WATCH: When Jimmie Johnson Won at Las Vegas After Leading Just One Lap

Back in 2006, Jimmie Johnson won the UAW Daimler-Chrysler 400 over Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. However, it was interesting to note that Johnson led the least laps out of all the race leaders.

To be precise, he only bagged the lead from Matt Kenseth on the last lap. Admittedly, the Hendrick Motorsports driver clinched the victory right when it counted. So it did not matter whether he only led one lap compared to the others.

It is worth noting that Vegas happened to be the third consecutive race to finish on a green-white-checkered flag. For the uninitiated, a ‘green-white-checkered’ finish occurs when no caution is shown in the final few laps.

How did Jimmie Johnson earn the win?

Coming back to the race itself, Jimmie Johnson hounded the race leader, Matt Kenseth, for a long time. Finally, after threatening him long enough, the #48 driver overtook Kenseth at the last corner.

In the process, the Hendrick Motorsports driver grabbed his 20th career victory and second win of the season. Admittedly, Matt Kenseth should have won the race comfortably, but Denny Hamlin and Kenny Wallace’s crash bunched up the field.

Naturally, this brought Johnson right on his tail for the overtime finish. To make matters worse, Kenseth reported to his crew that his engine began to feel a little weak.

Fortunately, he was able to protect the lead for as long as possible, while the #48 car inched closer. Finally, at the penultimate corner, Johnson overtook the #17 car on the high side to take the lead for the first time. From there, he never surrendered the lead until he won by a half a car length.

Several years down the line, Jimmie Johnson would go on to establish himself as a legend. In the span of 20 years, he has elevated himself to become one of the most successful drivers on the grid. 7 Cup Series titles, 83 wins, and 36 pole positions are a testament to the same.

Even if he only led one lap in that 2006 race at Las Vegas, it was the only lap that mattered. There have been occasions in motorsport, where drivers would be leading for a long time, only to lose it close to the finish.

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