Brad Keselowski was faster all afternoon, but when it mattered most Jimmie Johnson was a smidge better and passed Keselowski with four laps remaining to take the win Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson wins the 2015 AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
Jimmie Johnson overcame a dominant Brad Keselowski to win Sunday at Texas.
The fifth victory by Johnson in 2015 -- and fourth consecutive in the fall Texas race -- denied Keselowski automatic advancement to the title round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff. Johnson was a surprise Round 1 elimination and becomes the first to non-championship eligible driver to win a Chase race this season.
Starting on pole, Keselowski was absolute dominate Sunday, leading a track-record 312 of 334 laps and largely only relinquishing the top position during green-flag pit stops. Because the Team Penske is in a nearly insurmountable points hole, he entered Texas in a must-win situation to avoid playoff elimination.
But a caution for the slowing car of Erik Jones erased Keselowski’s sizable lead and tightened the field with 22 laps to go. On the ensuing restart Johnson capitalized, never allowing Keselowski to get away and eventually made with winning pass with four laps remaining.
“I could see that he was really tight and that was the first I had seen him that vulnerable all day,” Johnson said. “I just kept the pressure on him, kept searching for line. He saw me coming on the top and protected it.
“He got real loose off of Turn 2 and I had a big run down the backstretch and drove it in really far into Turn 3 hoping to hear clear. Once I did I knew I was home free.”
Defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick finished third, followed by Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray completed the top 10.
The eight-driver Chase field will be cut by four following next weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway. Gordon, who won last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, has already secured one of four spots in the championship finale. Kyle Busch, Harvick and Truex provisionally hold the final transfer positions.
“We will have a great shot at winning next week,” Keselowski said. “We really needed to win this one and I know I gave it my all.”
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