Pikes Peak: "Monster" Still the King

Just the Facts:

• Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima won his fifth straight overall title in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
• The 10-minute barrier withstood yet another assault by the race record holder.
• Tajima drove a Suzuki XL7 in the Unlimited Class.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — Nobuhiro Tajima, nicknamed "Monster" for his domination of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, lived up to his reputation by winning the event for the fifth straight year on Sunday.

Tajima completed the 12.42-mile, 156-turn gravel and pavement course, which winds its way up the iconic Rocky Mountain peak, in 10 minutes, 11.490 seconds, some 10 seconds slower than his course record 10:01.408 established in 2007.

Paul Dallenbach was 2nd and Rhys Millen 3rd in overall standings.

Sunday's race was the 88th edition of the event, first held in 1916.

In NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson passed Kurt Busch with two laps to go and streaked ahead to win the Lenox 301 Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Busch had muscled his way past Johnson with seven laps to go. Johnson was angered by the maneuver, but calmed down and chased down Busch to regain the lead. Tony Stewart also got past Busch, but he could not challenge Johnson.

It was Johnson's fifth win of the season and slightly trimmed the lead of Kevin Harvick over Johnson in driver points. Harvick, who finished 5th, has a 105-point lead, but the standings are irrelevant except in determining the 12 drivers who will be eligible for the title in the Sprint Cup Series Chase to the Cup in the final 10 races of the season.

Johnson is riding an unprecedented four-in-a-row streak in Cup championship titles.

Inside Line says: There's no bumping at Pikes Peak, where competitors go up the mountain one at a time. — David Green, Correspondent