Break of the Race: Jimmie Johnson

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- After escaping the expected "Big One," it was a "little one" that toppled Jimmie Johnson.

A restrictor-plate wreck wasn't what soured Johnson's Sunday afternoon drive at Talladega Superspeedway. Instead, it was a split-second decision that he'd like to retract.

"I just tried getting down into a hole that wasn't big enough," Johnson said of the gaffe that dumped him from the top 10 down to a 15th-place finish.

Near the close of the Aaron's 499, Johnson was trying to work his way back among the leaders. Johnson had been one of the leaders most of the day and had gotten shuffled back to the middle of the pack.

"I was trying to find a hole I could fall back into," Johnson said. "I thought it looked clear in my mirror, and I came down and cut across somebody. I wasn't sure really who it was."

It didn't matter. The combination of a sudden slammed-shut hole and the trailing car's contact with Johnson sent the No. 48 sliding toward one of Talladega's inside walls. Johnson didn't collect anybody else, and the spin generated a lot of white tire smoke, but he rejoined the field in a far lesser position than he'd exited.

"It's disappointing to end up being competitive all day long and come home 15th," Johnson said. "But at least we got us a great race car still."

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Sunday's incident mirrored the finale in Las Vegas, where closing contact with Sterling Marlin knocked Johnson from a possible top five to an 11th-place finish. This time, Johnson took the blame.

"It was more my own fault than anything," he said of the move. "I was trying to get down into a hole. All I saw was the yellow nose on a car, so I'm not sure who it was."

The spin move was particularly aggravating because Johnson, who started seventh, led a race-high 65 laps. According to winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Johnson was aggressive about running up front. Aside from Johnson, Earnhardt also raced up front with Jeff Gordon, Joe Nemechek and Terry Labonte -- Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammates -- much of the day, and especially late in the race.

"The 48 just kept moving up into whatever line was going and trying to block the outside run and trying to block the inside run," Earnhardt said. "He'd keep doing that, and everybody behind him was just getting pissed off because he was all over the place."

Earnhardt said he sensed that Gordon, who finished eighth, wanted Johnson to show more restraint.

"They had great cars, and I think Jeff saw the potential for them to hook up and work together and win this race together," Earnhardt said. "I don't think Jimmie actually saw that or understood that."

Johnson was very clear about Earnhardt's much-debated pass of Matt Kenseth below the yellow line on lap 186 of 188.

"Anybody else who ever advances down there gets in trouble," Johnson said. "I mean, he did a great job all day long, and those guys had the car to beat again, but from my vantage point, I didn't think it was a legal pass due to current rules."

As for points, Johnson did OK despite the tough ending. He began the day in fifth place in the Winston Cup standings and heads to Martinsville in fourth place.

"It was a great performance by the whole Lowe's team," Johnson said.