Jimmie Johnson cruises to NASCAR all-star race win

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

CONCORD, N.C.

Jimmie Johnson joined an elite club on Saturday night.

In beating Brad Keselowski to the finish of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway by .841 seconds, Johnson won the exhibition event for the third time, tying Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon for most all-time.

Matt Kenseth ran third, followed by Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who qualified for the event by winning the preliminary Sprint Showdown.

Johnson was the first to stake his claim to a top spot in the running order, winning the first 20-lap segment after passing polesitter Kyle Busch for the top spot on Lap 15. Johnson earned the right to lead the field to pit road before the 10-lap dash.

Kenseth passed Denny Hamlin with three laps left in the second segment and secured the win in that leg.

Keselowski won the third segment and Earnhardt won segment No. 4 by 1.618 seconds over Marcos Ambrose.

Of the top four drivers, Keselowski and Kenseth had the freshest tires. But Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet was the class of the field and pulled away for the win.

Allmendinger took four tires during a pit stop between the Showdown’s two 20-lap segments, and the new rubber paid off.

From the drop of the green flag on Lap 21, Allmendinger surged forward, finally passing Jamie McMurray for the second position with a hard run off Turn 2 on Lap 39 of 40.