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HAMPTON, Ga. -- Jeff Gordon consoled his team. Jimmie Johnson's celebratory burnout blanketed the frontstretch in a smoky haze.

Two calls -- one by each team -- altered Sunday's finish and tightened the points race between teammates.

Crew chief Chad Knaus' decision helped Johnson score his second consecutive NASCAR Nextel Cup victory and eighth of the season. Crew chief Steve Letarte's call backfired and Gordon finished seventh. Gordon's series lead shrunk to nine points with three races left.

"All we can do is put up the best numbers ... and hope that it's enough," said Gordon, after Johnson gained 44 points at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

A topsy-turvey race turned for both on a caution seven laps from the scheduled finish. All the leaders pitted, except Denny Hamlin. As Johnson drove to his stall toward the end of pit road, Knaus saw some teams change only two tires. He called for a two-tire change and got out Johnson ahead of everyone else.

"When that caution came out, we knew that we didn't have a car capable of winning the race at that point but usually late in the race when cautions do come out, cautions breed cautions, so track position was going to be important," Knaus said.

Gordon, though, felt a vibration with his car.

"I don't know if these tires are going to make it," Gordon radioed Letarte. "Four tires would be huge."

"Seven (laps) to go," Letarte radioed.

"Would be huge," Gordon reiterated.

Letarte called for a four-tire change that put Gordon behind those who changed two tires. Hamlin led with Johnson second and Gordon 11th.

As they came for the restart, Hamlin's engine did not accelerate. He moved to the middle, as Johnson passed on the right and took the lead. The field fanned around Hamlin's car, but Martin Truex Jr. ran into the back of it for the race's 13th caution. The cleanup pushed the race beyond its scheduled 325-lap distance, giving drivers a last chance for a two-lap shootout.

That ended nearly as soon as the green flag waved. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s left rear wheel fell off and he crashed in turn 2, collecting Jamie McMurray. The caution waved, Johnson won and Gordon was unable to take advantage of his four tires.

"Good job," Gordon radioed his crew after the crash. "We just made our comeback a little too late."

Said Letarte: "Sorry about that, buddy. I thought four tires was the way to go."

"Yeah, if there were more laps," Gordon responded.

That showed how one decision can impact the Chase and likely will the next three weeks.

The points lead is so small that Gordon could finish second and lose the lead if Johnson won.

Despite seeing a plan go awry, Gordon said he was happy to have the points lead after this race. He struggled all weekend. He was out of the top 20 on lap 195.

"I'll tell you what, if it's this track, these tires or what, this is the craziest ... track I've ever seen in Atlanta," Gordon radioed.

"I know," Letarte said. "I'm trying to think what I can do."

It wasn't much better for Johnson, who was 18th on lap 152.

"It's going to be exciting," Knaus radioed Johnson at the time. "I know you're holding back. One hundred to go you can take off."

Gordon had to start his charge earlier because he was further back.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy," he radioed his crew halfway through the race.

Both he and Johnson know it won't be the final three races.

"I think it's going to come down to one of us having problems more than anything else and that's the thing we're trying to avoid," Gordon said afterward of the points race. "There's a lot of ways to lose this championship."

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dlong@news-record.com

THE CHASE

Making his move: Jimmie Johnson. A key pit call late moved him to second and he inherited the lead when Denny Hamlin's car stumbled on the restart. That put Johnson in position to win and closed Gordon's lead.

Down the chute: Denny Hamlin. He was looking at a victory but his car didn't get up to speed on the next-to-last restart and was hit from behind, ruining his chances to win. He fell two spots in the series standings.

He said it: "They're not going to get it easy if they do get it &ellipses; and they're going make us work for it too and that's what's making it very exciting right now,'' Jeff Gordon said on his battle with teammate Jimmie Johnson for the title.

Observation: The narrow points lead makes this Chase one of mistakes. A loose lugnut, one weak engine part or a wrong decision by a driver could determine who wins this year's title.

This week: The series heads to Texas Motor Speedway, one of only two tracks on the circuit where Jeff Gordon has not won (Homestead-Miami Speedway is the other).

DUSTIN LONG'S ANALYSIS

Chad Knaus' pit call to change only two tires on a late pit stop moved Jimmie Johnson to second and he took the lead when Denny Hamlin's car failed to get up to speed on a late restart. Knaus' call helped Johnson score the win and close Jeff Gordon's lead in the series standings.

- Dustin Long