Jimmie Johnson rallied from the back to the rear bumper of Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet, but couldn’t get any further as Harvick held off Johnson to win the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and $1 million first prize.
“It was an awesome race,” said Johnson, a two-time all-star race winner. “ We were close. We had some problems in the beginning of the night that really hurt our track position. "To be able to come to the back and work our way to the front and race for the win. I’m very proud of this team.”
Johnson appeared to have a car capable of running with Harvick after he finally passed Mark Martin for second place. But lap after lap, Harvick hugged the bottom of the track, forcing Johnson to go high in an attempt to pass.
“The track didn’t really have an outside groove until late. I may have made up some more ground if I had got up to the top (of the groove) a little earlier,” Johnson said. "I tried on the last lap and it finally was there. In the beginning of the race the outside groove really wasn’t working. I hope that’s not the case come next Sunday night (in the Coca-Cola 600).”
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