Jimmie Johnson Wins First NEXTEL Cup Title

Vancouver, Washington native Greg Biffle won the Ford 400.

Photo: Homestead Miami Speedway

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Jimmie Johnson did what he needed to do Sunday to clinch his first NEXTEL Cup title.

Johnson scored a ninth-place finish in the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, notching another top-10 finish to earn the 2006 title.

Johnson wound up with a 56 advantage over Matt Kenseth in the final standings with Denny Hamlin third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The 31-year-old Californian became the 28th driver to win the championship in NASCAR's premier division and he did it in his fifth full season on the series.

Johnson has now finished in the top-five in the point standings in every one of his full seasons.

He notched five wins this season in his Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500.

Johnson added wins in Las Vegas, Talladega, Indianapolis and Martinsville.

Greg Biffle won his third straight Ford 400, out-running Martin Truex Jr. on a green-white-checkered finish. It was Biffle's second win of the season after his triumph at Darlington Raceway back in May.

Hamlin, pole-sitter Kasey Kahne and Harvick rounded out the top five.

Kenseth, Scott Riggs, Carl Edwards, Johnson and Clint Bowyer completed the first ten finishers.

Biffle wound up leading 45 laps on his way to another Homestead victory to go with his triumphs in 2004 and 2005. He took the lead for good on lap 257 and stayed out front the rest of the way to score the win.

The overtime was set-up when Casey Mears blew an engine on lap 261.

After the track was cleaned-up, the green flag flew and Biffle was able to pull away from the field as Truex Jr., who charged his way through the pack on the restart, came up short in his bid to run him down.

The race was slowed by 11 cautions for 43 laps and included one red flag when Juan Pablo Montoya, who was making his NEXTEL Cup Series debut, crashed hard in the first turn wall after getting tagged by Ryan Newman.

The two had made contact earlier in the race, when Newman slid down the backstretch. The second encounter sent Montoya on a violent trip into the wall and his car burst into flames after the heavy impact.

Montoya was not injured in the accident.

NASCAR called Newman and crew chief Mike Nelson to the hauler for consultation after the race.

Ford 400 Results:

1 Greg Biffle National Guard Ford Running

2 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Running

3 Denny Hamlin FedEx Chevrolet Running

4 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Running

5 Kevin Harvick GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Running

6 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Ford Running

7 Scott Riggs Valvoline/Stanley Tools Dodge Running

8 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford Running

9 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet Running

10 Clint Bowyer Jack Daniel's Chevrolet Running

11 David Stremme Coors Light Dodge Running

12 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevrolet Running

13 Joe Nemechek U.S. Army Chevrolet Running

14 Jeff Burton Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Running

15 Tony Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet Running

16 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge Running

17 Paul Menard Menards Chevrolet Running

18 Mark Martin AAA Ford Running

19 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevrolet Running

20 Tony Raines DLP HDTV Chevrolet Running

21 Brian Vickers GMAC Chevrolet Running

22 Jeff Green Best Buy Chevrolet Running

23 Ryan Newman Alltel Dodge Running

24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet Running

25 Bill Elliott Burger King Chevrolet Running

26 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Dodge Running

27 Travis Kvapil Tide/Downy Chevrolet Running

28 Kyle Petty Wells Fargo Dodge Running

29 Ken Schrader Motorcraft Ford Running

30 J.J. Yeley Interstate Batteries Chevrolet Out

31 Dale Jarrett UPS Ford Running

32 Casey Mears Texaco/Havoline Dodge Engine

33 David Gilliland M&M's Ford Running

34 Juan Pablo Montoya Texaco/Havoline Dodge Accident

35 Jamie McMurray Crown Royal Ford Engine

36 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge

37 Sterling Marlin Ginn Clubs & Resorts Chevrolet Engine

38 Kyle Busch Kellogg's Chevrolet Running

39 Mike Bliss whatsOnline.com Dodge Engine

40 Robby Gordon Menards Chevrolet Accident

41 Bobby Labonte Chex Party Mix Dodge Accident

42 Jeremy Mayfield Miccosukee Resort Dodge Mechanical

43 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge Accident

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