Johnson salvages third-place finish as Harvick repeats at Phoenix

Jimmie Johnson has been tested throughout his NASCAR career, but the five-time champion survived one of his toughest test yet today at the Advocare 500.

Johnson started the race on pole for today’s race, but nearly wrecked on the first lap when the 22 of Joey Logano tapped Johnson going into Turn 3, causing Johnson to fall backwards. Johnson said that he had to use “some of his dirt racing skills out in the desert in Arizona”, to earn a third-place finish. Johnson made those comments reflecting on the fact that races at Phoenix International Raceway are considered to be short races. “This is in no way a short race,” Johnson said.

That was not the only close call for the 48 this afternoon. Johnson was on the outside of Carl Edwards when eventual race-winner Kevin Harvick took it three-wide into Turn 1 and did not touch Edwards, but Edwards subsequently got loose under the 48, nearly causing him to crash. “There was a point in the middle of saving it that the tail-end was pointing towards the fence and I thought I was going to hit. I’m very thankful.”

Matt Kenseth struggled all afternoon, finishing a lap down in 23rd. When asked if Johnson was surprised at how badly Kenseth struggled this afternoon Johnson said, “I was very surprised, but I went through the same thing last year.” Kenseth said on his day, “I can’t say I was overly confident about what we had.” Kenseth wasn’t dazzling in practice. However, an average practice position of 6th isn’t bad, but Kenseth was not even close to that mark during the race. At times Kenseth didn’t even know what to fix on the race car. “I don’t even know how to fix it,” Kenseth said.

The race was marred with eight cautions, including a late debris call on lap 183 to set up a final dash to the finish with interesting strategies put into play. Carl Edwards appeared to be on his way to sweep the races here at Phoenix International Raceway this season, but ran out of fuel coming to the white flag, giving the win to Kevin Harvick. Harvick celebrates his fourth win of 2013 and as a repeat winner of the fall event here in Phoenix.

Jimmie Johnson enters Homestead with a commanding 28 point lead over Matt Kenseth, but it doesn’t mean that it’s all over. Johnson looked like he could pull off the incredible last season to defeat Brad Keselowski, but suffered a broken rear gear. The same can happen to any of the drivers still with a mathematical shot at earning the Sprint Cup Series championship. With that being said, it’s going to be an amazing champions week at the Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend. For those fans that follow the old system, Jimmie Johnson would have clinched his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship today.