FONTANA, Calif. - Jimmie Johnson playfully slammed the brakes as his No. 48 Chevrolet hurtled down the backstretch, looped four burnouts on the front straightaway and delivered three ear-piercing screams on his radio.

His tire-smoking celebration Sunday at Auto Club Speedway lasted so long that he finally was asked to cut short the exultation for a summons to victory lane.

"I had a little fun with it," he said.

After 45 victories in NASCAR's premier series, winning apparently isn't getting old for the three-time champion.

But it might be getting tiring for the pursuers trying to stop him from becoming the first driver to win four consecutive titles.

With his second victory in the Chase for the Sprint Cup (and his fifth of 2009), Johnson seized command of the 10-race championship run by moving into first place in the standings for the first time this season.

He is 12 points ahead of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin with six races left. But if the lead doesn't appear to be large, Johnson's track record (this was his 16th victory in 54 Chase races) makes it seem insurmountable.

"They have something magical about the final 10 races," said Jeff Gordon, who was unable to stave off Johnson on a restart with three laps remaining. "These 10 tracks really suit them. What else can you say? They're the best out there. They've won the last three championships, they're going to be hard to beat for this one. Unless they make a mistake, I don't see how they lose it."

Johnson is setting a pace so blistering that even drivers ripping off career-best stretches are not closing the gap. Juan Pablo Montoya (third) notched his fourth consecutive top finish but still lost seven points to the leader.

"It's incredible," Montoya said. "You aren't going to make up points. You just have to make sure you don't lose any."

The Colombian did his best Sunday, leading 78 laps in the No. 42 Chevrolet, but he wasn't satisfied.

"It would be nice if we can get a freaking win soon," said Montoya, still seeking his first victory on an oval.

The Earnhardt Ganassi driver at least has established himself as the lone threat to the Hendrick juggernaut. Montoya (third in points) is the only driver in the top five not using chassis and engines supplied by Hendrick.

"He's really stepped it up," Gordon said. "He at least gave (Johnson) a run for his money. We had nothing for him."

Will anyone over the final six races? Johnson still thinks so.

"Just because we've done well the last three years doesn't mean we're a shoe-in for the fourth," he said. "I don't want to go there."