After finishing 35th last weekend at the season opening Daytona 500, many wondered if maybe, just maybe, this would be the year that Jimmie Johnson would be dethroned. For the driver who hasn’t finished better than 26th in his previous three seasons, the four-time defending champion showed little worry.

And after last Sunday’s Auto Club 500, any doubt about Johnson’s ability to repeat went out the window, as he and crew chief Chad Knaus once again worked their magic, beating the caution flag onto pit road and holding off Kevin Harvick late to win at Johnson’s home track in Fontana, California.

“Today fortune came our way when we hit pit road and the caution came out and it gave us track position,” Johnson said. “We lost the handle the second half of the race. The fact that we were on pit road gave us track position and I drove my butt off, and we finally got our car turning.”

Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray captured the pole on Friday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway, but it became evident early on the Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet would be a force to be reckoned with. Jeff Burton and Juan Pablo Montoya also led a large number of laps in the early part of the race, but each time Johnson found his way back to the front of the pack.

A race, which saw only six cautions, only two of which were actual wrecks, leading to plenty of green-flag pit stops for drivers. Johnson’s car began to fade off later in the race, but he happened to be on pit road with 27 laps remaining when Kasey Kahne spun to bring out the caution. Johnson’s crew completed their pit stop to get Johnson back on track before the field came around, allowing him to inherit the lead when the leaders opted to make their final pit stops.

Johnson then held off a late charge from Harvick to win his 48th career race, moving him into 11th on the all-time wins list. It was also John-son’s fifth win and 11th top-10 finish at Auto Club Speedway in 15 races.

Harvick was second, followed by Jeff Burton in third. Mark Martin was fourth, followed by Joey Logano in fifth. McMurray, the Daytona 500 winner, finished 17th.

Martin Truex Jr. of Mayetta, started 36th, and suffered mechanical failure on lap 64. He never returned, and finished 39th.
Nationwide Series: Kyle Busch passed Greg Biffle in the final turn last Saturday to win the Stater Bros. 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Brad Keselowski was third, followed by Carl Edwards in fourth. Polesitter Joey Logano led a race-high 130 of 150 laps, but finished fifth.

Danica Patrick, making her second career Nationwide Series start, finished her first complete race, starting 36th and finishing 31st.

Coming Up: The Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series head to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the sport continues its cross-country span of the opening weeks.

Bruce Knoll, 17, of Eldora, can be contacted by email at bknoll jr4cmcherald@yahoo.com

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