NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon winners at Fontana
Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) are the winner of NASCAR races at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Johnson wins Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series’ Auto Club 400 race while Dillon took shocking victory from Kyle Busch at Saturday’s TreatMyClot.com 300 race of Xfinity Series.
California’s hero Jimmie Johnson took the victory
Johnson’s 77th Sprint Cup victory
California’s hero Jimmie Johnson won the against another hometown hero Kevin Harvick, in the overtime of Auto Club 400 race at Fontana’s 2-mile oval. It was Johnson’s 77th Sprint Cup victory which put him in front of late Dale Earnhardt on seventh place on the all-time victory list.
The six-time series champion took the lead after final overtime re-start on Lap 204. The last caution was caused by Kyle Busch, who blew a tire and hit the wall on Lap 198. All the leaders, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson, took the new tyres for re-start. Hamlin chose the outside lane for a re-start, leaving Johnson behind Harvick in the inside lane. Johnson pushed Harvick clear of Hamlin into Turn 1 and took the lead. He defended the lead and took his second season’s victory and his sixth in 22 starts at Fontana.
Joey Logano finished fourth, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Rookie Chase Elliott, Carl Edwards, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski and Jamie McMurray completed the top 10. Austin Dillon, who started from pole, finished on 24th place after a loose wheel forced him to return to pit road after stops under caution on Lap 110.
Video: Last laps at Auto Club Speedway
Check the full results of Auto Club 400 race
Austin Dillon wns NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway
Lucky victory for Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon was a lucky winner of Xfinity Series race the day earlier. “I’d rather be lucky than good,” Dillon commented after he stole the win from Kyle Busch, who drove the last lap with cut left front tyre.
It was a shocking last lap: Busch slowed down because of the tyre problem, Daniel Suarez took the lead and run out of fuel, Busch regain the lead and finally Dillon passed Busch few seconds before the finish line. Busch was the leader in 133 of 150 laps and he was ready for his fourth consecutive NXS victory, but the winner was somebody else.
Darrell Wallace Jr. finished third, and Suarez limped across the finish line in fourth place. Elliott Sadler finished fifth. Kevin Harvick, Brendan Gaughan, Kyle Larson, Brandon Jones and Justin Allgaier completed the top 10. Wallace’s car failed post-race Laser Inspection Station, the penalty will be declared next week.
Video: Superexciting last lap of Xfinity Series race
Check the full results of Xfinity Seriesd race at Auto Club Speedway
Photos: Getty/nascar.com
