Sunday's win has Johnson thinking championship

Jimmie Johnson celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Sharp Aquos 500 at the California Speedway on Sunday. Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

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Jimmie Johnson showed he's back in championship form on Sunday evening at California Speedway.

The reigning Nextel Cup Champion hadn't been to victory lane since May 6 in Richmond, Va., his fourth win of the year at that time. As he slowly fell in the standings, many people overlooked the California native as a title contender. They were wrong.

It was just business as usual for Johnson. "Historically we get off to a great start, have a slow summer and finish up strong," Johnson said. "And it looks like, for whatever reason, our cycle is coming back. It's just kind of what happens for us. I don't really know why, but I'm glad we are back in victory lane."

Jeff Gordon, Johnson's teammate and car co-owner, continued to have a commanding lead in the points. But under the Chase to the Nextel Cup rules, that huge lead goes away when the points are reset after next Saturday evening's race in Richmond.

It doesn't matter that Johnson is sixth overall in the points now. By being the first five-time winner this season on NASCAR's senior circuit, the worst Johnson can do after the next race is to be tied with Gordon for the lead.

When NASCAR CEO Brian France announced in January that Nextel Cup winners would, for the first time in the history of the current rules, receive a 10-point bonus for a Cup race win, that put more emphasis on winning.

I'm not sure the new rules went far enough to emphasize winning, but Johnson will benefit, and for good reason.

Speaking about championship contenders, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s last chance to make the Chase before leaving for Hendrick Motors Sports is not looking good.

"It was so hot out there you kind of get aggravated," Earnhardt said in a weary voice after the race, "I'm tired, real tired."

Reacting to a question about his chance to make the field of 12 who can be in the Chase, Junior replied, "I don't know much about the system, I never cared to. I just go out there and run as hard as I can. It doesn't look like we're going to make it, but we're not going to quit trying until they tell us we're not [in it]."

While Junior moved up closer in the standings, he's still 138 points behind the 12th-place driver this week, Kevin Harvick.

Key Moment

Johnson pits on lap 166 and gets a wedge (handling adjustment) when the leaders come in during a debris caution. On lap 170 Johnson takes the lead and is not seriously challenged again.

Hot Numbers

The top eight drivers in the points standings are now locked into the Chase. With four spots open, only five drivers have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.

Really Hot Numbers

Depending on who you talked with, the air temperature reached 107 degrees before the start of the race, which translated to track temps of 140 degrees. It soared to 150 degrees inside the cockpit.

Spinning my Wheels

Marcos Ambrose gets a do-over. One of the feel-good stories of this year happened when Robby Gordon provided a Nextel Cup car for Australia's Ambrose at Watkins Glen, a week after an on-track confrontation cost both of them a victory in the Busch race in Montreal. The only problem was, qualifying was rained out and Ambrose never got an opportunity. Gordon says he's going to enter Ambrose in one of his Ford Fusions for Dover.

Money, money, money

How much incentive is Toyota giving Joe Gibbs Racing?

Conventional wisdom was that there would not be a direct payment, but just technical support in terms of wind tunnel or transient dyno. This week rumors flew through the super-heated garages that in addition to technical support, Toyota would be paying $20 million for the opportunity to be associated with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Crossing Over

Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian world driving champion in Formula One in 1997, will make his NASCAR racing debut in the Craftsman Truck series on Sept. 22 in a Bill Davis Toyota Tundra at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.