By Stephen Hawkins
The Associated Press
FONTANA, Calif. — Jimmie Johnson knows he got lucky. So do the Richard Childress Racing drivers who went from leading to chasing him the final laps.
The fortunate break for Johnson in his victory at California came because he was already in the pits when a late caution flag came out Sunday. The No. 48 Hendrick team completed the stop and Johnson passed the scoring line at the end of pit road before Childress’ Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick were able to cross the start-finish line.
That split-second kept Johnson on the lead lap, and allowed him to regain the lead when everybody else — including Burton and Harvick, who were 1-2 when Brad Keselowski spun in Turn 4 — pitted under yellow. Johnson stayed in front the final 20 laps after the restart.