Jimmie Johnson is back.
After the two-time defending champion was overshadowed by Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards during the first two Chase of the Cup races, Johnson grabbed the spotlight by winning the Camping World RV 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.
Johnson’s victory, which he claimed by holding off Edwards during the final lap, thrust him to the top of the points standing for the first time this season.
“I think this was one of the best examples of total team effort,” said car owner Rick Hendrick. “This just shows why they are champions. It was a hard-fought deal today.”
Johnson struggled to start the year, and even with consecutive victories entering the Chase, it was Sunday’s performance at Kansas that finally made it apparent the No. 48 team is peaking at the right time to continue its dominance.
“Winning the race is a huge boost of confidence for the team, for myself,” Johnson said. “It helps beating [Edwards], without a doubt. I feel really good about us closing the gap.”
For the next seven weeks, the Chase will revolve around the field chasing Johnson as he chases legend Cale Yarborough — the only driver to win three straight titles.
“I haven’t thought much about Cale yet,” Johnson said referring to Yarborough’s record run from 1976-1978. “At some point, it will hit me like a lead balloon. I think with two, three [races] to go, that’s when you really start worrying about your position and protecting it.”
But right now Johnson can’t focus on the future — he has too much at stake in the present, beginning with the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.
“At this pace, it’s going to take somebody having some bad luck to get a [points] gap,” Johnson said. “You’re not going to outrun people week to week. You just focus on your game, focus on your car, your stops, and at the end of the day, you take the points sheet and look at it.”
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