Finally: Jimmie Johnson scores first career win at Bristol Motor Speedway

BRISTOL, Tenn. – When the 2010 season began, Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus had a checklist of things they wanted to accomplish.

At the top of the list – right behind a fifth straight Sprint Cup championship – was winning at Bristol Motor Speedway, a track that has given Johnson problems over the years.

Quite frankly, the sport’s most dominant driver was tired of sucking at one of NASCAR’s most exciting and most popular tracks.

“Everything around Bristol is what people focus on,” Johnson said. “There are parties for it. The fans get excited for it. To walk into this facility and look around, you want to run well here.

“It's been a real downer for me to walk through the gates, look around [and say], ‘Man, I'm going to suck today, wreck on lap five today.’ I really had that mindset coming here.”

Not anymore. Johnson checked Bristol off his list Sunday by winning the Food City 500 in dramatic fashion.

And he did it by beating Kurt Busch, Bristol’s most successful driver over the past decade.

Johnson charged from sixth to first in the final 10 laps, making a daring three-wide move past Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle for second, and then darting past Tony Stewart to take the lead.

He beat Stewart to the checkered flag by 0.89 second for his third win this season. It was also his 50th career victory, tying him with Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 10th on the all-time win list.

Busch, who has five wins at Bristol, led a race-high 278 laps but wound up third after losing the lead on the final round of pit stops.

Biffle finished fourth, Kenseth fifth and Edwards sixth. Johnson's teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was seventh and Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray finished eighth.

Kevin Harvick, who finished 11th, maintained the points lead but is just one point ahead of Kenseth. Johnson is third, 14 points back, while Biffle trails by 24.

After taking the checkered flag, Johnson celebrated like he had won another championship.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” he yelled over his team radio before lighting up the track with a smoky burnout.

“Every win is extremely special, but when a track kicks your butt for so long and you finally can win at that track, there's just something really unique about that,” Johnson said in his post-race press conference. “That's what I experienced today.”

It was not easy. Johnson trailed Busch for much of the day. He led 73 laps early before settling into the top five and waiting for his chance.

Busch dominated the second half of the race and held the lead over Johnson when a caution flag for debris flew on lap 484.

When the leaders pitted, Johnson and Busch both took four new tires, but Biffle, Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Stewart each took just two, shuffling Johnson and Busch back in the pack.

When the race restarted on lap 490, Biffle held the lead while Busch was fifth and Johnson sixth.

Johnson had one big advantage, though – he was starting in the outside lane while Busch was stuck down low behind Edwards.

When Kenseth and Edwards both spun their tires on the restart, it held up Busch and allowed Johnson to make a charge to the outside.

He swept past Kenseth on the outside while Biffle and Stewart battled for the lead. As soon as Stewart passed Biffle for the lead, Johnson darted to his outside and took the point with seven laps remaining.

Busch said Johnson got the “luck of the draw” by restarting in the outside line.

“We just got bottled up by the 99 [Edwards] on the inside lane,” Busch said. “The outside seemed to prevail all day long. That’s where the 48 was able to restart. When luck shines your way, it shines your way. It’s tough to overcome it all.”

Knaus chalked the win up to Johnson’s spectacular driving in the final 10 laps.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of luck in that one. That was just driving,” Knaus said. “We had the good lane being on the outside. That’s where you want to be, especially with guys with two tires on the inside of you.”

“I definitely know being on the outside lane was helpful,” Johnson said. “Each restart the leader chose the outside lane. At the beginning there were a couple guys that went for the inside lane and it didn't pan out. Being on the outside was helpful.

“I was in third or fourth before I exited turn two. [Kenseth] did not get a good restart. … But I was able to make some really aggressive moves, get by [Stewart] and [Biffle].

“[Busch] finished third, so he didn't even get by [Stewart]. I know he had an amazing car all day long. We chased him. There at the end, when the money was there at the end for that ten‑lap dash, we had everything go our way, plus the fastest car.”

As excited as Johnson was to finally win at Bristol, it was a devastating loss for Busch, who wanted to beat Johnson as bad as Johnson wanted to win at Bristol.

“Losing to the 48 sucks,” Busch said. “I would rather lose to any of the other 41 cars out there than this 48.”

Though Johnson had struggled for years at Bristol, he had actually showed great progress in the past two years, finishing third and eighth in his previous two races here.

Knaus said the team focused on Bristol during the off-season and early this year and was excited about their prospects this year. Johnson backed that up by qualifying fourth and leading the final two practice sessions.

“For him to say he wanted to focus on that and get better at this race track and then go out there and do what we did, that speaks volumes about the dedication and desire he has got inside,” Knaus said.

“It’s no different than any other race track; we want to win every single event. But this one has eluded us and we’re very proud to be able to have it.”

Team owner Rick Hendrick said Johnson’s milestone victory is another example why he is one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history.

“It was a great win,” he said. “It was one of those tracks that Jimmie and Chad wanted to win at. …

“When there is a challenge or something he hasn’t done, he always ratchets it up, he and Chad both, to get it done.”

Johnson’s third win in five races this year also sends a sobering message to the rest of the championship contenders.

“If we’re winning here,” Johnson said, “I think we’ve got something for them the rest of the year.”