Johnson holds off Gordon to win at Martinsville
Quote selected text Published April 1st, 2007 in NASCAR News
Jimmie Johnson refused to budge from the bottom of the track and no matter how much Jeff Gordon pushed he didn’t give way before winning Sunday’s Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Nextel Cup race at the Martinsville Speedway. The No.48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet took the checkered flag 0.066 seconds ahead of Gordon.
The victory was Johnson’s third of the season and 26th of his Nextel Cup career.
“I’m speechless,” said Johnson who won the traditional grandfather clock that goes along with a big check. “To have a duel like that at the end, that was some of the hardest driving I’ve ever done. And then to have my bumper beat off by my teammate, in a way that didn’t jeopardize either one of us, was really a class act by Jeff.”
Pole winner Denny Hamlin brought the field to the green flag for 500 laps of short track racing on the flat “paper clip” of Martinsville VA. Hamlin kept the lead while Gordon and Jamie McMurray fought for second place behind the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Gibbs’ other drivers were also doing well with Tony Stewart in fifth and J.J. Yeley in eighth place after 25 laps.
Hamlin led a total of 40 laps before he and most of the leaders came down pit lane during a Bobby Labonte caused caution flag. Elliott Sadler elected to stay on the track and he inherited the lead and five bonus points.
Sadler lasted 10 laps before the newer tires of Hamlin and Gordon took their toll and he fell from the top position. First Hamlin held the lead, then Gordon made a move around Hamlin for the race lead on lap 56.
Through 150 laps, Gordon and Hamlin led 140 of them and were dominating early on. But two other cars were progressing their way through the top-10. They were Stewart, who had dominated at Bristol last week until a fuel pump cable broke and Johnson who always seems to improve as the day goes along.
After 200 laps it was still Hamlin and Gordon, but now Stewart was in third with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in fourth and Johnson up to sixth.
Following a caution flag just past the 200-lap mark, Hamlin’s pit crew had a problem with a lug nut and the No.11 came out 10th after leading for most of the race. Stewart’s No.20 Home Depot crew got him out first and he led six laps - all yellow flag laps. When they went back to green Gordon quickly made the move under Stewart for the race lead.
Gordon was happily cruising along when his No.24 Chevrolet shot up the track and though he kept it off the wall he lost nine positions. Earnhardt Jr., inherited the lead with Stewart in second and Johnson in third.
The two early leaders, Gordon and Hamlin, were stuck in the middle of the field after long pit stops to check out their cars’ problems.
RESULTS:
Pos, St, #, Driver, Sponsor, Car, Pts, Status, Laps
1 20 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 190 Running 500
2 3 24 Jeff Gordon Dupont Chevrolet 175 Running 500
3 1 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Chevrolet 170 Running 500
4 14 5 Kyle Busch Carquest Chevrolet 165 Running 500
5 8 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevrolet 165 Running 500
6 19 31 Jeff Burton Cingular Wireless Chevrolet 150 Running 500
7 7 20 Tony Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet 151 Running 500
8 26 10 Scott Riggs Valvoline Dodge 142 Running 500
9 2 26 Jamie McMurray Irwin Tools Ford 138 Running 500
10 33 17 Matt Kenseth USG Ford 139 Running 500
11 21 07 Clint Bowyer Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet 130 Running 500
12 12 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge 127 Running 500
13 17 88 Ricky Rudd Snickers Ford 124 Running 500
14 24 12 Ryan Newman Alltel Dodge 121 Running 500
15 27 6 David Ragan AAA Ford 118 Running 500
16 23 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Texaco/Havoline Dodge 115 Running 500
17 9 99 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford 112 Running 500
18 28 41 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge 109 Running 500
19 4 21 Ken Schrader Little Debbie Snack Cakes Ford 106 Running 500
20 11 96 Tony Raines DLP HDTV Chevrolet 103 Running 500
21 37 14 Sterling Marlin Panasonic Chevrolet 100 Running 500
22 42 45 Kyle Petty Marathon Oil Dodge 97 Running 499
