Johnson regains lead on final restart to hold off Keselowski at Texas, keep Sprint Cup lead

CP20657064
Brad Keselowski (2) has his car serviced during a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)

FORT WORTH, Texas – Jimmie Johnson regained the lead on the final restart, beating Brad Keselowski in an ending two-lap shootout to win Sunday at Texas and add to his NASCAR Sprint Cup points lead with two races left.

Johnson led 168 laps, but found himself chasing toward the end. The third restart in the late laps proved to be the charm for No. 48 Chevrolet.

During that restart on the 333rd of 334 laps, Johnson and Keselowski were side-by-side. Johnson charged hard on the outside, and cleared him on the backstretch. He held on the final 1 1/2 laps and won from the pole for the second week in a row.

Johnson increased his lead by five points to seven over Keselowski, who had never finished better than 14th at Texas.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles