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CONCORD — Jimmie Johnson's perfect weekend was anything but.

Fastest in practice and fastest in qualifying, Johnson's car no longer was the fastest early in Saturday night's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

He lost the lead on lap 71 and slid to fifth in about 15 laps. His car sluggish, Johnson's anger surged. Crew chief Chad Knaus' tone over the radio as he recited lap time proved as annoying as fingernails on a blackboard to Johnson.

He didn't need someone in his ear telling him what he knew. The car was getting worse. As Knaus prodded, Johnson snapped at his friend, telling him if he kept it up, Johnson would come down pit road and strangle Knaus.

Whoa, trouble in NASCAR paradise? The three-time defending series champion and his crew chief not getting along?

No, this was nothing like 2005 when they bickered at the end of the season and needed car owner Rick Hendrick to serve as mediator. This was more spur of the moment. This was what Knaus wanted.

"I knew I was pushing him pretty hard at that point, so I figured he was getting close to saying something like that," Knaus said. "But I had a point that I was trying to make at that juncture. When you try to extract that little bit more out of each person and get them out of their comfort zone &ellipses; it's difficult."

That's what it takes to win, just as Johnson did. His third victory in the first five races in the Chase gives him a 90-point lead on second-place Mark Martin heading to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Oh yeah, Johnson has won five of the last six races at that track. He admits he considers it his most dominant track, even though Saturday's win was his sixth at Lowe's Motor Speedway, tying him with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for most victories at that track.

Johnson has been so dominant in the Chase that teammate Jeff Gordon has finished second, second and fourth in the last three races and still lost 23 points to Johnson during that stretch.

"I don't think we can beat those guys, heads-up if they have no problems," Gordon said of his teammate. "They're just too strong and too fast. The only chance we really have to win this championship is to either go win the next five in a row or they run into some problems."

Just like Saturday, this Chase run has not been perfect for Johnson's team. They've had three different tire changers in the last couple of months because of a season-ending back injury to their tire changer. Saturday was John Lucas' second race as Johnson's rear tire changer.

Johnson twice lost the lead in the pits last week at California, although he went on to win. The crew was stronger Saturday. Knaus was pleased with the performance, although he described a couple of stops as fair and the others great.

Even so, halfway through the Chase, Johnson moves closer to a record-breaking fourth championship.

"It's nice to have the points lead, but there's no need for anybody to get too excited yet," Johnson said.

Knaus, though, was excited after the race. As Johnson took the checkered flag, Knaus radioed his friend: "We just completed the biggest goal of my life, just so you know. Perfect weekend, dude. Fastest in qualifying and every practice session and won the race. Awesome job.

"Absolutely fantastic effort Jimmie. Absolutely fantastic."

Said Johnson on the radio: "Thanks guys, I know it was a tough one at times, but we made it through there."

They always seem to do so.

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