LAS VEGAS -- Jimmie Johnson captured Sunday's UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 Nextel Cup race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third consecutive year.

The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of teammate Jeff Gordon.

The victory was Johnson's first of the season and 24th of his Nextel Cup career. The win was also the 150th for Hendrick Motorsports.

Kasey Kahne led four Dodge-powered cars to the green flag for 267 laps of high-speed racing. But it didn't take long for the first caution flag as David Ragan spun out on the second lap.

Before the drivers completed 10 laps, another caution flag flew, this time for a multi-car accident including Casey Mears, Ward Burton and Robby Gordon.

Kahne continued to show the way, but Saturday's Busch Series winner, Jeff Burton, jumped up to third place early on. He took second place on lap 17.

But again, racing was interrupted by caution flags.

Joe Nemechek's No. 13 Chevrolet snapped loose on lap 18 and Dave Blaney hit the outside wall while trying to avoid him.

Up front, the race had multiple leaders as everyone seemed to be on different fuel-tire strategies. Elliott Sadler and then Johnson took turns with the lead.

Kyle Busch was on the move since the last caution flag and on lap 37 got around Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second place. Johnson's lead was more than two seconds, but Busch was closing quickly. Another caution flag for an Aric Almirola spin erased Johnson's big lead.

Kenseth and Mark Martin led at least one lap during caution flag pit stops to obtain the five-point bonus. Elliott Sadler was the leader as the field passed the 50-lap mark.

But Johnson was still the quickest on the track and re-took the top spot, even building the lead to more than three seconds after 70 laps. The gap was five seconds at the 79-lap mark just before a round of green-flag pit stops.

After 100 laps Johnson held 6.431 seconds over Sadler and 8.487 seconds over Martin. A caution flag sent everyone down pit lane and Jeff Gordon won the race back to the track. Johnson was just eighth out and even worse, a tire got away from Johnson's pit crew and he was forced to the back of the longest line (25th). But he was still fast and by lap 125 Johnson was up to 16th place and on the move. He cracked the top-10 on lap 133.

While Johnson was charging toward the lead, Jeff Gordon was in control, building the lead to 3.019 seconds over Carl Edwards after 140 laps. Through green-flag pit stops Gordon still owned the lead, expanding the margin to more than four seconds after 160 laps and six seconds 10 laps later.

Meanwhile, Johnson passed Earnhardt Jr. for fourth place just before Paul Menard spun to bring out a caution flag. Johnson's pit crew made up for their last problems by gaining one spot for Johnson this time around.

With 90 laps to go, the lead group was Gordon, Edwards, Johnson, Kyle Busch and Burton. Gordon methodically pulled away as the field approached the 200-lap mark. Johnson got around Edwards for second giving Hendrick Motorsports the top-two positions.

On lap 198 Burton got around Edwards for third place, but he was still almost five seconds behind Gordon.

Could Burton be the third consecutive driver to win Busch and Nextel Cup races on the same weekend?

Passing the 210-lap mark the field began another round of green-flag stops with Gordon, Johnson and Burton remaining in their top-three positions. But Johnson's pit crew somehow cut the two-second margin to half-a-second.

Gordon was not through, however, and rebuilt the margin to 1.058 seconds with 47 laps to go. Two laps later the gap was 2.364 seconds. Then Clint Bowyer slammed the outside wall in turn four to bring out the eighth caution of the day and erase Gordon's lead.

A final pit stop set up the run to the finish. Gordon was first off with Burton second and Johnson third. Burton closed on Gordon in turn two of the first green-flag lap, but drove too deep and had to get on the brakes. Johnson capitalized on the error and ducked underneath Burton for second place.

Burton was fast though and gathered himself up passing both Johnson and Gordon on lap 235. Gordon fell to third, but Johnson stayed right on the No. 31 Chevy's tail.

With 29 laps to go, Johnson dipped to the bottom of the track and slipped past Burton for the lead. Johnson's lead was just 0.195 seconds with 25 laps to go. One lap later it was 0.859 seconds and Burton was having an electrical problem.

"The battery is about to quit," Burton radioed to his crew.

Johnson's lead was a comfortable 1.587 seconds over Burton on lap 245. Gordon easily drove around Burton as did Mark Martin.

Pole sitter Kahne slammed the outside wall with 18 laps to go and set up an 11- lap shootout between Hendrick teammates and Martin for the win. Burton limped down pit lane for a battery change, ending his chance for a win.

Johnson jumped out to a one-second lead over Gordon who held almost a second over Martin. In fact, Denny Hamlin moved around Martin for third place.

But on this day Johnson was not going to be caught and he cruised to the checkered flag unchallenged.

"I knew once Jimmie got in front of me we weren't going to catch him," said Gordon.

Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Martin completed the top-five. Martin will remain the championship leader, six points ahead of Gordon (495-489). Burton (453) is third and Johnson (406) jumped 11 places to fourth.

The next race in the series is set for Sunday, March 18 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.