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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Johnson cruises to fourth Brickyard win

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Jimmie Johnson told the media before the Brickyard 400 that winning it for a fourth time would seem like a dream. That dream became a nightmare for his competitors as Johnson toyed with the field and sped virtually unchallenged to victory lane, and in the process cemented his legacy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“With this fourth win I’m able to join racing legends, my heroes, people I’ve looked up to all my life,” claimed Johnson in the post race press conference. “To join them is just a huge honor.”

Johnson who started sixth, spent the first 26 laps of the race looking at the rear of pole sitter Denny Hamlin’s Toyota who while looking strong, had trouble on numerous restarts on the day diminishing his chances to be a factor. While second and third place finishers Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle would be quick all day, they too had nothing for Johnson who led a gaudy 99 laps on the day, and won the race by a margin of almost five seconds.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, used the inside position on numerous restarts to bring it home fourth and in the process leave IMS with the lead in the points contest. Four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five and saw his day as a missed opportunity.

“I am certainly disappointed as I felt we had a car equal if not better than Jimmie’s,” claimed Gordon. “Track position is everything at this track and we could not maintain it.”

Notes: The 2006 Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish had a rather quiet day finishing 16th in his Dodge entry.

Yours truly predicted a victory for him live on WXIN-TV 59 before the race. Sorry about jinxing you Sam.

Tony Stewart who qualified poorly had a challenging day in terms of handling but still managed to finish10th. Stewart, the consummate racer, competed in a dirt track race the night before and won.

While a Toyota sat on the pole, and a Ford finished third, Chevrolet continued its dominance at the Brickyard 400 by winning the event for a remarkable tenth straight year.

*****

ESPN aired a compelling piece on the lack of diversity in NASCAR as part of their pre-race show.

While the sport has dedicated resources to its “Drive To Diversity” program the fact remains that their has not been any noticeable trends occur on the track as a result at the Sprint Cup level.

While some are critical of NASCAR, it should be noted that they have spent huge dollars on this program and appear to be committed to its continuance. Race winner Jimmie Johnson told me in a press conference on the Saturday before the race that he believes it is of the utmost importance to keep pushing ahead with the program and to assist those who have talent and need support.

*****

NASCAR released a figure of 130,00 as the attendance for the race. While that represents a huge crowd in comparison to any other venue they race at, it is clear that both the economy and races in surrounding states have impacted the gate. For those of you who think the event is on the way out, think again. All parties profited Sunday and the future of this marquee race is indeed secure.

*****

Oscar winner Ron Howard served as the pace car driver for the race. His current project is a movie regarding Formula One racing and he spent a great deal of time with Jeff Gordon over the weekend to see how race teams function. Howard was obviously saddened by the recent death of his long time friend and colleague Andy Griffith, calling him his greatest influence.

*****

Brad Keselowski who finished ninth in the Brickyard 400, won the inaugural Nationwide Series event the day before at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The guy is a thrill show on wheels and a lot of fun to watch. Look for him to win a Sprint Cup title for Roger Penske in the near future.

*****

While the attendance at the Grand -Am and Rolex Series events was sparse, IMS was smart to augment the Brickyard 400 weekend with races from both of these storied sanctioning bodies. Lets hope they keep them on the dance card for next year as the price was right and the racing was indeed spirited. Hats off to the grounds crew for converting the track so quickly and seamlessly.

Danny Bridges, who once won the Pinewood Derby in Cub Scouts, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.

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