CUP: Johnson Spanks Dover Field

Sprint Cup

CUP: Johnson Spanks Dover Field

Jimmie Johnson won his fourth race of the season Sunday at Dover International Speedway...

Tom Jensen | Posted September 27, 2009 Dover, DE

Jimmie Johnson celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson sent an unmistakable message to his fellow 11 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup on Sunday at Dover International Speedway: The road to the championship still goes through him.

AAA 400 RESULTS

Just as he did in May, Johnson drubbed the field at the Monster Mile, leading 271 of 400 laps to capture the AAA 400, the second race in the Chase. That gave the three-time defending Sprint Cup champion a sweep at Dover, where in the first race this year he led 298 laps in winning.

The victory was the fourth of the year for Johnson and the 44th of his career, tying him with Bill Elliott for 14th on NASCAR’s all-time Sprint Cup victory list.

In earning the victory, Johnson and his No. 48 Chevrolet Impala SS held off his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin, who held onto the Sprint Cup points lead with his runner-up finish. Third was Matt Kenseth in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford, followed byJuan Pablo Montoya's Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevy and Kurt Busch in a Penske Racing Dodge.

Martin is now 10 points ahead of Johnson in the Sprint Cup points standings.

Johnson started from the pole flanked by Juan Pablo Montoya, Johnson quickly pulling away while Ryan Newman moved into second place.

NASCAR threw a competition caution at Lap 27 to let teams evaluate their tires after a day of heavy rains. Several drivers opted for just two tires during the ensuing pit stops, with Newman using a two-tire stop to take the lead over Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard and Johnson.

The race restarted on Lap 31, only to see a huge crash, with Joey Logano’s Toyota doing a frightening series of eight barrel rolls before landing on its side. Logano fortunately was uninjured. Also involved were Robby Gordon, Reed Sorenson and Martin Truex Jr.

Joey Logano Dover Crash

The violent crash started when Bobby Labonte lifted in front of Logano’s car, which first got tapped by Tony Stewart sending it down into the infield. Logano’s car then drifted back up the track and got drilled by Sorenson, sending it tumbling. The crash brought out a 23-minute red flag.

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Tom Jensen

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