Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports) venceu na noite de sábado (11/04), a a Duck Commander 500, no Texas Motor Speedway, sétima etapa da NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Foi a 72ª vitória de Johnson na categoria. Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing) e Dale Earnhardt Jr (Hendrick Motorsports) completaram o pódio.
O hexacampeão reassumiu a liderança na 321ª, de 334 voltas, ao superar o então lÁder Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates). Nas voltas finais, Johnson segurou a pressão de Harvick, até o atual campeão ralar no muro da curva quatro, na 331 volta. Harvick se manteve em segundo, mas sem chances de superar Johnson, que recebeu a bandeirada com 1s107. Earnhardt Jr. foi o terceiro.
Johnson liderou 128, das 334 voltas disputadas.
Joey Logano (Team Penske) terminou em quarto, seguido por Brad Keselowski (Team Penske). McMurray, Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports), Martin Truex Jr (Furniture Row Racing) e Carl Edwards (Joe Gibbs Racing) completaram os dez melhores.
O pole-position, Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing) foi apenas o 14º colocado.
Harvick lidera o campeonato com 306 pontos, seguido por Logano com 280.
A próxima etapa acontece no dia 19 de abril, no Bristol Motor Speedway.
Final:
1. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 334 voltas em 3h33mi57s
2. Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing + 1.108s
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Motorsports + 1.146s
4. Joey Logano Team Penske + 6.677s
5. Brad Keselowski Team Penske + 8.336s
6. Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates + 10.964s
7. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports + 11.572s
8. Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports + 12.103s
9. Martin Truex Jr Furniture Row Racing + 13.022s
10. Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing + 13.256s
11. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing + 13.397s
12. Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing + 13.517s
13. David Ragan Joe Gibbs Racing + 14.243s
14. Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing + 16.232s
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr Roush Fenway Racing + 17.104s
16. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing + 17.341s
17. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing + 17.927s
18. Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing + 19.040s
19. Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports + 19.758s
20. Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing + 20.319s
21. AJ Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing + 21.190s
22. Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing + 21.335s
23. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing + 21.555s
24. Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing + 21.979s
25. Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates + 22.582s
26. Sam Hornish Jr Richard Petty Motorsports + 27.616s
27. Casey Mears Germain Racing + 1 volta
28. David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports + 1
29. Brett Moffitt Front Row Motorsports + 1
30. Chris Buescher Furniture Row Racing + 2
31. Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing + 2
32. Landon Cassill Hillman Racing + 2
33. Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing + 4
34. Matt DiBenedetto BK Racing + 4
35. Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports + 4
36. Mike Bliss Go Green Racing + 6
37. Alex Kennedy Circle Sport + 9
38. Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing + 50
39. Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports + 77
40. Michael Annett HScott Motorsports + 88
41. Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing + 112
42. Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing + 263
43. J.J. Yeley BK Racing + 321
Campeonato:
1. (–) Kevin Harvick 306pts
2. (–) Joey Logano 280pts (-26pts)
3. (–) Martin Truex Jr. 266pts (-40pts)
4. (–) Brad Keselowski 246pts (-60pts)
5. (–) Kasey Kahne 230pts (-76pts)
6. (+4) Jimmie Johnson 216pts (-90pts)
7. (+1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. 213pts (-93pts)
8. (-1) Denny Hamlin 205pts (-101pts)
9. (–) Aric Almirola 195pts (-111pts)
10. (+2) David Ragan 194pts (-112pts)Â