Greg Biffle got a huge break from Jimmie Johnson and held off Brad Keselowski to win Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Johnson took the lead from Keselowski with 10 laps to go and looked to be headed for his first career win at Michigan when his engine blew with six laps remaining.
Johnson was pulling away from Biffle and Keselowski when he suddenly slowed and Biffle swept past him.
Biffle then held off Keselowski on a green-white-checkered restart to score his second win of the season and to regain the series points lead. The win was Biffle’s third at Michigan.
The victory also ended a drought for team owner Jack Roush at Michigan. Roush, whose Roush Industries is 66 miles from the speedway in the Detroit suburb of Livonia, now has a record 12 victories at Michigan.
No Roush Fenway Racing driver had seen a happy Roush face following a Sprint Cup event at the track since Carl Edwards won in August 2008.
Keselowski finished second followed by Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambroseand Edwards.
"We've been working hard to get back to victory lane and catch up to those Hendrick cars," Biffle said. "I was catching the 48; I don't know if I could have caught him or not. It's too bad his engine went away. I wanted to race him clean for the win."
Johnson entered the race leading Biffle by one point in the Sprint Cup standings. Biffle, who led the standings for 11 consecutive weeks earlier this year, now leads Roush teammate Matt Kenseth by 20 points and Earnhardt by 22. Johnson fell to fourth and trails by 28 points.
"We are going to make a run at this title," Biffle said.
Kahne, who finished third, held on to 11th in the standings and still leads the race for the two Chase wild cards. Edwards, sixth on Sunday, is 12th in points but has not won a race this year.Ryan Newman, who finished eighth, is 13th and holds the second wild-card spot.
Johnson's blown motor was the third engine failure in the race for Hendrick Motorsports.Jeff Gordon fell out of the race with a broken valve spring. Tony Stewart, who also runs Hendrick engines, fell out of the race early with the same problem.
Keselowski took the lead from Johnson during a series of green-flag pit stops with about 35 laps to go.
Keselowski held off Johnson on a restart with 15 laps remaining, but Johnson stayed close to his rear bumper and finally got around him with 10 to go. Biffle then charged past Keselowski for second and was closing on Johnson when his engine let go.
Biffle then held off Keselowski on the final restart for the win.
"Greg did a great job," Keselowski said. "He had a fast car and passed me legit. I couldn't keep up with him."
Mark Martin was involved in a frightening crash early in the race, spinning across pit road and into the pit wall.
Martin wrecked after Bobby Labonte spun in front of him and Kahne hit him from behind. His car, which was demolished in the crash, nearly hit a cameraman and crew members on pit road.
Martin, who had led 54 laps, was not injured.
Gordon, who is fighting for a wild-card berth into the Chase, suffered engine trouble and fell out of the race.
“That’s the kind of year we’ve been having,” Gordon said.
Johnson took the lead from Keselowski with 10 laps to go and looked to be headed for his first career win at Michigan when his engine blew with six laps remaining.
Johnson was pulling away from Biffle and Keselowski when he suddenly slowed and Biffle swept past him.
Biffle then held off Keselowski on a green-white-checkered restart to score his second win of the season and to regain the series points lead. The win was Biffle’s third at Michigan.
The victory also ended a drought for team owner Jack Roush at Michigan. Roush, whose Roush Industries is 66 miles from the speedway in the Detroit suburb of Livonia, now has a record 12 victories at Michigan.
No Roush Fenway Racing driver had seen a happy Roush face following a Sprint Cup event at the track since Carl Edwards won in August 2008.
Keselowski finished second followed by Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambroseand Edwards.
"We've been working hard to get back to victory lane and catch up to those Hendrick cars," Biffle said. "I was catching the 48; I don't know if I could have caught him or not. It's too bad his engine went away. I wanted to race him clean for the win."
Johnson entered the race leading Biffle by one point in the Sprint Cup standings. Biffle, who led the standings for 11 consecutive weeks earlier this year, now leads Roush teammate Matt Kenseth by 20 points and Earnhardt by 22. Johnson fell to fourth and trails by 28 points.
"We are going to make a run at this title," Biffle said.
Kahne, who finished third, held on to 11th in the standings and still leads the race for the two Chase wild cards. Edwards, sixth on Sunday, is 12th in points but has not won a race this year.Ryan Newman, who finished eighth, is 13th and holds the second wild-card spot.
Johnson's blown motor was the third engine failure in the race for Hendrick Motorsports.Jeff Gordon fell out of the race with a broken valve spring. Tony Stewart, who also runs Hendrick engines, fell out of the race early with the same problem.
Keselowski took the lead from Johnson during a series of green-flag pit stops with about 35 laps to go.
Keselowski held off Johnson on a restart with 15 laps remaining, but Johnson stayed close to his rear bumper and finally got around him with 10 to go. Biffle then charged past Keselowski for second and was closing on Johnson when his engine let go.
Biffle then held off Keselowski on the final restart for the win.
"Greg did a great job," Keselowski said. "He had a fast car and passed me legit. I couldn't keep up with him."
Mark Martin was involved in a frightening crash early in the race, spinning across pit road and into the pit wall.
Martin wrecked after Bobby Labonte spun in front of him and Kahne hit him from behind. His car, which was demolished in the crash, nearly hit a cameraman and crew members on pit road.
Martin, who had led 54 laps, was not injured.
Gordon, who is fighting for a wild-card berth into the Chase, suffered engine trouble and fell out of the race.
“That’s the kind of year we’ve been having,” Gordon said.
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