(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)
Jimmie Johnson was seeing red after Kurt Busch pulled off the “short track bump and run” on him with just seven laps to go in the race. The four-time Sprint Cup champion was not a happy camper!
“Inside the car, I was livid,’” Johnson said. “I was so pissed off that he got into me. I thought, I don’t care if I win this race or not; I don’t care if I finish this damn thing, I’m running into him and get by one way or another.”
It took Johnson five laps to catch Busch and there was a lot of anticipation as the #48 Chevrolet moved up on the rear bumper of the #2 Dodge.
But better judgement overcame anger as Johnson nudged Busch on lap 299, pulled nearly even at the finish line and then shot into the lead heading into the first turn on lap 300 in the 301-lap race. He went on to win for the second straight week as Tony Stewart bumped past Busch on the final lap to take second away.
Busch didn’t realize that he had angered Johnson by his “bump and run”. Busch thought that it was just good short track racing. Johnson, however, didn’t see it that way. Fortunately for Johnson he had a few laps to get over his anger before he reeled in the back bumper of Busch’s “Blue Deuce”. Dealing with his anger allowed Johnson to pass Busch rather than wreck him, possibly himself as well. Instead Johnson record his fifth victory of the season and his second victory in a row.
Here is the official results for the Lennox Tools 301.
The next race track for both the Nationwide and the Sprint Cup drivers is the restrictor plate race at Daytona International Speedway over the July 4th weekend. These two races should provide some excitement for the fans!
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
