Sprint Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson was largely quiet during today’s Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International, but the five-time Cup champion’s finish of eighth enabled him to be the first driver to clinch a spot in this year’s Chase.
Johnson first cracked the Top 10 just before the halfway mark of the 90-lap race and had climbed as high as third before the caution came out on Lap 59 for Aric Almirola’s crash. He was forced to give up the solid track position to make a stop under the yellow, and had to start 15th when the green came back out at Lap 64.
He then got through the two late restarts that ended in multi-car accidents. With 10 laps to go, two of Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates – Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. – were caught in a crash that unfolded in the track’s esses.
Johnson escaped that wreck with minimal damage to his right side, and was ahead of another incident that broke out with six laps to go involving pole sitter Marcos Ambrose and Brian Vickers. On the final restart of the race, Johnson rolled off 10th but picked up two spots for his final result – his 15th Top-10 finish of the season.
It would prove to be the highlight of the afternoon for HMS, who saw Kahne, Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon deal with crashes. Earnhardt and Gordon would return to the track but finished 30th and 36th respectively, while Kahne was credited with 34th.
Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports
Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.
Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.
Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.
The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.
In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.
Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.
Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.
Last Five Seattle Winners
450s 2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto
