Gordon-Johnson rivalry intensifies
April 25, 2010
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) -The Jeff Gordon-Jimmie Johnson rivalry may now be a full-blown feud.
Gordon and Johnson were involved in an incident for the second straight Sprint Cup race, leaving the pair of four-time champions and Hendrick Motorsports teammates needing to repair more than some cars.
They might have to patch up their differences - again.
The 48 is testing my patience, I can tell you that, Gordon said Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. It takes a lot to make me mad. ... I don't know what it is with me and him right now.
Gordon was making a run to the front when he was forced by Johnson to the apron late in the race. Gordon connected with Scott Speed - Jeff Burton also was collected - and the No. 24 headed to pit road.
The 48 decided to change three lanes and keep me from going by him and that's just not cool when a car's going that much faster than you,'' Gordon said. Maybe he just didn't know.''
Gordon finished 22nd and Johnson was 31st. Gordon said he wasn't exactly sure what happened in the wreck.
I'm just excited we finished on the lead lap, to be honest,Gordon said.
Gordon and Johnson also tangled on the track last week at Texas Motor Speedway. Gordon and Johnson insisted Friday there were no hard feelings after their public tiff after aggressive driving and critical comments of each other over the radio.
Team owner Rick Hendrick defused any talk before the race of a feud between his four-time champion drivers.
Hendrick said Gordon's competitive streak had him fired up when the No. 48 and No. 24 had their first dust-up last week at Texas. The drivers and friends then made critical comments of each other after the race.
Both drivers said they patched up their differences. Hendrick said on Sunday he liked Gordon's attitude.
He's not sick of Jimmie, he's just on the chip,'' Hendrick said. He drove that race in Vegas where he was sideways on the outside and wouldn't give it up. He's fired up. He should have won three races already - three or four maybe. I'm excited about a little bit of a rivalry between them - as long as they don't wreck each other.''
HMS teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 13th, downplayed any friction.
These guys laugh and joke at the stories in the media about it,'' he said. Both of them want to be champions. ... Everybody butts heads once in a while. Rick ain't gonna let 'em do too damn much.''
SHORT TRIP, WALTRIP: Michael Waltrip briefly rekindled memories of his lone win at Talladega Superspeedway when he took the lead Sunday.
His lead was short-lived - and so was his race. Waltrip, who stopped driving for Michael Waltrip Racing after the season-opening Daytona 500, was knocked out after he got caught up in a wreck about 83 laps into the race.
Kyle Busch tapped Johnny Sauter, triggering a 10-car pileup that included Waltrip. Waltrip said Busch hadn't learned the art of bump-drafting.
He's quite the driver, and he'll tell you about it, Waltrip said. You'd think that anybody with that much talent would be able to figure out bump-drafting. Everybody else had.
Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, drove in only his third race this year. He'd love to return for the Oct. 31 race.
`Maybe I ran good enough to convince (his sponsor) to let me come back in October and try again, he said.
CHANGING LEADS: Kevin Harvick had the only lead that counted at Talladega Superspeedway.
The last one.
But seemingly every other driver had a shot. There were a record 88 lead changes among a series-record 29 drivers. The previous records were 75 lead changes (May 6, 1984) and 28 leaders (Oct. 5, 2008).
Jeff Burton led the most laps (28) and seven drivers led only one.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought a roar out of the crowd whenever he took the lead. He ran up front late and led eight laps before fading to a 13th-place finish.
When it counted at the end, we just kind of didn't make the right moves,'' Earnhardt said. The bottom line didn't go very good on that restart and it cost us a few more spots. I'm pretty happy to come out of here in one piece.
Harvick led twice for two laps.