CONCORD, N.C. — This was supposed to be one of the safe races, the anti-Talladega. Try telling that to the half-dozen drivers who had trouble at Charlotte.
Enter Jimmie Johnson. A long, dry season, an uncharacteristic number of fateful penalties were left behind as Johnson won the rain-delayed Bank of America 500.
That puts Johnson in the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, as he pursues his seventh title in NASCAR's premiere series.
It also puts Johnson into a safe position, a far different situation from competitors who left the track with major concerns.