Remembering each of Jimmie Johnson’s track-best three NASCAR wins at Kansas Speedway

Retiring NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has won three Cup races at Kansas Speedway, tied with three others for the most in track history.

Here’s a look at each victory.

September 2008

Columbia’s Carl Edwards was so desperate to win a NASCAR Cup race at his home track, he was willing to try anything. And he did.

On the second-to-last turn on the final lap, Edwards tried a “banzai” move to take the lead — and the victory — from Johnson. Heading into turn three, Edwards moved under Johnson’s car and slid up the track to cut off a counter move. Instead, he ran into the wall, and Johnson took the checkered flag.

“I didn’t know where he was going,” Johnson says now. “I thought he was going to end up out there on the mall parking lot.”

October 2011

Johnson was headed for an easy win. He led 197 laps, at one point built a 12-second advantage in front of second place before a series of yellow flags bunched up the field.

The final caution flew for teammate Jeff Gordon, whose engine blew with three laps left. Johnson chose not to pit before the sprint to the finish, but still managed to drive away from Kahne and Brad Keselowski on worn out tires.

“I remember having to hold off Kasey on a couple of re-starts,” Johnson said. “I may have left a little early in the last re-start to make sure I had the lead after dominating all day long.”

May 2015

Because of the imminent threat of rain, NASCAR moved up the start of the aptly named SpongeBob Square Pants 400 by about 10 minutes.

But the second NASCAR night race in Kansas Speedway was red-flagged because of rain on the 99th lap of the 267-lap race and would not resume for 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 30 seconds.

Eventually, as the clock struck midnight, Johnson outdueled Kevin Harvick to the checkered flag, giving him his third career win at Kansas Speedway, tying Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon for the most victories at the track, a record they now share with Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin.

“I remember the question to the drivers pre-race was ‘Would the winning driver be willing to let Nickelodeon pour slime on your head if you won?” Johnson recalled. “I was like, ‘Sure, they can do whatever they want if I win this race.’ But with the rain delay, and some other issues, they weren’t able to pour slime on me.”