Johnson wins with gas-only pit

FONTANA, Calif. -- Jimmie Johnson, one of NASCAR's suddenly omnipresent young guns, parlayed a gas-only pit stop into his first Winston Cup victory Sunday in the NAPA Auto Parts 500.

The 26-year-old Johnson held off 23-year-old Kurt Busch, who got his first Cup win last month in Bristol, Tenn., by about six car-lengths on the 2-mile oval at California Speedway.

"We knew it would be close," said Johnson, who won in only his 13th start. "These guys just let me do my job and we got it done. This is so cool."

It appeared Busch had the best car on the track in the first half of the 250-lap race, building a lead of 15 seconds before a caution flag on lap 141 took him back to the other contenders.

After that, it a see-saw battle among Busch, former series champion Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd and Johnson.

Those four were battling, with Jarrett out front, when Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr., two more of the twentysomething stars, wrecked in the fourth turn on lap 229, bringing out the fifth and final caution flag.

The left rear tire on Harvick's car blew as he raced through turn three at highspeed. As the car began to veer down the banked track, Earnhardt's car slammed hard into the driver side, sending both into the concrete wall.

Harvick was not injured, but Earnhardt came out of the infield medical center on crutches and was to have a sore right ankle evaluated back home in North Carolina.

Most of the lead lap cars pitted, but Bill Elliott, who stayed on the track, was just ahead of Johnson for the restart on lap 237. Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet shot past Elliott's Dodge in the first turn and never trailed the rest of the way.

Busch, driving a Ford, moved past both Elliott and Rudd and grabbed the runner-up spot on lap 247, but he couldn't catch Johnson, who crossed the finish line 0.620 seconds ahead.

Rudd wound up third.

Spanish Grand Prix

BARCELONA, Spain -- Michael Schumacher, driving a backup car after his regular ride failed in practice, won the Spanish Grand Prix, his fourth victory in five races this season.

Juan Pablo Montoya was second, 35.6 seconds behind.

-- From wire reports