Starting from 37th place Jimmie Johnson won the 56th Annual Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race

2015 Mar 1 NSCS_Race_030115_13Photo Credit: 305920Sarah Glenn/NASCAR via Getty Images
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor
QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 1, 2015 in Hampton, Georgia.

Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his 71st win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series & 4th at Atlanta. This is Johnson’s 1st win & 2nd Top 10 finish in 2015. This is his 4th win & 15th Top 10 finish in 24 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 2nd Place Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Budweiser Chevrolet started from 2nd place posted his 10th Top 10 finish in 25 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his second top-10 finish in 2015. 3rd Place Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet started from 9th place posted his 13th Top 10 finish in 28 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

4th Place Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford started from pole, Joey Logano leads the point standings by 1 point over Jimmie Johnson. 5th Place Car 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota started from 36th place followed by 6th Place Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet started from 14th place. 7th Place Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Better Than Bouillon Chevrolet started from 11th followed by 8th place Car 55 Brett Moffitt Aaron’s 60th Anniversary Dream Machine Toyota started from 22nd place. 9th Place Car 2 Brad Keselowski Detroit Genuine Parts Ford started from 12th place. Lastly in the Top 10 was Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet in 10th place, started from 7th place.

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500Photo Credit: 305918Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
A large incident occurs in turn three during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on
March 1, 2015 in Hampton, Georgia.

The race had 10 Cautions for 54 Laps: 1st Caution on lap 27 for Competition caution. 2nd Caution on lap 48 for Debris on the backstretch. 3rd Caution on lap 61 for Car 3 Austin Dillon DOW Chevrolet Spin in Turn 2. 4th Caution on lap 95 for Fluid in Turn 3 from Car 40 Landon Cassill(i) Snap Fitness Chevrolet. 5th Caution on lap 176 for Debris on the frontstretch. 6th Caution on lap 183 for Debris on the backstretch. 7th Caution on lap 253 for Debris in Turn 3. 8th Caution on lap 258 for Car 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet, Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota, Car 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet, Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet accident on the backstretch. 9th Caution on lap 299 for Fluid on the frontstretch from Car 35 Cole Whitt Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters Ford. 10th Caution on lap 306 for Car 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, Car 15 Clint Bowyer 5-Hour Energy Toyota. Car 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford. Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fifth Third Bank Ford, Car 34 Joe Nemechek(i) CSX Play It Safe Ford, Car 42 Kyle Larson Energizer Chevrolet crash in Turn 3 [Red: 9:01].

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500Photo Credit: 305915Jonathan Moore/Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, lead the field on the first lap during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 1, 2015 in Hampton,
Georgia.

The race had lots of Lead Changes with 28 among 12 drivers: J. Logano 1-27; J. Nemechek(i) 28; J. Logano 29-48; M. Bliss(i) 49; J. Logano 50-67; M. Bliss(i) 68; J. Logano 69-86; K. Harvick 87-95; J. Logano 96; D. Gilliland 97; K. Harvick 98-138; D. Hamlin 139; B. Keselowski 140-141; M. Kenseth 142-147; K. Harvick 148-176; D. Hamlin 177-189; K. Harvick 190-197; J. Johnson 198-211; K. Harvick 212; J. Johnson 213-225; K. Harvick 226-253; J. Johnson 254-261; D. Earnhardt Jr. 262; J. Johnson 263-293; C. Bowyer 294; B. Moffitt 295; J. Johnson 296-300; M. Kenseth 301-304; J. Johnson 305-325.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): K. Harvick 6 times for 116 laps; J. Johnson 6 times for 92 laps; J. Logano 5 times for 84 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 14 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 10 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 2 laps; M. Bliss(i) 2 times for 2 laps; J. Nemechek(i) 1 time for 1 lap; D. Gilliland 1 time for 1 lap; C. Bowyer 1 time for 1 lap; B. Moffitt 1 time for 1 lap; D. Earnhardt Jr. 1 time for 1 lap.

2015 Mar 1 NSCS_Race_030115_01Photo Credit: Sarah Glenn/NASCAR via Getty Images
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, lead the field to the
green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 1, 2015 in Hampton,
Georgia.

Chase Grid Outlook: 1.J. Logano 88 (1 wins);2.J. Johnson 87 (1);3.K. Harvick 86 (0);4.D. Earnhardt Jr. 84 (0);5.M. Truex Jr. 75 (0);6.C. Mears 68 (0);7.K. Kahne 65 (0);8.A. Allmendinger 62 (0);9.A. Almirola 62 (0);10.C. Bowyer 58 (0);11.D. Gilliland 56 (0);12.S. Hornish Jr. 55 (0);13.G. Biffle 54 (0);14.C. Edwards 54 (0);15.D. Ragan 53 (0);16.D. Patrick 51 (0).

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500
Photo Credit: 305912Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images
Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmie John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 1, 2015 in Hampton, Georgia.

Jeb Burton (35th) was the highest finishing rookie.

Starting from 37th place Jimmie Johnson didn’t take the lead in the second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season until Lap 198.

