Johnson's Daytona Prototype Experience Pays Off at Sonoma

Jimmie Johnson followed his father's advice and raced the GAINSCO Daytona Prototype at Daytona International Speedway and Watkins Glen International earlier this season.

On Father's Day, that wisdom paid off when the reigning four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion won his first career road race at NASCAR's highlight level, the Save Mark 350 at Infineon Raceway.

"When I grew up racing motorcycles, my dad would always put me on a bigger bike than my class, when we'd go out practice and stuff," Johnson said prior to racing Bob Stallings' Red Dragon Chevrolet/Riley in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen in June. "And he always told me that if I could ride a bike with more power and see things at a faster speed, when I was on my normal-size bike it would slow everything down for me. I do believe in that."

Johnson ran second behind eventual winners Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett at Watkins Glen, then joined Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty in a sixth-place finish after a late-race spin cost the team a podium finish.

"I've been very fortunate to get in this Daytona Prototype, so when I go back to a Cup car, it slows things down for me and helps me feel a little bit more in control and understand the threshold of the car," Johnson said at The Glen. "And then in general, turning laps on a road course can't hurt. The more I do this, the better I get at it."

At Sonoma, Johnson started second in the 43-car field and then led 55 of the 110 laps in scoring his fourth victory of the season - but first of his career on a road circuit.

"It feels so good," Johnson said in victory lane after winning Sunday's race. "I've been working really hard to get better as a road course driver. I have to thank Bob Stallings and Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty and Kyle Brannan and all the guys at GAINSCO Racing who have been working with me and letting me come and run their GRAND-AM car. It has been a big help. On top of that Hendrick Motorsports has been working so hard to get better at this stuff. We tested again and again and again and we are getting better. I'm getting better and we have all the tools here. Just an awesome day. Happy Father's Day to my Dad and it is also my Mom's birthday, so one heck of a day."