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Monster mash Johnson ties rookie wins record after season sweep at DoverPosted: Sunday September 22, 2002 5:17 PMUpdated: Sunday September 22, 2002 9:43 PM
DOVER, Del. (AP) -- When Jimmie Johnson looked in the mirror, Mark Martin was almost too close to see. So, the rookie figured he was going to have trouble keeping the lead in the waning laps Sunday at Dover Downs International Speedway. But he held off a late rush by points leader Martin and tied the Winston Cup record for most victories by a rookie when he got his third of the season. "I'm still trying to catch my breath," said Johnson, explaining that Martin was so close all he could see was the windshield.
The 27-year-old Californian matched Tony Stewart's 1999 mark for victories by a first-year driver. He also became the first since Stewart in 2000 to sweep the races on The Monster Mile, where Johnson won in June. Johnson joined Richard Petty as the only drivers to win their first two races at Dover, but feels like he has considerably more to do before he's established. Crashes and mistakes, particularly early in the season, have humbled him. "I've had plenty of reminders that I'm a rookie," he said. "I'd trade some youth for experience in a heartbeat." He'd also like to have an additional 25 points --the amount NASCAR penalized him and crew chief Chad Knaus for a rule infraction in July -- now that he's second in the series standings.
"If we lose the championship by 25 points, you'll probably see a headline that says Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus committed suicide," Johnson said. But youthful enthusiasm knows little about pressure. "We're not supposed to be in this position," Johnson said. "We just go out race our butts off and see what happens." Although he qualified 19th, Johnson won the $3.9 million MBNA All-American Heroes 400 by a half-second over Martin for the eighth sweep in track history. "These races are won by teamwork," Johnson said. "The top four cars were so equal." Johnson praised his crew's fast work that helped keep him in front.
"Clean air is always better, but the car still worked good in traffic." Johnson took the lead for the final time on the 245th lap, and Martin closed to within a few car-lengths, but was never able to get alongside Johnson. "We could get to him but we'd lose the front end," Martin said. "We put ourselves in a pitiful position Friday with a dumb qualifying effort. Martin started 32nd in a field of 43. "Man, the 48 was fast at the end, but our car was pretty good," he said. Martin, who claimed the points lead a week earlier, is 30 ahead of Johnson with eight races remaining. "We're going to tracks [that] have been good four us, three or four tracks where we think we can win," Johnson said.
It was the 108th victory for Hendrick Motorsports, a four-car team led by four-time series champion and four-time Dover winner Jeff Gordon. He and boss Rick Hendrick are partners in the ownership of Johnson's Chevrolet. "In the beginning of the year we just wanted to make races," Hendrick said. "I had no idea that with eight races to go that we'd be in this position. He's a heck of a talent." After the Ford of Martin came the Fords of Dale Jarrett and Matt Kenseth. Stewart was fifth in a Pontiac. The winner led four times for 170 of 400 laps on high-banked concrete oval. He averaged 120.805 mph in a race slowed six times by cautions covering 37 laps. There were 15 lead changes among seven drivers. Hideo Fukuyama of Japan, the first Asian to compete in NASCAR's top division, finished 39th. Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Ricky Craven and Johnny Benson completed the top 10.
On lap 65, John Andretti tagged the rear bumper of Todd Bodine, sending his Ford Taurus spinning off Turn 4. Gordon also spun to avoid Bodine and his Chevrolet slid backwards into the infield retaining wall. "We shouldn't have been back there in all that stuff anyway," said Gordon, who rejoined the field on lap 174 and finished 37th. "We were really struggling. We couldn't pass anybody. We were just trying to bide our time." Ward Burton and Jerry Nadeau brought out the first caution on lap 27 when Nadeau's Dodge Intrepid grazed the outside wall and ricocheted down on Burton's Dodge, which slammed into the inside retaining wall. "I don't know if he pinched me up into the wall or I just got into him, but we both wrecked," Nadeau said. Said Burton, "When the 44 pushed off the wall, he came into me because I was right beside him. I tore it up really bad. I hate it. One careless mistake and we're out of the race." Bobby Labonte's day ended on lap 115 with a blown engine that prompted the fourth caution.
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