Johnson Returns to Top-10 in Point Standings

RICHMOND, Va. - Jimmie Johnson climbed back into the top 10 in point standings in the NASCAR Busch Series after a frustrating ride at Richmond International Raceway's AutoLite/Fram 250 Friday night.

Racing under the lights at the three-quarter mile track, the ALLTEL Racing team struggled to find the right set-up for the No. 92 ALLTEL Chevrolet Monte Carlo the entire night. Johnson started in 26th position, but reported early in the race that his car was too loose. On lap 83, running in 28th position, Johnson drove to pit road for adjustments, fuel and four tires. During the stop, the team mishandled a tire in the pit. The mistake forced Johnson to return to pit road for a timed penalty, but he was able to remain on the lead lap.

Despite the adjustments, the racecar still was too tight, making it difficult for Johnson to make the turns through the corners. After dodging two fiery crashes, Johnson was able to pass Jay Sauter on lap 247 to finish in 22nd position.

"Richmond is a tough track, and I am glad that we finished the race in one piece considering the number of wrecks that occurred," Johnson said. "This race allowed us to gain critical momentum in the overall points battle, so I am pleased with the team's performance."

After a well-deserved week off, the NASCAR Busch Series makes its next stop at Dover Downs International Speedway. The MBNA Gold 200 airs live on TNN. The telecast will start at 1:00 p.m. EST.

For more ALLTEL Racing information, log on to www.alltel.com/teamalltel. ALLTEL, with more than 10 million communications customers, almost $7 billion in annual revenues and more than 26,000 employees, is a leader in the communications and information services industries. ALLTEL has communications customers in 23 states and provides information services to telecommunications, financial and mortgage clients in 55 countries and territories.