October 22, 2007
By Ron Felix

Johnson Leads Gordon * CIA Stock Photo

Same result, different race.

Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon traded the lead several times in the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday but in the end it was Johnson that prevailed. The race ended in a green-white-checkers finish with Johnson in the lead, Ryan Newman was running second and Jeff Gordon was in third place. On the restart Newman got up along-side Johnson but on the white flag lap, a spin by David Ragan in Turn 2 ended the race. Newman never got the chance to deal with Johnson.

“I saw Ryan back there and I knew he was hungry; he hasn’t won in a while,” Johnson said. “I was more worried about him in the closing laps than the 24 (Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon).”

Newman settled for second and Gordon was forced to take the third spot.

“I still wish we had that last lap back” said Newman, referring to the last-lap caution that took away any chance for a final pass. “I got inside of him and then the white and yellow came out. But it was a great run for us.”

For Johnson, it his seventh victory of 2007 and the 30th of his 215 race career. It is Johnson's fourth win at Martinsville and his third straight at the last short track race of the season. Johnson is the first driver to win three in a row at Martinsville since Rusty Wallace did it in 1994-95. Johnson and Gordon have won eight of the last ten races at Martinsville Speedway.

There was some mild controversy about the final position of Kyle Busch. It appeared that he had passed Gordon for the third spot when Ragan spun but NASCAR referred to the last scoring loop and Gordon had the edge over Busch.

Matt Kenseth brought his Ford home fifth followed by Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick to round out the top ten.

Johnson tightened up the points race a bit, he picked up a total 15 on Gordon and still sits second in the standings. Gordon has a margin of 53 over Johnson and 115 over Clint Bowyer. Johnson led a total of 147 laps but Gordon was the lap leader at 168 of the 505 run on Sunday.

Juan Pablo Montoya was the rookie of the race with his eighth place finish. It was Montoya's sixth top-10 finish in 33 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. He took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 14th time this season.

“We had a good day," said Montoya. "We worked on the car all day and couldn’t get where we wanted to be, but I think in general it was a great day. A top-10 here, it’s a big thing.”

Montoya led today’s race once for nine laps and led for the first time since Infineon Raceway (race No. 16). This is the second consecutive short track race that a Raybestos Rookie has led a lap. Paul Menard led once for one lap at Richmond (race No. 26). Unofficially Montoya is 20th in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.

The Nextel Cup Series moves to the Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday, October 28th, for the 33rd race of a 36 race schedule. The 2006 Bass Pro Shop 500 was won by Tony Stewart.



For full race results...     (Insider Racing News)
For top-40 Nextel Cup drivers points...     (Insider Racing News)