Johnson remains calm, cool, collected at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. -- Use the wide variety of chains and padlocks available at his primary car sponsor to secure his transporter with him still inside. Obscure his vision by sticking a hula girl to the dashboard, hanging fuzzy dice from the rearview mirror, and clamping a "Baby on Board" sign to the back window. Roll out a blue and white No. 48 Prius, and tell him he has to race it as part of a new NASCAR green initiative.

Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. Because clearly, the conventional methods of containing Jimmie Johnson are no longer effective.

That much was evident Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, when the moment every Chase-watcher had been waiting for -- the four-time champion getting into trouble -- unfolded on Lap 34. Johnson spun out on his own, just as he did here during the 600-miler in May, an event where he ultimately finished an uncharacteristic 36th. Finally, here was the opening all the other title contenders had hoped for. And that window of opportunity stayed cracked for about an hour, until Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus slammed it shut.

If the Hendrick Motorsports driver indeed does go on to claim a fifth consecutive crown in NASCAR's premier division -- something that looks more likely with each passing race -- he'll surely look back to Saturday, when he and his No. 48 team put on an absolute clinic in crisis management. There they were at one point, surveying the car for possible damage and in danger of falling a lap down. And there they were at another, storming up through the field thanks to perseverance and pit strategy, at one point even sneaking into the lead.

Johnson didn't win at Charlotte, but he didn't have to. His third-place finish on a chilly fall night was a demoralizing blow to the competition in and of itself. Jeff Gordon had an electrical problem. Kurt Busch crashed. Jeff Burton spun and had his cockpit fill with smoke. Tony Stewart was never a factor. One by one, all of them disappeared from contention at Charlotte, and perhaps from the championship picture as well. But Johnson spins, falls all the way back to 36th, gets nicked on pit road, weathers a slow stop -- and rallies to challenge for the victory and extend his points lead in a comeback that appeared as cool and effortless as checking the mail.

"Tonight is a night that reminds me of the last four years, and what made this team champions," Johnson said. "I hope that tonight's performance leads us to a championship. There's obviously a lot of racing left. No telling what's going to happen. But when we look back, I hope we are the champions, and I hope we look back and say that Charlotte was the key point for us in the championship battle. We kept our composure." (Continued)