Johnson avoids pitfalls

Jimmie Johnson, when he is not at the top of his form, knows how to tidy up and avoid problems. Indeed, the three-time champion of Nascar was not at its best at Talladega. On the fastest oval of the year, Johnson started from pole position, due to the cancellation of qualifying due to rain. Although he hoped to score the bonus points reserved for cars leading the race for at least one lap, the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet failed to maintain his advantage on the first lap, leaving Mark Martin to take control.

After a fairly impressive change of leader (26 different leaders), everything is decided at the end of the race. Jamie McMurray took the lead 37 laps from the finish, during the 57th (!) change of leader. With 24 laps to go, Jimmie Johnson is thirtieth and sees his rivals Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon in a position to make up part of their gap in the Sprint Cup Series general classification. But the incidents at the end of the race changed the established order.

Ryan Newman, a few minutes from the end of the race, goes across the track and then sees his car lift, fall on that of Kevin Harvick, before sliding on the roof and ending his race in the grass after several rolls (see pictures). The yellow flag is waved, before the red flag, and the driver takes several minutes before getting out of his Chevrolet.

At the restart, Jamie McMurray maintains his advantage, Jimmie Johnson climbs to 12th place, but a new accident disrupts the end of the race. Kurt Busch was pushed, went sideways and the bowling sent several drivers into error, notably Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. The yellow flag is out and the race ends like this, Jamie McMurray winning with authority. Jimmie Johnson, having avoided the pitfalls of the penultimate lap, moved up to sixth place and did an excellent job, collecting big points while his direct opponents were holding back.

With almost 200 points ahead of Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson is almost assured of a fourth consecutive crown. It would now take an incredible combination of circumstances for the Hendrick Motorsports team driver to be deprived of a new reward.