With his win in Sundays AAA Texas 500, Jimmie Johnson moved ahead of Matt Kenseth by seven points heading into the final two races of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The position of being seven points up with two to go is all too familiar for Johnson. Just last year, Johnson also won the AAA Texas 500 to move seven points ahead of Brad Keselowski only to lose the lead the following week at Phoenix International Raceway after a blown tire resulted in a 32nd-place finish. Ultimately, it cost Johnson his sixth Sprint Cup Series crown. ‘I hope history doesnt repeat itself’ Johnson said after his record-tying, third Sprint Cup Series victory at Texas Motor Speedway. ‘That is the perfect example of this thing isnt over until its over. Last year, we had eight races and two bad ones and didnt get the championship. Very important to finish strong. There are two very important races left.” For Johnson, this years momentum he carries into the final two races has a different feel than last year. A dominating performance in the AAA Texas 500 where he led a race-high 255 laps, coupled with a recent test session at Homestead-Miami Speedway, has him confident about the stretch run. ‘I feel better about Phoenix, honestly, than I did last year leaving here’ Johnson said. ‘Then last year we did not test Homestead and we just came back from Homestead, and that test went really well. So Im optimistic. I feel good. But man, its so weird because Ive been in position before where Ive had these amazing sensations and feelings that a championship was going to happen, and we were able to do it for those five years in a row.”(TMS)