23 5 18 J.J. Yeley Interstate Batteries Chevrolet 94 Running 499
24 18 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 96 Running 498
25 41 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 88 Running 498
26 36 01 Regan Smith U.S. Army Chevrolet 85 Running 498
27 30 13 Joe Nemechek CertainTeed Chevrolet 82 Running 497
28 38 44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 79 Running 496
29 15 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 81 Running 496
30 39 49 Mike Bliss obovo.com Dodge 73 Running 493
31 10 70 Johnny Sauter Yellow Transportation Chevrolet 70 Running 493
32 34 16 Greg Biffle Jackson Hewitt Ford 67 Running 492
33 43 00 David Reutimann Domino’s Toyota 64 Running 491
34 25 7 Robby Gordon Unsponsored Ford 61 Running 490
35 29 40 David Stremme Coors Light Dodge 58 Running 490
36 32 66 Jeff Green Best Buy Chevrolet 55 Running 487
37 22 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Toyota 52 Running 485
38 40 84 AJ Allmendinger Red Bull Toyota 49 Running 483
39 16 38 David Gilliland M&M’s Ford 46 Running 469
40 13 36 Jeremy Mayfield 360 OTC Toyota 43 Running 451
41 6 29 Kevin Harvick Shell Chevrolet 40 Running 445
42 35 25 Casey Mears GMAC Chevrolet 37 Running 371
43 31 43 Bobby Labonte Cheerios Dodge 34 Running 265
- Johnson and Gordon are past Martinsville
- 2007 All Star video: Harvick holds off Jimmie Johnson
- Charter to sponsor Robby Gordon at Martinsville
- Gordon keeps pressure on, scores pole at Martinsville
- Gordon: I won’t wreck teammate to win
Being my first race at Martinsville, that was awesome! I am not a fan of Johnson or Gordon. Actually I was hoping they would wreck each other. Disappointed to hear Gordon crying after the race. I was happy Johnson didn’t lay down and let Jeff win! That’s why they call it RACING!
here we go with the Gordon haters, Johnson should be glad it was Gordon behind him and not Stewart. I saw the interview, since you were at the race, you didn’t. You can’t tell me anyone who just finished a tight race light that, then have a camera shoved in your face, wouldn’t react that way.
I agree with Bob. If it had been any one else behind the 48, he would have been in the wall. And the same goes for Gordon, if it would have been anyone else, but the 48 he would have put them in the wall.
It was a great race between to great drivers. Yes Gordn was upset, but like he said Johnson did what he had to do.
i’m sick of Jimmie Johnson!
Hey, you two dudes need to stop sucking gordon off. He has been racing his entire life. He knows how to handle an interview (he should). He’s a cry baby. He does have good things to say sometimes but he cries… He also makes mental mistakes… Tire going down? Rubber debris wrapping around the tire? lmao. How about overdriving the corner… Gordon=sad panda. Gordon also equals a great driver.
I also think that if Gordon had it to do over again he would have leaned on Jimmie a little harder. I bet he layed in bed last night wishing he had wrecked him. Jimmie will never get a win like that in front of Gordon again. I’ll put money on it.
Anyone see some people chunk a beer and a couple water bottles at Jimmie and actually hit the car?! haha. That completely changed the composure of Jimmie’s burn out. Jimmie=cry baby also.
So basically you people are saying if anyone else was in front of Gordon he spins them out to win the race? Thats what everyone else already knew. He’s a punk. Thats why Jeff Burton and Mark Martin have both said , “if you have to wreck someone to win a race then you dont desrve to win”.
I love Mark Martin and Jeff Burton… Wrecking someone out is a jack ass thing to do but taking advantage of someone else is not. Gordon should have gotten under him and stayed there a couple of times when Jimmie didn’t hit his marks. Jimmie would have come down on Gordon and wrecked himself. That would be racing, not wrecking. Gordon didn’t do that, but he could have.
Keep it up, haters! Too bad for you that 24 and 48 are dominating this year, huh?
I bet it’s killing you! =)
Actually I believe Mark Martin was leading the points untill he stayed home to relax.
Bob, I am not a Gordon hater, I just don’t like crybabies! I didn’t see Gordon’s post race comments on TV but I heard them on my scanner! Did Mark Martin cry after losing Daytona 500? No. That’s why I respect Mark Martin and will never like Gordon!