SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- If Jimmie Johnson wants to finally capture his first Nextel Cup championship, winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a step in the right direction.

Johnson pulled off a gritty win at the Brickyard on Sunday, battling back from an early tire problem to take the lead, only to see it evaporate when a late debris caution bunched up the field. It dropped him from first to eighth and forced him to slice his way to the front in the final 14 laps.

But he did it with ease and pulled away for his third major victory of the season. Johnson won the season-opening Daytona 500 -- the only event that trumps Indianapolis in prestige -- and also triumphed in NASCAR's All-Star race.

"Pucker up and get ready to kiss those bricks!'' Johnson said in Victory Lane.  More