Johnson dominates California; Chase heats up

In the Rear Window: California

Jimmie Johnson did everything in his power Sunday night in Southern California at the Auto Club Speedway to do two things: put everyone watching for all 500 miles asleep and remind the NASCAR world that he’s the two-time defending Sprint Cup champion for a reason.

Johnson drove his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to his third win of 2008 while leading 227 of the 250 laps that made up the Pepsi 500 with Greg Biffle finishing second and Denny Hamlin third.

Only eight caution flags had to be waved during the event, the most serious incident involving Joe Nemechek bouncing off the Turn 2 wall after losing control of his Chevrolet. Otherwise, the biggest problems slowing Johnson’s pace were two incidents with the caution lights around the 2-mile speedway that either fell off their supports or broke apart as the cars sped by.

The attendance issue at ACS was again another glaring factor for the race, as ESPN’s cameras showed that at least 20 to 30 percent of the 80,000-seat facility was empty. NASCAR, though, has been insistent on keeping their product in the Los Angeles market for two races a year despite the obvious lack of support.

IndyCar Series welcomes back Dario

The Indianapolis-based IRL IndyCar Series got another shot in the arm Tuesday when Target Chip Ganassi Racing announced that 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti would return to the league, replacing Dan Wheldon.

Franchitti, married to actress Ashley Judd, bolted from IndyCar after winning the series championship in 2007 to race for Ganassi in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series until his team was disbanded in July due to a lack of sponsorship.

The move leaves a lot of questions both about why Franchitti wanted back in IndyCar (he said earlier this summer he wouldn’t return) and where the talented Wheldon will end up after three years with Ganassi.

Dropping the green flag: Richmond

Saturday night is just right for racing as the Sprint Cup Series heads back to Richmond International Raceway for the final race before the top 12 drivers in the point standings get started with the Chase for the Championship.

The details:
Race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
TV/Radio: ABC/105.1 FM
Location: Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va.
Distance: 300 miles (400 laps)
Track Layout: D-Shaped .75-mile oval
2007 Winner: Jimmie Johnson

Miller’s Preview: With four drivers within striking distance to claw their way into the 10-race Chase for the Championship, Saturday’s race at Richmond is bound to carry plenty of surprises and bold moves by several teams. David Ragan and Kasey Kahne sit 13th and 14th in points respectively and will be targeting Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer for the final coveted spots. As for the race win? Go with Hamlin, who led 381 laps at the track in May before a flat tire ruined his race.

Miller’s Pick: Denny Hamlin