Johnson wins in Texas as tempers boil

Johnson celebrates

Jimmie Johnson might be out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but he's not about to give up collecting trophies.

Johnson won his third-consecutive Texas Motor Speedway fall race in a three-lap green-white-checkered finish over Kevin Harvick in a wild race that culminated in a massive pit-road brawl between Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski and dozens of crewmembers.

Chase drama at its best.

Johnson, who was eliminated from the Chase following the race at Talladega two weeks ago, earned his fourth victory of the season and 70th of his career, and for the second week in a row denied a Chase contender a shot at an automatic berth into the final round of the Chase in two weeks at Homestead.

"It's a testament to this team and the fact that we'll never give up," said Johnson. "We'll always keep fighting and keep trying to make our cars better. We're not in the Chase and not where we want to be – fighting for the championship. It's just a Chase that was tough for us but to redeem ourselves here and come out with a victory is really cool."

Johnson Leads

Gordon had been leading since getting past Johnson on a restart with nine laps to go and was on cruise control as Johnson, Keselowski and Harvick battled for position behind him, but a single-car incident involving Clint Bowyer brought out the caution once again with two laps to go, setting up a green-white-checkered shootout.

Just after the green flag waved, Keselowski tried to force his way in between Gordon and Johnson going into turn one, resulting in Keselowski cutting down Gordon's left-rear tire. Gordon began to free-fall through the field before finally spinning out and bringing out the caution flag.

On the final restart, Johnson pulled out ahead as Harvick pressured Keselowski for second, finally making the pass as they came to the white flag. Despite making up a little ground on Johnson on the final lap, it wasn't enough as Johnson took the win by four car lengths.

Keselowski was third, followed by Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray.

After his spin, Gordon pitted before the pit lane was open and was slapped with a penalty and wound up a lap down, finishing 29th.

After the race, Gordon parked next to Keselowski on pit road and tried to confront him, but was held back by members of Keselowski's crew. As Keselowski tried to walk away, Harvick moved in a pushed Keselowski back into the fray, where Gordon got a hold of him and touched off a melee that drew in crewmembers from at least six different teams.

Gordon and Keselowski both emerged from the scrum bloodied and bruised, with Gordon still seething over the on-track incident that cost him a shot at the victory.

"He's just a dip-(expletive)," said Gordon of Keselowski. "The way he races, I don't know how he's ever won a championship and I'm just sick and tired. That's why everyone is fighting him and running him down. Your emotions are high. That was a huge, huge race for us. We had the car and had the position. I'm so proud of my team and I'm proud of Jimmie Johnson for winning that race and not letting that little you-know-what win that race."

Keselowski, despite being involved in his second post-race fight in the last three weeks, was unapologetic afterwards.

"I came here to race, not to fight. I raced as hard as I could and these guys just didn't like it. That's not the way I race. I don't wreck people to win," Keselowski said. "There was a hole and I went for it. It closed up and we bounced off each other and kept going. It was just a battle for the win. There was a gap. It closed up. By the time it closed up, I was committed, and I stayed in it. That almost won me the race. It hurt somebody else's day. That's a shame.

"I don't necessarily enjoy being disliked. But it beats the alternative of not being known at all by a long ways."

After coming into Sunday's race as the points leader, Gordon dropped to fourth in the standings, 10 points behind Joey Logano, who rebounded from a bad pit stop and a late-race spin to finish 12th and is now tied for the point lead with Denny Hamlin.

Ryan Newman averted disaster after picking up a tire-rub following contact with Matt Kenseth in a late-race battle for position, but a timely caution flag allowed him to pit and salvage a 15th-place finish and hold onto second in the Chase standings.

Despite coming home as the highest Chase finish, Harvick is still last in the standings among the eight remaining Chase contenders, 18 points behind the leaders.

He, too, has been fed up with Keselowski's actions on the track, and sent a clear message by essentially pushing Keselowski into the fight.

"I didn't get in the middle of anything. I just turned (Keselowski) around and told him to go fight his own fight," said Harvick. "If you're going to race like that, you're going to have to man up at some point. I mean, he's done it several times. Can't just turn around and let everybody fight all the time without you in there. Have to stand up for your actions at some point yourself."

QUOTES

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S RED VEST CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER
WHAT DOES THIS WIN MEAN FOR YOU CONSIDERING WHAT THIS TEAM HAS BEEN THROUGH THIS SEASON?
"It's a testament to this team and the fact that we'll never give up. We'll always keep fighting and keep trying to make our cars better. We're not in the Chase and not where we want to be – fighting for the championship. But it's a great day today with this Red Vest Lowe's Chevrolet. I'm so happy to win this race and say thank you to all the men and women that work in the stores and wear that vest each and every day. It's just a Chase that was tough for us but to redeem ourselves here and come out with a victory is really cool. Last weekend in Homestead where we were testing, we found some speed we've been missing and we found comfort in the car and got it right. We had a great test there and brought that stuff here. Old Red got it done!"

YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT WITH YOUR SIX CHAMPIONSHIPS. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, THE EMOTIONS AND THE FIGHTING THAT IS GOING ON DURING THIS CHAMPIONSHIP RUN?
"Yeah, it's intense and emotions run high. When someone does you wrong and you don't have a chance to repay them on the race track, most bring it in the garage and do something there. Emotions are high. We're all in a position to win a championship and this is what happens. I'm sure it was highly entertaining today. I can't wait to go back and watch the tape. Once again, I'm so proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports – great car and great engine – Lowe's, Chevrolet, Kobalt Tools… just a fantastic day."

