Johnson, who won at Texas Motor Speedway seven times in a NASCAR Cup car, made his way forward with some strong outside and inside passes, dodged a three-car wreck right in front of him, and rose as high as a legitimate fifth place. However, a telemetry issue meant his team were unable to verify how much fuel he had left in the closing stint, so he backed off in the final two laps, allowing teammate Dixon past into fifth.
Ericsson, who was elated by his own third place – the Swede’s best finish on an oval – said of Johnson’s result: “It's super impressive. I think already from Lap 1 yesterday, you could tell he was a lot more comfortable, this felt more at home for him compared to the road and street courses, even though he's improved a lot there, as well.
