Johnson treated for dehydration following Richmond Sprint Cup race:
RICHMOND, Va. – Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson had all he could do to physically make it to the finish of Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Battling daytime temperatures in the 90s and humid conditions throughout the evening in Richmond, Johnson needed to be taken by rolling stretcher to the infield care center where he was treated for dehydration. “(I’m) not exactly sure what led to it,” said Johnson, after being treated with five liters of IV fluid. “I started cramping when I got out of the race car.”
Johnson, who had qualified third, ran in the top 15 all night and finished eighth. Upon exiting the car, he had difficulty standing and, at one point, was lying on his back. Helped to his feet by crew members, he once again went to the pavement before being taken for medical assistance.
“I was trying to stand up — because I was fine when I sat down — then I would stand up and I would get dizzy,” he said. “When I would sit back down I would start to cramp up again.
“I was hot in the car, so I will have to make sure all my fans were working and stuff like that. (It was a) scary moment but I have to learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Close but no cigar:
Although they won’t have a car in the Chase, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates had two drivers make a lot of noise at Richmond.
Needing a win to get in, Jamie McMurray spent much of the night in the top five and finished fourth. Rookie Kyle Larson was in the top 10 most of the race but slipped to 11th and finished 16 points behind Greg Biffle for the final spot on the Chase grid.
“When the race started tonight, I thought we had a car capable of winning,” said McMurray, who charged into the top three from a 15th-place starting position. “I got a little nervous when it seemed like the car went away on one run, but we battled, got it back, and in the end had a third-place car.”
Larson showed no quit. He was 14th when the race’s third caution occurred on Lap 263. By Lap 275, Larson was back up to sixth.
“We were really good on restarts,” said Larson, who also advanced from 12th to eighth on the race’s previous caution. “We were good on the short runs but I would fall back on the long runs.
“Wins are important (in making the Chase). We’ve got to work on that next year. We didn’t have a car quite capable of winning, so I was hoping Jamie would get a shot there at the end.”
Though he won’t be in the Chase, Larson is stating his case for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. He extended his lead to 39 points over rival Austin Dillon, who finished 20th at Richmond.
Vacation’s over:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s victory in the season-opening Daytona 500 took much of the pressure off his team throughout the first 26 races. But Junior knows the time has come to crank the intensity back up.
“We’ve been sort of on vacation for 20 weeks. It’s time to get to it,” said Earnhardt, who started 24th and finished 12th at Richmond.
In addition to his Daytona win, Earnhardt swept the Sprint Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway and will be joined by teammates Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne in the Chase.
“I’ve had a blast this year,” Earnhardt said. “Our company has been doing so many great things. Hopefully we can put our best foot forward in the Chase and be one of those teams in the battle going into (the season finale) at Homestead.”
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup kicks off Sept. 14 at Chicagoland Speedway (2 p.m. ET on ESPN).
One lug short:
Tony Stewart’s only shot to make the Chase was to win on Saturday.
Making his second start since his unfortunate dirt track incident in upstate New York, Stewart rallied from 19th on the starting grid into to the top 10, but had his charge short-circuited by an uninstalled lug nut on Lap 331.
Forced to return to pit lane, Stewart finished 15th.
Although Stewart will not compete for his fourth career series title, he’ll have two of Stewart-Haas Racing cars in the Chase with drivers Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch. Harvick finished fifth and Busch finished seventh on Saturday night.
Source: NASCAR Wire Service
