* Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This marked the sixth victory by Johnson at Lowe’s, tying him with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for the most by any driver at that racetrack. Johnson did it in 17 races while Waltrip took 34 and Allison took 36 races.
* This was the 22nd straight Chase race won by a Chase driver.
* This marked Johnson’s third win in the first five races in the 2009 Chase. Johnson has won at least one race in every year of the Chase: 2004 (four wins), 2005 (two), 2006 (one), 2007 (four) and 2008 (three). He is the only driver to score three wins in the first five Chase races.
* Johnson scored his 46th career victory in his 286th start. Johnson moved into a tie for 13th with Buck Baker on NASCAR’s all-time wins list. It was Johnson’s eighth career victory from the pole.
* Johnson holds the points lead by 90 over second-place Mark Martin. This is the largest points lead with five races to go — the previous was 69 by Johnson in 2008. The largest points lead overcome with five to go was 146 in 2006 by Johnson.
* Johnson scored his sixth victory in 2009, the most by any driver this season. This is the eighth consecutive season that Johnson has won a race (2002-2009).
* Johnson scored his first top-5 finish in his past six races at Lowe’s.
* Hendrick Motorsports scored its series-leading 16th victory at Lowe’s, the most by any team. Johnson scored the 12th win for Hendrick this season.
* Johnson led five times for a race-high 92 laps, including the final 14. He extended a 16-race streak of leading a lap at Lowe’s. With his lead in Saturday’s race, Johnson has led in 42 of the 55 Chase races. He has led in 26 of 31 races this season, a series best.
* Johnson’s worst finish in the past 31 Chase races (since Lowe’s in October 2006) is 15th (Texas and Homestead in 2008).
* Matt Kenseth (second) scored his third top-10 finish in his past four races at Lowe’s.
* Kasey Kahne (third) extended a five-race streak of top-10 finishes at Lowe’s.
* Jeff Gordon (fourth) scored his fourth top-10 finish in the past five races at Lowe’s. He extended a five-race streak of top-15 finishes at the track.
* Rookie Joey Logano (fifth) was the highest-finishing rookie.
* Kyle Busch (eighth) extended a five-race streak of top-10 finishes at Lowe’s.
* Martin Truex Jr. (ninth) posted his first top-10 finish in his past 20 races.
* Tony Stewart (13th) has been running at the finish in the past 54 races, the longest current streak.
* Kevin Harvick finished 18th in his 275th consecutive series start at Lowe’s. This was Harvick’s 317th career start.
* Martin (17th) ended a streak of seven straight top-10 finishes. He extended a six-race streak of lead-lap finishes at Lowe’s.
* Bobby Labonte finished 31st in his 575th consecutive start, the second-longest current streak behind Jeff Gordon. This was Labonte’s 577th career start.
* Juan Pablo Montoya (35th) posted his fifth finish of 28th or worse in six races at Lowe’s. Montoya dropped from third to sixth in points.
* Denny Hamlin (42nd) was the lowest-finishing Chase driver.(ESPN)(10-20-2009)
