Johnson Takes Chase Lead After California Win

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup continues on Saturday night at Lowes Motor Speedway with the 10-race playoff reaching its halfway point this weekend. The standings have a different look than when the Chase field was set just a few short weeks ago with “One Last Race to Make the Chase” at Richmond International Raceway, but as the series heads to the Charlotte area, a familiar name once again sits atop the Chase standings.

Jimmie Johnson earned his fifth victory of the season and 16th career Chase victory with a win at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. this past weekend, taking over the Chase standings once again in his quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. No driver has been better in the Chase since its inception in 2004, as Johnson’s 16 victories are by far the most, ahead of Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards’ six career Chase wins.

Johnson’s path to the top of the standings this season though hasn’t been easy, and the Hendrick driver has just a 12-point lead over teammate Mark Martin after four race. Juan Pablo Montoya has also been on a tear in his first Chase appearance, trailing Johnson by 58 points in third place. Johnson’s average finish over the first four races is 3.8, but astonishingly Martin and Montoya’s average finishes are even better – both at 3.5. Montoya is the only driver to record a top-five finish in each of the four Chase races.

Tony Stewart is still in the championship hunt after a fifth-place finish at Auto Club, standing in fourth 84 points out of first. Jeff Gordon continues to inch his way up the point standings as well, following a runner-up finish in California to move up two spots in the standings to fifth, 105 points behind teammate Johnson.

As the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup heads down the stretch, continue following the Chase standings on RIR.com’s Chase page. The dynamic Chase module, also located on the home page of RIR.com, will give you the up-to-date standings, as well as other information about each of the drivers vying for the championship.