Pocono recap: Johnson finishes fifth

LONG POND, Pa. (June 6, 2010) – Jimmie Johnson scored a fifth-place finish during Sunday’s rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 19th after surviving a last-lap incident that collected Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon. Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Tools Chevrolet, improved from his 25th starting spot to run in the top 10 only 30 laps after the green flag dropped on Sunday. He held steady there throughout the event and climbs to sixth in the driver standings. "We had a great race car,” Johnson said. “We got up to second and were running with the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) on pace. And then the pit strategy stuff started coming into play, and I was maybe a little cautious on some of the restarts trying to take care of myself and not tear up another race car. And maybe it cost me a little bit. But in the end, great performance. We had a top car, a top speed car all day long, and I brought it home in fifth." Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, started third and finished 19th after running in the front for most of the day. He now ranks 16th in the driver standings. Martin and Gordon were running inside the top 20 when a multi-car incident was triggered as the field was coming to the checkered flag. Martin, driver of the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, finished 29th and now ranks 11th in the driver standings. Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, finished 32nd and now ranks seventh in the driver standings.