LONG POND - Through the first 70-plus laps, Sunday's GoBowling.com 400 was looking eerily similar to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway eight weeks ago.
Jimmie Johnson was out in front, and the rest of the field was desperately trying to track him down.
Then disaster struck.
While Johnson was leading on Lap 76, a cut right-front tire on the No. 48 Chevrolet sent the five-time champion into the wall at the exit of Turn 1. Extensive damage from the incident derailed Johnson's hopes for a season sweep at the 2.5-mile triangular track.
"I'm not really sure what caused it," Johnson said. "But late off of Turn 1, it just exploded and that was it.
"Unfortunately we had that flat after leading the race, but stuff happens. It's racing."
Johnson recovered for a 13th-place finish, but it wasn't easy.
The California native made numerous trips to pit road on the ensuing caution to stay on the lead lap. Using plenty of elbow grease and duct tape, the No. 48 pit crew was able to fix most of the cosmetic damage.
However, there was another problem the team failed to notice. Johnson was low on power.
"I guess I hit so hard, it knocked one of the spark plug wires off and I was running on seven cylinders," Johnson said. "We finally figured that out and put the spark plug wire in, and then the car ran good again."
Once running as low as the 28th position, Johnson used a number of caution flags to his benefit. Thanks to multiple wrecks that swallowed up other cars and some key adjustments on his own car, Johnson was able to pick his way through more than half of the remaining field.
Still, it was not the result that the former champion felt he deserved.
"We worked on the car and got it better," he said. "I really felt like we had a shot to win."
Even on an off day, the three-time Pocono winner managed to distance himself from the competition.
Because Johnson finished one spot ahead of Clint Bowyer, his already enormous point lead grew to 77. That means Johnson is essentially a lock to be inside the top 10 when the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is set in five weeks.
Race winner Kasey Kahne admitted it's extremely difficult to gain any sort of edge over a race team as dialed-in as that of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.
"When someone hits on something that's working for them, it's tough," Kahne said. "Jimmie and Chad (Knaus) do the best job of that each year."
The Sprint Cup Series heads next to the road course at Watkins Glen, where Johnson has failed to reach Victory Lane in 11 career attempts.
Still, the No. 48 team can't be counted out of any race.
"I don't know how with all the trouble we had that we salvaged a 13th," Johnson said. "It was just a team effort. I'm very proud of everyone involved."