#48-Jimmie Johnson has two wins and a second-place finish in the first three races of the season – the best start in NASCAR history. In the process, he became the 16th driver to win two of the first three races to start the season. The only reason he doesn’t have a big lead in the Nextel Cup Series standings is Matt Kenseth’s success. He’s got a win, a second and a 15th. Johnson leads Kenseth by 52 points heading into Sunday’s Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. A year ago, seven of the top 10 drivers in the standings after the Las Vegas race went onto qualify for the Chase for the Championship. Five drivers – Ryan Newman (18th), Tony Stewart (19th), Kurt Busch (22nd), Carl Edwards (23rd) and Greg Biffle (25th) – were in last year’s Chase and find themselves playing catch-up. Johnson joins Marshall Teague (1952), Herb Thomas (1954, 3 of 1st 4), Lee Petty (1955, 3 of 1st 5), Marvin Panch (1957), Bob Welborn (1959), Jim Paschal (1963), Richard Petty (1969, 1972 and 1973),
David Pearson (1976. 2 wins & 29th),
Cale Yarborough (1977, 2 wins & 2nd),
Darrell Waltrip (1980, 2 wins & 40th and 1989, 2 wins & 29th),
Dale Earnhardt (1987, 5th & 2 wins),
Neil Bonnett (1988, 4th & 2 wins),
Bill Elliott (1992 27th & 2 wins & 4 of 5 and after 5 races he DIDn’t lead the points),
Jeff Gordon (1997, 2 wins & 4th) and
Matt Kenseth (2004, 9th & 2 wins) as drivers who’ve won two of the first three races of the season.(Augusta Chronicle)(3-13-2006)
