The superstar drafting tandem of five-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who raced together to win the spring Talladega race, didn't have anywhere close to the same fortune on Sunday.
After hanging around the back of the field for most of the day in order to stay out of trouble, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. had every intention of making their move with about 20 laps to go.
But an excess of late cautions thwarted their progress, along with running over some debris that required an extra pit stop.
The results were obviously disappointing: Earnhardt Jr. finished 25th and Johnson was 26th.
"I'd rather race up in there and try to lead laps and do whatever, but (two-car drafting) is really not my style of racing – being pushed and carrying on all day long," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Trying to lead a couple of laps that are sort of meaningless really doesn't make a lot of sense either. Neither alternative is really that great, you know. Pushing around and leading laps and racing up toward the front in a 500 mile race...that's not a strategy that is really putting yourself in position to win."
At the end of the race, Johnson had some grass on his grille that caused his car to start overheating a bit, so Earnhardt Jr. had to be the pusher at the end.
"As we went to make our switch, the pack was organized and with the green-white-checkered situation, there's not a lot of time to get organized," Johnson said. "We lost our momentum there and got to the outside and kind of stalled out up on the top and finished far worse than we had hoped to."
Echoed Earnhardt Jr.: "I mean, we run up on guys five-wide (and) you can't go nowhere."
The sub-par result likely put the finishing touches on Johnson's fading hopes of winning a sixth straight championship. He's now 50 points behind the leaders and has only four races to overcome the deficit.
"We'll just keep fighting," Johnson said. "Every position counts. Every spot counts. And I want to finish as high as I can in the points. If it isn't the championship, I want to finish as high as I can possibly finish."
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NASCAR: Talladega Duo Of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson Races To Disappointing Result
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Comments
Jr needs a new drafting partner for next year, either Gordo or Kahne. Johnson sucks at drafting and only wants to be pushed every damm time…
by Jr_Fan on Oct 23, 2011 8:38 PM EDT reply actions
I was afraid when Jr went to HMS, this kind of foolishness would compel him to follow what HMS is famous for. They have been doing it for years. It’s not racing and certainly not the way Jr wants to race. He has always wanted to run up front for all his fans at Dega.. I hope nobody blames Jr for running like this. It has never been his desire to run like a scared rabbit. I just hate this for him. I hope he refuses to do this in the future. Team orders or no team orders.
by factfinder on Oct 23, 2011 8:41 PM EDT reply actions
to race means you go forward not backward for anything....
I think Jr. should have raced for the front on the last 2 laps, left JJ & his grass on the last 2 laps of the race & raced for the front! At the end of a race you are suppose to go forward at any cost! I am asking myself, ‘why didn’t he"?!? Jr. wanted to race up front, the team wanted JJ in the back. I think he should be paired up with Stewart who also wants to race up front. When Nascar can’t sell seats for Daytona & more of the pair racing, maybe they will change it. Today underlines why I cannot understand why Jr. re-signed with Rick for 6 more years of this shafting. Rick was shown on the 48 box today, not the 88.
by mw1123 on Oct 23, 2011 8:47 PM EDT reply actions
I really really hope Jr puts his foot down next year. You cannot stay in the back all day and race up in the last 10 laps like you used to. You need to stay up front and be a contender!
Ashley
by Ashley Ewing on Oct 23, 2011 8:57 PM EDT reply actions
Jr is the best race car driver evAr in the world and i dont know why he ever decided to run such inferior equipment that is Hendrick Motorsports. They are basically start-n-park, how do they ever expect to win a race let alone a championship. How could Jr expect to win when he was forced to pair up with such a terrible driver in jimmie johnson, whats he ever won! When will Rick just let Dale be a peacock and let him FLY!!!
No, I feel full after the risotto
by SuchaHassleToJoinThisBlog on Oct 24, 2011 3:58 AM EDT reply actions
Wow. How clever you are today! Tell me, did your parents have any children that lived?
by bumbabee on Oct 24, 2011 5:08 AM EDT reply actions
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