NASCAR Johnson escapes accident in pit to capture title in Sylvania 300

He didn't get into the lead until the 294th lap of the 300 lap race.
LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson managed to keep his focus on racing after a pit accident that sent his crewmen flying.
Johnson went on to win the Sylvania 300 on Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway, where three members of his No. 48 Chevrolet crew escaped serious injury in the pit-lane accident.
"We had to overcome a lot of adversity and it took the whole team to do it, and we did it," said Johnson, who won his third race of the season, second in a row in New Hampshire and the sixth of his budding career.
The race almost got away from Johnson on a pit stop on lap 128, during the first of six caution flags. He had been running second, behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., before NASCAR spotted debris on the track.
The lead-lap cars pitted and Jeff Gordon tried to go between Johnson, who was already stopped in his pit, and Michael Waltrip, who was heading toward the pit directly in front of Johnson and right behind Gordon's.
Three pit crew hit
Waltrip didn't see Gordon and slid into him. That sent Gordon's car against the right front of Johnson's car and knocked Johnson's right-front tire changer, Cory Quick, and tire carrier, Ryan McCray, into the air. Jackman Chris Anderson also was bowled over.
"When I looked up, I saw two of my guys on the windshield of the 24 going for a ride," Johnson said.
Johnson had to make an extra pit stop under caution to let his crew check the car for damage and fell to 22nd place.
"After that, I thought, 'We're just going to salvage what we can,' " he said. "I thought it was virtually impossible to get to the front but, once everybody began to string out, I was able to pass and I suddenly found myself in second place."
In July, Johnson stretched his fuel for the last 93 laps on the way to victory on the 1.058-mile New Hampshire oval. This time, he and his Hendrick Motorsports team played another strategy to perfection, giving up the lead to make a quick, fuel-only stop 25 laps from the end.
As the rest of the leaders were forced to pit for gas, and praying there would be no more caution flags, Johnson moved closer and closer to the front, finally regaining the top spot on the 294th of 300 laps when Robby Gordon pitted.
Gordon runs out of gas
Jeff Gordon, Johnson's teammate and car owner, took the lead when Johnson pitted. He stayed out and ran out of gas three laps from the end. Gordon got to the pits with a push from Ken Schrader, but wound up a lap down in 19th.
Johnson also had a bad moment on the track on lap 147.
"I ended up getting tangled up with Ward Burton and I'm sorry for that," Johnson said. "He was racing me really hard and I was racing hard, too, and I got loose and caught him going into [turn] one and put him into the wall.
"He was pretty mad. He tried wrecking me four or five times while we were out there under green. I'm just glad nothing happened."
Burton, who drove his battered car to 39th, 30 laps off the pace, left the track without comment. Johnson said he planned to call Burton to make sure he understands the hit was not intentional.
Nobody was able to challenge Johnson after he regained the lead seven laps from the end. He drove his Chevy across the finish line 6.24 seconds -- about 10 car-lengths -- ahead of runner-up Ricky Rudd's Ford.