Johnson Wins the Race, Loses Popularity Contest

CONCORD, N.C. â€”  His first two wins were immensely popular. This one earned Jimmie Johnson a shower of boos and beer cans.

Johnson became the first driver to win three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s on Sunday night when he slid past Bobby Labonte in the final turn of the wreck-filled race.

But Johnson quickly found out that it wasn’t a popular victory when fans threw beer cans at his car during his cool-down lap and booed him when he began his celebration. So likable in his first three seasons, Johnson has slipped the last month after rival drivers accused him of aggressive driving that caused several accidents.

“I saw a few of them throwing beer cans at me,� he said. “I don’t think they liked [the win], but that’s all right. It’s been a rough month for us. Tonight was a tough race for us. We didn’t have the best car until the end, when it mattered.�

A NASCAR-record 22 cautions slowed the longest race on the schedule, and almost ruined Johnson’s shot at the win. He and Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Brian Vickers were seemingly the only cars in contention for the victory.

But they all made pit stops under the green flag and were caught a lap down when a caution came out with 44 laps to go. It opened the race up to a pack of contenders and seemed to eliminate the Hendrick cars.

But Johnson had worked his way back to fourth when the race restarted with five laps to go after the final caution.

Labonte, the leader, did his best to hold off Johnson, who needed only three laps around Lowe’s Motor Speedway to pull onto his bumper. Johnson got there on the final lap and edged ahead coming out of the final turn to grab his second victory of the season.

Labonte, off to a horrid start this season, kicked his car in disgust as he climbed out of it.

“I just did it my way, and I lost,� said Labonte, who was trying to end a 47-race winless streak on the 10th anniversary of his first victory.

Carl Edwards was third, followed by Jeremy Mayfield and pole-sitter Ryan Newman. Greg Biffle was sixth, Martin Truex Jr. seventh, and Dale Jarrett, Ken Schrader and Rusty Wallace rounded out the top 10.

The race was more like a demolition derby, and the numerous wrecks ranged from isolated spins to the downright bizarre.

Joe Nemechek crashed into the wall while leading with 10 laps to go; Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked teammate Michael Waltrip; Casey Mears wrecked teammate Sterling Marlin; and Vickers ruined his shot at his first victory when he caused an accident that collected Gordon.

“In all my years of racing, I have never seen anything like this,� car owner Rick Hendrick said. “It was just a crazy race.�

Labonte, who started last in the 43-car field, was somewhat satisfied with finishing second, because his car had been so bad early in the race.

“It really wasn’t a great car, it just was a car that contended at the end for the win,� Labonte said.