NASCAR: Truex 'too damn fast not to congratulate' - Johnson

Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the competition and that's exactly what Jimmie Johnson did on Sunday night after the Coca-Cola 600.

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The first thing the six-time champion did upon climbing out of his car was to run over to race winner Martin Truex Jr. to congratulate him. Truex led all but 12 laps and Johnson said that was an accomplishment worth recognizing in person.

"He was too damn fast not to congratulate," Johnson said after returning to a group of waiting reporters.

Johnson understood the accomplishment better than most, having led 334 of the 400 laps in the 2004 running of the event. Truex was so fast throughout the night on Sunday that Johnson believes he was only teasing the field by letting he or runner-up Kevin Harvick anywhere near him.

"I kind of felt like he was playing with us," Johnson said. "He was so fast. I would flatfoot (Turns) 1 and 2, and have a nose on him, and he would drive right back by me into Turn 3. So, it was so fast. It was very impressive. I'm happy for Martin. That team and those guys worked awfully hard to get where they're at."

Johnson had good reason to be frustrated but he didn't show it. Despite that 2004 victory, the 40-year-old said this was the best car he's ever had at the North Carolina track.

"It just shows you how good that No. 78 (Truex) was and the No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) got a little bit better than us at the end," Johnson said. "I thought we had a chance at them a few times, a couple of times on the long run we would get close. A couple times on the restarts we would get close, but all-in-all a very strong performance for our Lowe's Chevrolet."