Jimmie Johnson said “We had a great race car, and unfortunately the way qualifying went (Friday), we didn’t have a good pit stall pick, and it took us a long time to get in front of the Car 19 (Edwards. Once we did that, we were able to utilize our awesome pit crew; get the stops done and race for the win and get the job done today.”

“Just very, very thankful. They (the team) surprised me today. We weren’t that good (Saturday in practice), and they really dug deep and figured out what I needed in this race car and gave me an awesome Lowe’s Chevrolet.”

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500Photo Credit: 305922Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 1, 2015 in Hampton, Georgia.

With the win, Johnson is all but assured of remaining the only driver to have qualified for every Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the inception of the playoff format in 2004.

“I think it is pretty much a lock, as long as we have a smooth season,” Johnson said. “I think if we win a second one, it is definitely a lock. But this takes a ton of pressure off.”

Another tough day for Car 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet who got taken out in late race crash, just as he came from the back & worked his way to the Top 10.

2015 Mar 1 nscs_atlanta_fohqt500

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 2
Unofficial Race Results for the 56Th Annual Folds Of Honor Quiktrip 500
– Sunday, March 1, 2015
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA – 1.54 Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 325 Laps – 500.5 Miles – Purse: $6,299,292

Finishing Position Starting Position Car # Driver Team Laps Status
1. 37. Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 325 Running
2. 2. Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Budweiser Chevrolet 325 Running
3. 9. Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet 325 Running
4. 1. Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 325 Running
5. 36. Car 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 325 Running
6. 14. Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet 325 Running
7. 11. Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Better Than Bouillon Chevrolet 325 Running
8. 22. Car 55 Brett Moffitt Aaron’s 60th Anniversary Dream Machine Toyota 325 Running
9. 12. Car 2 Brad Keselowski Detroit Genuine Parts Ford 325 Running
10. 7. Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 325 Running
11. 23. Car 43 Aric Almirola Fresh from Florida Ford 325 Running
12. 5. Car 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 325 Running
13. 13. Car 27 Paul Menard Duracell/Menards Chevrolet 325 Running
14. 10. Car 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 324 Running
15. 21. Car 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 324 Running
16. 18. Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 324 Running
17. 38. Car 41 Regan Smith(i) Haas Automation Chevrolet 324 Running
18. 17. Car 18 David Ragan M&M’s Crispy Toyota 323 Running
19. 29. Car 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 323 Running
20. 16. Car 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 323 Running
21. 8. Car 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Medallion Bank Ford 323 Running
22. 26. Car 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 322 Running
23. 42. Car 7 Alex Bowman Nikko/Toy State Chevrolet 322 Running
24. 25. Car 15 Clint Bowyer 5-Hour Energy Toyota 321 Running
25. 19. Car 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 320 Running
26. 6. Car 42 Kyle Larson Energizer Chevrolet 320 Running
27. 24. Car 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial Ford 320 Running
28. 31. Car 62 Brendan Gaughan(i) A-S Medication Solutions Chevrolet 320 Running
29. 32. Car 33 Michael Annett Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet 319 Running
30. 39. Car 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 319 Running
31. 27. Car 32 Mike Bliss(i) Rimrock Design Ford 318 Running
32. 33. Car 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 318 Running
33. 28. Car 34 Joe Nemechek(i) CSX Play It Safe Ford 318 Running
34. 30. Car 23 JJ Yeley(i) Dr. Pepper Toyota 316 Running
35. 40. Car 26 Jeb Burton # Maxim Fantasy Sports App Toyota 316 Running
36. 20. Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fifth Third Bank Ford 302 Accident
37. 41. Car 35 Cole Whitt Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters Ford 295 Engine
38. 4. Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota 284 Running
39. 15. Car 3 Austin Dillon DOW Chevrolet 282 Running
40. 3. Car 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet 256 Accident
41. 35. Car 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet 256 Accident
42. 34. Car 30 Ron Hornaday Jr. Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet 187 Rear Gear
43. 43. Car 40 Landon Cassill(i) Snap Fitness Chevrolet 92 Engine

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series, # Rookie this season for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Race Comments: Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: #4 (engine change), #14 (missed driver introductions), #33 (driver change). Failed to Qualify: (4) 66 Mike Wallace, 83 Matt DiBenedetto, 46 Michael Annett, 29 Reed Sorenson.

Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 49 Mins, 06 Secs. Average Speed: 131.078 MPH Margin of Victory: 1.802 Seconds

3M Lap Leader: Kevin Harvick, #4 116 Laps Coors Light Pole Award: Joey Logano, #22 194.683 mph Ingersoll Rand Power Move: Kevin Harvick, #4 8 positions Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Hendrick Engines, #4 Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Kevin Harvick, #4 Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race: Jimmie Johnson, #48 crew chief Chad Knaus, 0.340 seconds. Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Denny Hamlin, #11 Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Jeb Burton, #26

2015 Feb 27 atlanta motor speedway logo

Next Race: Mar. 8, 2015 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series.html

Graphics & Photos Courtesy of NASCAR

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