Subscibe to our feedJohnson Finishes 9th in Kobalt Tools 500
HAMPTON, Ga. – Jimmie Johnson finished ninth in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The three-time Sprint Cup Series Champion started seventh in the 330-lap event and led 11 laps on the way to his 158th career top-10 finish.
Piloting the Kobalt Tools Impala SS, Johnson battled a variety of conditions throughout the day but was able to maintain a top 10 position.
During a cycle of green-flag pit stops early in the race, NASCAR was forced to throw a yellow flag when a crew member from another team chasing a loose tire ran into the front-stretch grass.
Because most teams had pitted, only nine cars remained on the lead lap, including Johnson.
After a Lap 261 pit stop, the Team Lowe’s Racing pit crew picked up three spots on pit road and sent Johnson back to the track in second place. But a penalty for speeding sent the Kobalt Tools Chevrolet to the back of the longest line and Johnson restarted the event 15th.
“The pit road penalty hurt us,” said Johnson, who was able to pick up six spots in the closing laps. “I think we had a top five car today, but we really wanted to get out of here with at least a top-10 and we were able to do that.”
“We kept taking swings at it but we just battled a variety of conditions throughout the day in our Kobalt Tools Impala SS,” he added. “The guys did a good job on pit road and we picked up a lot in points.”
Johnson’s finish moved him to 13th in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings, 177 points behind leader Jeff Gordon, who finished second in Sunday’s race.
Kurt Busch led 234 laps on the way to his second win at the two-mile Atlanta track.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th, while Mark Martin cut a right-rear tire and finished 31st.
Gordon leads Clint Bowyer (-43), Kurt Busch (-46), Carl Edwards (-87) and Matt Kenseth (-88) in the standings.
The Sprint Cup Series will take its first weekend off before heading to Bristol Motor Speedway for the March 22 Food City 500.