CONCORD, N.C. -- It's not often a race car driver intentionally cruises slowly at the back of the field.

Jimmie Johnson did it for roughly 60 laps Saturday night, and it earned him a cool $1 million payday.

Johnson used a calculated strategy -- he drove hard for the first and last segments, and coasted for the three in between -- to join the late Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as the only three-time winners of NASCAR's All-Star race.

The five-time champion won the first 20-lap segment of the Sprint All-Star race, then deliberately faded to the back for the next three 20-lap segments at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His plan was to keep the No. 48 Chevrolet out of trouble, then make his play for the win in the fifth and final segment.

"We did a strategy that we thought was best for our team," he said.

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