Polesitter Brian Vickers ran out of gas at the end of Sunday’s Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway, but not until after he crossed the finish line.
Jimmie Johnson wasn’t so lucky.
Despite a concerted effort to save gas, the reigning and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Johnson ran out of fuel with just over two laps left in the race. When Johnson ducked onto pit road, he handed the lead to Vickers, who had been riding in Johnson’s wake.
"That’s what I’m talking about!" Vickers exulted after crossing the finish line ahead of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Great call, guys. Great job."
Vickers’ win was the second of his career, the first for Red Bull Racing and the first for Toyota at Michigan. Vickers, Johnson and Gordon last came to the pits on Lap 149. Earnhardt, on the other hand, stopped under caution on Lap 159 and rocketed toward the front after a restart on Lap 162.
Vickers pressured Johnson over the closing laps, and Johnson, who led 165 of 200 laps, ran out of fuel less than five miles short of the finish for the second time this year at the 2-mile speedway.
With Vickers just outside the top 12 in the standings — with the top 12 drivers after 26 races qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup — crew chief Ryan Pemberton’s call to keep Vickers on the track in fuel conservation mode was a risky one.
Columbia’s Carl Edwards ran with the pack to finish fourth and move up two spots in the Chase standings to fourth with just three races to go before the Chase.