FONTANA, Calif. _ There would be no seventh time for "Seven Time."
Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time champion in NASCAR's Monster Energy Cup Series, also hoped to become the first driver to win seven Cup races at Auto Club Speedway and, in doing so, snap a 27-race winless streak.
Johnson certainly tried, storming into the top10 early in the Auto Club 400 after starting 33rd at the Fontana track. But the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet couldn't reach the front of the field and finished ninth.
Even so, Johnson called the finish "a good, solid day, and so we will take it."
"We are definitely not happy with where we are right now, but we are seeing the improvements," Johnson said. "We are making the cars drive better and better, and we are getting more competitive."