CONCORD, N.C. — Champagne flew in victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway, stinging the eyes of three people who were overjoyed with the feeling.
The feeling of victory, that is, for driver Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick. After a long dry spell, the bubbly shower was refreshing.
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On Sunday, Johnson won for the first time in 23 races in NASCAR's premier series. That drought was marked by near-misses, races foiled by uncharacteristic pit-road penalties and plain old bad luck.
"We knew we could be back," Johnson said. "It was just slower than we thought it would be."
By winning the Bank of America 500, Johnson secured advancement to the Chase for the Sprint Cup's Round of 8 for the first time under the new format. He doesn't have to win next week at Kansas. Even better, he doesn't have to worry about Talladega.
The difference on Sunday? Literally night and day. Instead of starting about 7 p.m. ET Saturday, the race went off just after noon ET Sunday. That's huge on a track that reacts much differently in sunshine. There was grip; there were multiple lanes; and there were opportunities that single-file night racing would not allow.
"Day conditions helped us and the sun definitely helped," Johnson said.
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Matt Kenseth tried to make it a race, jumping ahead of Johnson off a pit stop on Lap 312 of 334. It took Johnson five laps to restore order.
"We didn't make it easy," Kenseth said. On himself, on Johnson or on Kenseth's team, since his car was flagged and penalized before the race.
"We had a part go bad in inspection or something and had to start from the rear," Kenseth said. "Then we got the pit road penalty and had to go back there again. So it was an uphill battle."
Still, Kenseth had the lead until a final restart. Johnson, taking the low lane, drew away as Kenseth couldn't make the high groove work.
"We were just a little off [Johnson] on the short run," Kenseth said.
Could he have caught Johnson?
"Nope."
OK.
"That was all I had on the restart and all I had on the run. I just didn't have enough speed."
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Here's what should speed into Chase drivers' minds. Not only did Johnson win, but teammate Kasey Kahne finished third. Chase Elliott led more than 100 laps before being collected in a crash. Even Alex Bowman, victim of an early crash, looked strong in an abbreviated run.
"I can't tell you how many races we were in position to win, a caution would come out, a restart, and we'd just fumble the ball," Rick Hendrick said, in comments that should include winless Elliott as well. "But we've really been working hard through the summer."
Augmenting that hard work was the presence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Junior continues to provide insight and was at the past two races while recovering from a head injury. Gordon, called back from retirement to split rides with Bowman in Earnhardt's car, was invaluable.
"Honestly, having Jeff Gordon in the car has really opened up our eyes to a different side of Jeff that's helped us," Knaus said. "Jeff gives great feedback, as does Alex, and it's been interesting to hear what they say.
"Kind of like when you hear the same thing over and over and over again but then somebody else tells you the same thing, your ears kind of perk up a little bit."
To which Johnson piped in: "Are you saying you don't listen to what I have to say?"
Levity, a valuable commodity in the heat of championship competition, is evident again for the 48 team. Winning does that.