Johnson wins at Sonoma after Ambrose's late gaffe
A NASCAR ruling cost Marcos Ambrose his first career Sprint Cup Series victory Sunday when he stalled his car under a late caution at Infineon Raceway and was forced to forfeit his lead to Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson went on to win his first career Cup race on a road course and ended a 10-week victory drought for the four-time defending series champion.
Ambrose, who led 35 laps, had to settle for sixth after coughing up yet another chance at a victory.
"My bad," the Australian said. "Just feel really disappointed. Might not like the call, but it is what it is. I know the rule. It's a judgment call."
Ambrose, a road racing ace, was cruising to a long-awaited victory when caution for a Brad Keselowski spin threw a roadblock in his path. Instructed by his crew chief to conserve fuel, Ambrose flipped his engine on and off as he circled the winding 1.99-mile course.
But his Toyota apparently stalled, and six cars weaved around his unmoving Toyota. Although Ambrose got his car restarted and moved back to the front of the field, NASCAR ordered him back to seventh for "failing to maintain reasonable speed" right before the restart.
That gave Johnson the lead and he sailed away for his fourth win of the season, but first since Bristol in March.
Ambrose crew chief Frank Kerr visited NASCAR officials after the race, and said he understood the ruling. But asked if he was "content" with the ruling, he said only "no comment."
Kerr also asked Sprint Cup Series director John Darby about the 2007 race at Kansas, where winner Greg Biffle appeared to run out of gas under caution on the final lap and was passed by Johnson and Clint Bowyer before the finish line.
Darby said the Biffle situation was different because Biffle's car continued moving and the two cars behind him sped up to make the pass.
"Biffle maintained pace, the other cars picked up 20 miles per hour," Darby said.
Robby Gordon finished second in a Toyota for his highest finish of the season, and series points leader Kevin Harvick was third in a Chevrolet. Defending race winner Kasey Kahne finished fourth in a Ford and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five.
Biffle was seventh and was followed by Boris Said, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya.
