DOVER, Del. -- Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line seventh in Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Dover International Speedway. The result was his eighth top-10 at the Monster Mile and his fifth of the 2008 season.
Johnson started the 400-lap event fourth but reported a loose-handling Chevrolet as soon as the green-flag waved over the all-concrete oval.
After avoiding a lap 19 melee that collected 11 cars, including six within the top 12 in driver points, the Team Lowe's Racing driver continued to battle a loose condition as he made his way toward the front of the field.
But following a lap 153 pit stop, the No. 48 team suffered a setback when Johnson was penalized for speeding on pit road. He was relegated to the end of the longest line and forced to restart 16th.
Johnson continued to battle the handling of the Lowe's Chevrolet, and with only one caution period from lap 160 to lap 400, long green-flag runs hindered the championship driver's climb to the front.
"The (lap 19) wreck changed the race because a lot of good cars went out and a lot of guys racing in the points," said Johnson. "We wanted to be smart and keep that in mind. But I got caught speeding on pit road and had to rally back from that. We lacked a little speed, but we were close. All in all, it wasn't a bad day."
The seventh-place finish moved Johnson up two spots to seventh in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings.
Johnson's teammate Jeff Gordon finished fifth in the 400-mile event, and Casey Mears was credited with a 17th-place finish. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a victim of the lap 19 accident and finished 13 laps down in the 35th spot.
Kyle Busch led the field to the checkered flag, earning his fourth Sprint Cup win of the season. He was followed to the finish line by Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Gordon.
Busch continues to hold the top spot in the series' driver point standings, ahead of Jeff Burton, Earnhardt Jr., Edwards and Biffle.
The next stop on the Sprint Cup circuit is Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The series tested at the 2.5-mile tri-oval Monday and Tuesday, with Johnson ranking in the top 10 in all three sessions. Johnson has two wins and seven top-10 finishes in 12 starts at Pocono.
That race will be broadcast live on TNT beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.
TOP 10 FINISHERS AT DOVER
1. Kyle Busch
2. Carl Edwards
3. Greg Biffle
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Jimmie Johnson
8. Jeff Burton
9. Dave Blaney
10. Jamie McMurray
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS DRIVERS' FINISHING POSITIONS
5. Jeff Gordon
7. Jimmie Johnson
17. Casey Mears
35. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
TOP 12 IN POINTS AFTER DOVER
1. Kyle Busch
2. Jeff Burton -142
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -271
4. Carl Edwards -337
5. Greg Biffle -392
6. Jeff Gordon -404
7. Jimmie Johnson -406
8. Clint Bowyer -417
9. Denny Hamlin -420
10. Kevin Harvick -484
11. Tony Stewart -499
12. Kasey Kahne -526
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS DRIVERS' POINTS POSITIONS
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -271
6. Jeff Gordon -404
7. Jimmie Johnson -406
25. Casey Mears -857
POCONO RACEWAY SCHEDULE (all times EDT)
Friday, June 6
Sprint Cup practice, noon, SPEED
Sprint Cup qualifying, 3:30 p.m., SPEED
Saturday, June 7
Sprint Cup practice, 10 a.m., SPEED
Sprint Cup final practice, 11:20 a.m. (broadcast 5:30 p.m., SPEED)
Sunday, June 8
Pre-race, 12:30 p.m., TNT
Race, 1 p.m., TNT
