Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER NOTES FOR THE BANK OF AMERICA 500 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RACE AT LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY, OCTOBER 13, 2007.

Jimmie Johnson led six times for 95 laps to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in tonight’s Bank of America 500. Hamlin claimed the award for the fourth time this season and has led 1,070 laps in 19 races this season.

JOHNSON QUOTES: “I was just trying to keep it off the wall the best that I could. I had to fight it, do three or four spins or rotations down the back straightaway and keep it off the inside wall and did that and I knew I didn’t hit the outside wall that hard so I felt like we still had a shot. We’ve got a great race team. We didn’t have a clean night tonight. I made a mistake. We had mistakes though the night that kept hurting us on track position. Fortunately I had a good car and I could get back through there. I’d always come out sixth or seventh and get my way back to the lead. Then at the end there we had the problem with the vapor locking that really, really hurt me from getting a good finish. This is a great race team and the night didn’t go the way we wanted it to but we’ll be back next week and try to score some points.”

Johnson also led the most laps of any driver in tonight’s race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, earning a five-point bonus.

Johnson spun off Turn 2 on lap 232, bringing out the 12th caution of the race but recovered to post a 14th-place finish on the lead lap.

UNOFFICIALLY Johnson is second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, 68 points behind leader Jeff Gordon. Johnson leads third-place Clint Bowyer by 10 and fourth-place Tony Stewart by 130.

Jeff Gordon leads Tony Stewart by two races (7-5) in the overall WIX Filters Lap Leader standings.

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD STANDINGS
Jeff Gordon 7
Tony Stewart 5
Denny Hamlin 4 
Jimmie Johnson 4
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 
Clint Bowyer 2
Matt Kenseth 1 
Martin Truex Jr. 1
Robby Gordon 1
Kasey Kahne 1
Kyle Busch 1
Kevin Harvick 1 

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD WINNERS BY RACE
EVENT DRIVER
Daytona 500 Tony Stewart (35 laps) 
Auto Club 500 Matt Kenseth (133 laps)
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Jeff Gordon (111 laps)
Kobalt Tools 500 Jimmie Johnson (135 laps)
Food City 500 Tony Stewart (257 laps)
Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (137 laps)
Samsung 500 Jeff Gordon (173 laps)
Subway Fresh Fit 500 Tony Stewart (132 laps)
Aaron’s 499 Jeff Gordon (71 laps) 
Crown Royal 400 Jeff Gordon (114 laps)
Dodge Avenger 500 Denny Hamlin (179 laps)
Coca-Cola 600 Jimmie Johnson (83 laps)
Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa Martin Truex Jr. (216 laps)
Pocono 500 Denny Hamlin (49 laps) 
Citizens Bank 400 Jimmie Johnson (56 laps)
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Robby Gordon (48 laps)
LENOX Industrial Tools 300 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (64 laps)
Pepsi 400 Clint Bowyer (55 laps)
USG SHEETROCK 400 Tony Stewart (108 laps)
Allstate 400 at The Brickyard Tony Stewart (65 laps)
Pennsylvania 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (eight laps)
Centurion Boats at The Glen Jeff Gordon (51 laps)
3M Performance 400 Jeff Gordon (25 laps)
Sharpie 500 Kasey Kahne (305 laps)
Sharp AQUOS 500 Kyle Busch (97 laps)
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Jeff Gordon (191 laps)
Sylvania 300 Clint Bowyer (222 laps)
Dodge Dealers 400 Denny Hamlin (61 laps)
LifeLock 400 Tony Stewart (13 laps)
UAW-Ford 500 Denny Hamlin (40 laps)
Bank of America 500 Jimmie Johnson (95 laps)