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Johnson makes it 3 of 4 with win in Michigan

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — After a slow start to the Sprint Cup season — by his standards — Jimmie Johnson appears poised for a run at yet another championship.

His latest victory came at one of the few tracks where the six-time champion had never won before.

“We said coming into it that we thought it was going to be May time before we were able to hit our stride,” crew chief Chad Knaus said. “I think that May showed up and we started to run a little bit better, and I hope that we can continue to improve.”

Johnson won at Michigan International Speedway for the first time in 25 Cup starts Sunday. He made it through the final few laps in his No. 48 Chevrolet with a comfortable lead and crossed the finish 1.214 seconds ahead of pole winner Kevin Harvick.

Johnson was winless on the year before finally breaking through with victories at Charlotte and Dover. Michigan was his third victory in four races.

“The expectation is for us to go out there and perform on a weekly basis as the best team out there, and that’s my expectation, and it’s the expectation of all the fans and especially all you media guys,” Knaus said. “If we falter for two weeks, we’re washed up and we’re all getting fired and everything is going crazy. So if we don’t do that, that’s the only way to keep you guys quiet.”

Johnson moved up to second place in the points standings behind Jeff Gordon. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is third, giving Hendrick Motorsports the top three spots.

There are now only four tracks on the current schedule where Johnson has never won — Kentucky, Watkins Glen, Chicagoland and Homestead-Miami.

Johnson had finished in the top five four times previously at Michigan, including a second-place showing in August 2011. He lost in August 2012 when his engine faltered with six laps remaining.

“When I heard 10 to go, and I’ve been there before with the lead. I heard five to go, I’ve been there before, didn’t win,” Johnson said. “Taken the white with the lead and didn’t make it back. So I was really — I wasn’t taking anything for granted on that final trip around.”

Here are five more things of note from NASCAR’s stop at Michigan:

HENDRICK ROLLS ON: It was the fifth straight victory for Hendrick Motorsports in a points-paying Cup race — three by Johnson plus one each for Gordon and Earnhardt. Hendrick had four of the top seven finishers Sunday, with Kasey Kahne, Gordon and Earnhardt finishing fifth, sixth and seventh.

It’s the third time Hendrick has won five straight races. The team accomplished the feat twice in 2007, including a six-race streak.

Chevrolet snapped Ford’s three-race run at Michigan after Joey Logano took last August’s race and Greg Biffle won the two before that.

“We need to switch that stat where that other brand wins too much here,” Johnson said.

IN GOOD POSITION: Johnson credited Knaus’ strategic foresight. The No. 48 car didn’t take over the lead for good until the 191st of 200 laps, but Johnson was in good shape the whole time because drivers ahead of him still needed to make pit stops.

“We had enough to go the distance whereas everybody else was short,” Johnson said. “Chad saw an opportunity and really let that develop and took great advantage of it.”

ROUSH ROUTED: Roush Fenway Racing has won a record 13 Cup races at Michigan, most recently with Biffle a year ago, but Sunday was a day to forget. None of the team’s four drivers led a single lap.

Trevor Bayne was the top finisher in 19th place, followed by Biffle in 20th, Carl Edwards in 23rd and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 27th. It was the first time since June 2000 that Roush did not have a driver in the top 10 at Michigan.

NOT QUITE THERE: Now that Johnson has finally won at Michigan, Brad Keselowski may be the driver most overdue to win at MIS. It’s in Keselowski’s home state, but he’s 0 for 10 in Cup races at the track.

Keselowski finished third Sunday, following up his second-place showings at Dover and Pocono.

“It’s always good to run well here,” Keselowski said. “It was a good day, not a great day. Third is nothing to hang your hat on. We have consistency, which is good.”

TUNING UP: Juan Pablo Montoya returned to Sprint Cup racing this weekend in a race he hopes prepared him well for next month’s Brickyard 400. He finished 18th Sunday.

“I understand the car a little bit more and how everything works with the team, and where we stand with the setup,” Montoya said. “I think that will be pretty useful.”

Montoya went back to open-wheel racing this year after a full Cup schedule in 2013, but he added NASCAR events at Michigan and Indianapolis to his plans this season.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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