Johnson rolling into Chase after rockin' at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. -- With one championship under his belt and a back pocket full of bonus points, defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is dressed for success.

And his victory Saturday night in Richmond, you could say, was just icing on the "Cup" cake.

Lap-by-Lap

Jimmie Johnson won, Kevin Harvick secured the final Chase spot as Dale Earnhardt Jr. was eliminated shortly before his engine gave out at Richmond.

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"We are happy to be hitting our stride at this point," Johnson said. "As everybody knows it was a little bit of a tough summer for us. Now between the Car of Tomorrow and the current car, we're strong on all fronts and I'm happy that we're able to put that together and win back to back weeks like this."

That's not all he's happy about.

With six wins this season, Johnson will have 60 bonus points heading to the 10-race playoff battle making him the top seed, the same position Johnson was in last season before he won the 2006 Nextel Cup Championship.

The only difference: Johnson says he and his team are even stronger and more focused.

"My mental strength is much greater than what it was last year and so is our team," Johnson said after celebrating his Richmond sweep in Victory Lane. "To be able to go through five seasons and almost getting it and then getting it, I feel a lot more confident and I'm sure the team does, too."

Confidence and mental strength are going to be needed in this year's Chase as the competition is stiff and full of past champions: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth join Johnson in that select group.

"It's a really stout field. You see a lot of teams hitting their stride ... this is the most competitive Chase we've seen," Johnson said. "I just want to be strong and steady and start knocking down top-fives starting next weekend ... hopefully win a race or two in the Chase."

Johnson's half-dozen victories this season are well-rewarded under NASCAR's new Chase rules which puts a large emphasis on race wins: 10 bonus points for each win.

With 5,060 points headed to New Hampshire next weekend, the other 11 drivers in the Chase say Johnson will be tough to catch.

He was hard to catch Saturday night.

The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver led the last 104 laps of the race and now leads his teammate Jeff Gordon by 20 points.

Kevin Harvick said Johnson, as well as Gordon and Stewart, are tough every year.

"Not everyone is going to have a silky smooth Chase so we just got to capitalize if one of them has trouble," Harvick said. "We're not winning races like those guys are but we are consistent and that goes a long way."

Consistency, yes, but so does aggressiveness, Chad Knaus said.

The 48's championship winning crew chief said his team is going to have to be very aggressive, because of the level of competition.

Last year, he said, the average finish to win the championship was typically eighth or ninth but this year drivers will need to step up their games.

"You're going to have to be a sixth- to a fifth-place finisher for the final 10 races to win the championship," Knaus added.

And not only is Johnson on a two-race win streak and hitting his stride, he also buried a ghost this weekend after sweeping both the spring race and Saturday night's race at Richmond International Raceway, a track where his average finish was nearly 20th place.

"Yeah, this place has been tough on me," Johnson said. "I figured some things out in the spring and we've been able to build on that. The Car of Tomorrow has been able to help me get a better feel for Richmond here."

Now it's on to New Hampshire, where Johnson will take the first step toward a repeat championship and he said he feels relaxed.

"I don't think our job is going to be any easier for us," he said, "but we are coming in without as much pressure on ourselves, I think."