The six-time Sprint Cup champion won his first race of 2015 Sunday at Atlanta.
Jimmie Johnson got the jump on a pivotal restart with 15 laps remaining, fended off Dale Earnhardt Jr. then drove away to win Sunday's NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kevin Harvick finished second, followed by Earnhardt, pole-sitter Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth. Harvick and Earnhardt placed second and third, respectively, in last week's season-opening Daytona 500.
The deciding restart was setup by an eight-car pileup that required a red flag with 20 laps to go. When the race resumed Johnson restarted first and had to battle a determined Earnhardt, who pulled slightly ahead of his teammate before Johnson repassed Earnhardt never to be challenged again.
Johnson was forced to start 37th when he had an issue getting through technical inspection during qualifying Sunday. Also starting in the back was Harvick, who qualified second but was forced to change motors after losing an engine in practice Saturday. Harvick, the defending Sprint Cup, led a race-high 116 laps.
The win was Johnson's first of 2015 and the 71st of his career and all but guarantees him a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He led six times for 92 laps Sunday.
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