stop, Johnson was able to get out first and over the course of the final ten laps, he just checked out and cruised to victory.
What was so ‘All-Star’ about that?
It certainly isn’t Johnson’s fault; he and his team have been masters at pushing the envelope when it comes to rules. A few times it’s come back to bite them but overall Johnson’s 48 team, led by crew chief Chad Knaus has used the rules to their advantage and rode a wave of five consecutive championships. What fans, the other drivers, and NASCAR saw Saturday night was simply a microcosm of what the team has done the last five years. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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