DARLINGTON, S.C. — Jimmie Johnson got the lead with a fast pit stop and held off a challenge from hard-luck Bobby Labonte to win the NASCAR Nextel Cup race Sunday at Darlington Raceway.
Labonte was leading the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 by half a straightaway over Kurt Busch on the 1.366-mile oval when Kyle Petty's engine went up in a plume of white smoke, bringing out a caution flag 19 laps from the end of the 293-lap event.
All the leaders pitted for much-needed fresh tires, and Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet crew got him out inches in front of Labonte's No. 18 Chevy.
"These guys got me the lead early in the race and they got me out front again when it really counted," Johnson said, high-fiving and pointing at crew chief Chad Knaus and the rest of his crew.
The green flag came out on lap 283, but another caution flag waved moments later when Tony Stewart bumped rookie Kasey Kahne from behind and sent him sliding through turns three and four.
The ensuing caution was longer than expected and, when the green was displayed again with only four laps remaining, it looked like this race might turn out like last year's when Ricky Craven nipped Busch by inches in a bumping, fender-banging finish.
Labonte, who won the Southern 500 here in 2000, gave it a good try, but he couldn't quite catch the leader, finishing 0.132 seconds — about two car-lengths — behind.
For Johnson, it was the seventh victory of his Nextel Cup career and first on NASCAR's oldest superspeedway. It also was the 10th Darlington victory for team owner Rick Hendrick, tying him for the track record with retired Junior Johnson.
PHOENIX IRL: Tony Kanaan repeated as Phoenix champion Sunday, dominating the Copper World Indy 200 to win the fastest Indy-car race at Phoenix International Raceway since 1995.
The star of Andretti Green Racing's four drivers led 191 laps — the most since Bobby Rahal led from start to finish in 1992 — and averaged 127.981 mph. Sam Hornish Jr. (four), Darren Manning (four) and Tomas Scheckter (one) were the only other drivers to see the field in their mirrors.
Kanaan led 77 laps last year, taking the lead for good with 40 laps to go, and averaged 100.073. This time, he passed teammate and polesitter Dan Wheldon on the first lap and ground out the mile circuits in his Dallara-Honda.