His challenger Carl Edwards did everything he could to catch Johnson including leading the most laps and winning the race. However it wasn't enough to close on Johnson who played it safe and finished safely to claim the 2008 Sprint Cup championship.
Qualifying
Toyota's David Reutimann was fastest in qualifying to score the first Sprint Cup pole of his career. Fellow Toyota driver Scott Speed started on the outside of row number one.
Roush-Fenway Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards made up row number two. Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five starters.
Drop Of The Green
David Reutimann got a good jump and lead the first lap. Matt Kenseth moved up quickly from the inside of row number two and took over the lead.
Championship contender Carl Edwards was on the move early and passed his teammate for the lead on lap 14. After some shuffling back and forth Edwards took over the lead and started working on earning the five bonus points for leading the most laps.
Storylines
Carl Edwards dominated the first half of the race and clinched the bonus points for leading the most laps fairly early on. With some great pit strategy he won the race which was all he could do.
Unfortunately for him Jimmie Johnson was solid all day long. Jimmie was never outside of the top 36 and managed a safe fifteenth place to clinch the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
Chasing The Checkers
Many of the leaders needed to dash onto pit road for a splash of fuel in order to make it to the finish. Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards decided to stay out and try to stretch their fuel.
Kenseth ran out with four laps to go and headed to pit road. Edwards took over the lead and drove very slowly towards the checkers. He ran out of gas right as he came to the finish line but coasted over the finish line and claimed the win.
Top Ten
- Carl Edwards
- Kevin Harvick
- Jamie McMurray
- Jeff Gordon
- Clint Bowyer
- Kasey Kahne
- Travis Kvapil
- Casey Mears
- Tony Stewart
- Martin Truex Jr.
The Points
Jimmie Johnson's fifteenth place effort was all he needed in order to claim his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in a row. This remarkable feat ties Cale Yarborough as the only other NASCAR driver to win three consecutive Cup series titles.
The final 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup series standings:
- Jimmie Johnson -0
- Carl Edwards -66
- Greg Biffle -217
- Kevin Harvick -273
- Clint Bowyer -300
- Jeff Burton -346
- Jeff Gordon -365
- Denny Hamlin -470
- Kyle Busch -474
- Tony Stewart -483
- Matt Kenseth -485
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -554
