Jimmie Johnson will be one of the final four contenders to race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship as a result of his win in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
The Martinsville race was the first in the Round of Eight, final three-race round of the Chase Grid races. Any of the eight remaining championship contenders that win one of the three races in this round of The Chase will automatically be included in the four drivers that will have a shot to win the championship in the final race at Miami-Homestead Speedway November 20th. On the other end of the spectrum, following the three races in this round, the four remaining contenders who are lowest in points and do not have a win will be eliminated from title contention for that final race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
While there was plenty of drama on the track during the Martinsville race with Chase drivers getting pit road speeding penalties, having small issues between each other on the track while racing and a few other issues; the race was pretty tame by NASCAR short track racing standards. There were only five caution periods during the race. The final caution did take a long time to sort out the re-start order by NASCAR as it happened at an awkward moment during green-flag pit stops with most of the field having been on or still on pit road and a small number of cars that had yet to pit. When it was all sorted out, there were only ten cars that remained on the lead lap when the green flag waived.
Most of the race it appeared that the winner of the race would be a Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team car or affiliated team car. Four of the five JGR associated cars were in the top five most of the race. In fact, 374 of the 500 laps of the race had one of those JGR cars out front with the race lap-leader being Matt Kenseth at 176 laps out front.
However, Jimmie Johnson was one of the cars that had not pitted yet when that final yellow flag was issued. So, when the race was re-started, he made his way to the front of the field to take the lead on lap 409. Jimmie, who had won at Martinsville eight previous times in his Sprint Cup career, was able to check out on the rest of the lead lap cars and hold that lead for the last 92 laps to win his ninth Martinsville Grandfather Clock Trophy. He also is now tied with Jeff Gordon on the all-time Martinsville win list behind “The King” Richard Petty who has 15 wins at the track and was the honorary started of the race.
Brad Keselowski was able to get past the JGR cars to claim a second place finish. The JGR drivers held down third though fifth place with Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch respectively rounding out the top five. See the complete race results for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway here.
As a result of winning the race, Jimmie Johnson becomes the NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano round out the top five respectively in the point standings. See the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings here.
Jimmie (as mentioned previously) automatically earns a spot in the final four on the Chase Grid. This will be the first time that he has a chance to win his seventh championship in the Championship Race since NASCAR moved to the Chase Grid playoff style for the championship. See the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid here.
The NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup heads to the wide-open racing of Texas Motor Speedway this week for the AAA Texas 500 Sunday, November 6th.
By: Buck Stevens
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: The Bandit Flight team performs a fly-over during pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #78 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota, leads the field past the green flag to start during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Cars race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, and Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, lead Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 State Water Heaters Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #78 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, leads the field into turn one during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, leads Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, celebrates with his team and a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/NASCAR via Getty Images)
-
- MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 30: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, and his daughter, Lydia, affix the winner’s decal on his car in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2016 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/NASCAR via Getty Images)