CONGRATS ON THE WIN. NOT SURE IF YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED ON PIT ROAD AFTER THE RACE:
"I saw a little bit on the big screen going down the back straightaway. I would definitely have to go to the tape and watch and see what happened there. I know that second to last restart I got hit from behind and I know Brad (Keselowski) got to my outside and I guess in the process of running into me and getting to the outside lane he ruffled some feathers in the process. Just and exciting night for us, we had a very fast race car, led a lot of laps. Those cautions at the end, one restart would help me the other would hurt me and in the end we got it done."

FOUR WINS THIS YEAR, NOW FOUR WINS AT TEXAS YOU OWN THE RECORD FOR WINS AT TEXAS. HOW ABOUT IT YOU ARE NOT EVEN A CHASE DRIVER, BUT YOU TOOK ANOTHER ONE FROM THESE CHASE GUYS:
"We should be a Chase driver. We just had a slow start to the Chase and last week and this week it was and Homestead we were down there testing and really got our car under me like I look for and what I need. We brought all those things here and qualified third and won the race. We are back on track. Unfortunately we didn’t find this stuff a month or two ago, but that is the way racing goes."

A FEW WEEKS AGO PEOPLE WERE QUESTIONING THE RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU AND CHAD KNAUS (CREW CHIEF) MIGHT HAVE. I GUESS WE CAN QUIT TALKING ABOUT THAT NOW?
"Yeah, he will be my crew chief as long as he wants to climb up on that box. Crew chief’s live in dog years so I would imagine he is going to have enough before I have enough, but just such a great run of events. Sure we were frustrated, sure we wanted to be fast, but you are going to have high emotions in any team sport when you are not doing well, especially, when you are a championship caliber team. It is just how it is. Old red got it done. We have a lot of people that wear that Lowe’s red vest each and every day that I want to say thank you to and dedicate this win to them."

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 2ND
YOU HAD SOMETHING TO SAY TO (BRAD) KESELOWSKI WHAT WAS THAT?
"I mean if you are going to run into people all the time you are going to have to fight your own fight, so I helped him get into it."

ON HIS RUN:
"Yeah, just proud of my Budweiser guys they did a great job. Everybody doing everything they can do to get all they can."

TELL US ABOUT THE END OF YOUR RACE.
"Yeah, you just try to do all you can do. Obviously it was no-holds barred there with the 2. He was in bulldoze mode. I’m proud of all my guys on our Budweiser team. We fought all day and put ourselves in position to win. A lot happened at the end of this race, and we were able to put ourselves back in the hunt."

SEEING THE EMOTION AFTER THE RACE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU HOW THIS CHASE IS BEING PLAYED?
"It’s being played rough. It’s one of those deals where everybody is trying to get everything they can. You just do everything you can do to do the best for your team."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 29TH
WHAT WAS IT THAT UPSET YOU SO MUCH?
"We drove down into Turn 1 and he just decided to body slam us and cut our left-rear tire. It ruined our night. It ruined our chances, ruined our night, might of even ruined our Chase hopes. It’s just uncalled for. I had to show my displeasure. It got ugly down there, obviously, and you know that is alright. A lot of things are going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

IS THIS EMOTION THAT WE ARE SEEING FROM A LOT OF YOU GUYS A RESULT OF THIS NEW CHASE FORMAT?
"It’s emotion that is a part of this Chase and this format as well as towards people that make dumb decisions. He has been making a lot of them lately. That is why people have been running after him and chasing him down. It’s why his team has got to defend him over there because of what he does on the race track."

TAKE US THROUGH THE FINAL RESTART AND THE CONTACT.
"We were sitting there on a little bit older tires. I spun the tires a little bit but got a pretty decent start. We went down into Turn 1 and I just wanted to get on the outside of the 48 and out of nowhere I just got slammed by the 2 and it cut my left-rear tire. He’s just a (expletive). The way he races, I don’t know how he’s ever won a championship and I’m just sick and tired. That’s why everyone is fighting him and running him down. Your emotions are high. That was a huge, huge race for us. We had the car and had the position. I’m so proud of my team and I’m proud of Jimmie Johnson for winning that race and not letting that little you-know-what win that race."

YOU PULLED ON THE PIT ROAD TO TALK TO TO BRAD (KESELOWSKI). WHAT WAS THAT CONVERSATION?
"There wasn’t a conversation. You can’t have a conversation with him. He gets himself in this position and he has to pay the consequences. I’m going to race him the same way he races me. That kind of stuff is just uncalled for and I’m not going to stand for it."

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES AS FAR AS YOU’RE CONCERNED? SHOULD NASCAR GET INVOLVED OR IS THIS BETWEEN YOU TWO?
"To them, I’m sure it’s a racing incident. But to me, it’s just a bunch of crap. The kid is just doing stuff way over his head. That’s just uncalled for. You’re racing for a win and a championship. You don’t go slam someone and cut their left-rear tire. If that’s what it takes, then no problem. We can do the same thing to him."

WHAT HAPPENED AT END OF RACE: "He cut my left rear tire. I went over there to talk to him."

YOU WEREN'T GOING TO BE DENIED TALKING TO HIM, DID YOU WANT TO SEND A MESSAGE TO HIM: "I wanted to do a lot more than that."

TALK ABOUT CHALLENGES HEADING TO PHOENIX: "We are just going to take this fire that’s inside of us and this momentum, we are going to take to Phoenix and win that race."

Results