A big weekend for Jimmie Johnson as the season winds down.

This weekend’s race at California Speedway gave a whole new meaning to the phrase, “Can you beat the heat?” With air temperatures climbing to 109, and the asphalt track maintaining a toasty 140 degrees, drivers and crew alike drank Gatorade until their tongues literally turned blue.

Kurt Busch lead the field to green until lap nine when Joe Nemechek had engine problems and brought out the first caution period of the day. Everyone, except for John Andretti, hit pit road, where a myriad of strategies work themselves out. Taking only 2 tires and fuel, Kasey Kahne won the race off of pit road and lined behind Andretti to take the field to green. His two-tire plan failing him, Kahne dropped back to fourth as Kurt Busch took the lead back from Andretti, who, after not pitting, fell to 14th behind those with fresh tires.

Busch was never fully able to extend his lead over second-place Jimmie Johnson, due to debris spotted in turns three and four. During this second caution, only a few cars ventured down pit road, including Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya, who needed to repair some damage to his car that he sustained making contact with Carl Edwards during his first trip down pit road.

Elliott Sadler brought out the third caution in 23 laps when he spun. In a move that did not work for Andretti, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Ryan Newman opted not to pit and lead the field to the green. For 13 laps, the field raced under green conditions until lap 40. Michael Waltrip, who had been running 33rd, reported a tire rub on lap 38. 2 laps later, his left front tire finally gave out, sending him into the wall, where his car burst into flame. Waltrip, who seemed to struggle out of the car, albeit under his own power, joked that he was simply too big:

"I tried to get out in a hurry. I've tried to practice it at the shop, but I have to get my helmet off to get out of there. I'm just too big. That's why I'm glad the Car of Tomorrow is here. It'll give me a little more room."

"I think it looked a whole lot worse than it was, because it really didn't get that hot in there," Waltrip would comment after exiting the infield care center.

It wasn’t until lap 114 did our eventual winner took the lead. But Jimmie Johnson couldn’t rest on his laurels yet; he would have to race his way through seven more caution periods that included a big milt-car wreck on lap 180. Jeff Gordon got loose and bumped Jeremy Mayfield and David Reutimann, whose spinout would bring Ricky Rudd and David Stremme into the mess. Rudd, who started in his 900th Cup race was later transported by ambulance to a local hospital. While there left arm was examined, and would be examined and released.

Lap 242 held the prospect of a close finish, but Johnson was able to pull out his lead by 2.2 seconds while Carl Edwards had to navigate his way through lapped traffic. This win for Johnson marked his fifth, but the first one in four months since his last win at Richmond back in May. Johnson now sits sixth and 430 points out of first in the championship standings.

“It's time for the pressure to pick up and the hard work to start. And my guys are ready for it,” he would comment later.

One driver who was still not able to crack the top 12 this weekend was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is now 128 points out. Exhaustion from the heat did not deter Earnhardt from the season long goal, “I just go out there and run as hard as I can. It doesn't look like we're going to make it, but we're not going to quit trying until they tell us we're not [in it]."

Even though Earnhardt may not have clinched his spot just yet, Jeff Burton was able to do so with his fourth-place finish this weekend. When told that he had finally clinched a spot in the Chase, Burton was able to sum up his feelings into one word: awesome.

Brian Vickers pounded out a top 10 finish, after failing to qualify for last weeks race. Brian’s constant drive to do better led him to be slightly disappointed at Sunday night’s performance:

“It was decent race for us,” Vickers said after the race. “We had a Top 10 car and that’s where we ran and finished, but I think we could have been better.”

Will Brian be able to do better next week? Jimmie Johnson won at Richmond in May, can he sweep? Will Dale Jr. finally make the Chase? See where all the drivers stand next week after the last pre-Chase race, here at the Checkered Flag!

Questions and comments may be sent to larisssasmith@sportsgrumblings.com