Overshadowed win sent Johnson to lead

PHILADELPHIA - Pocono Raceway's Nextel Cup race in June is remembered more for the disputes than for who won.

• Photos

The Pocono 500 ended under caution with many of the 100,000 fans booing. A pit-road official fouled up opening the pits, and Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick rammed each other.

By the way, Jimmie Johnson won the race.

After Johnson's first career victory at Mount Mattioli, he was 58 points behind leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. Now, Johnson leads Earnhardt by 165 points. Time flies when you're having fun.

In only his third full Cup season, Johnson displays the poise of a veteran. Compared with the colorful drivers (think Earnhardt, Tony Stewart), Johnson is vanilla. But the 28-year-old Californian isn't reticent with his views.

For example, Johnson is no fan of the new points system.

Johnson's victory at Pocono in June put him in a confident mood when he returned for Friday's qualifying.

After Pocono, the Cup series moves to the renowned Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400.

Pocono is good preparation for Indy because both are 2.5-mile tracks.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES: In Brooklyn, Mich., points leader Dennis Setzer will start from the pole today after qualifying was rained out at Michigan International Speedway.

The starting field for the Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners 200 was set on the basis of owner points.

It's the fourth time this season a Craftsman series field has been set by points.

Drivers were able to practice at the 2-mile oval before the rain. Edwards had the fastest practice speed at 179.136 mph. Mike Skinner was next at 179.1, followed by Setzer at 178.98.

JOURNALIST HONORED: Nice move by Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway in honoring Walt Chernokal, the longtime auto racing writer/photographer for the Delaware County Times, who died June 8.

On Tuesday night, the speedway is holding a tribute race in Chernokal's name.

The track also is dedicating its new press box to Chernokal.

NUMBERS GAME: Sunday's Cup race at New Hampshire produced a 5.3 cable rating (4.7 million households), making it TNT's highest-rated Cup race ever.

The 5.3 is 13 percent higher than last year's July race at New Hampshire.