Jeff Gordon's Chevrolet is loaded onto his hauler for the trip back to Concord, N.C. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Hendrick front-runners struggle at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. -- Hendrick Motorsports entered the Chevy American Revolution 400 with a stranglehold on the Nextel Cup Series point standings, but that advantage took a considerable hit as drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon both suffered DNFs at Richmond International Raceway.

Johnson was the first to exit, when Joe Nemechek and Michael Waltrip hit the brakes in front of him on Lap 81. Johnson also hit the brakes, but rookie Travis Kvapil behind him was unable to slow down in time and spun Johnson's Chevrolet into the inside wall.

Johnson wrecksThe points leader gets punted and suffers heavy damage Gordon's troublesJeff Gordon has to take his car to the garage Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"Nights like [Saturday] it feels good to have a points lead," Johnson said. "Cars in front of me were sliding around and checked up. It was a chain reaction deal."

Johnson spun into the inside wall, damaging the rear of the Lowe's Chevrolet. But it was his trip back around the track en route to pit road that marked his demise.

"I was making my lap back around trying to get to pit road and went down the backstretch and the steering failed," Johnson said. "When I climbed on the brakes, with all the camber and caster in it, I turned right into the inside wall again.

"If it didn't hurt the car too bad that I backed it into the wall the first time, it killed it the second time."

The resulting DNF was Johnson's second in the past three weeks.

Johnson entered Saturday's event with a 127-point lead over teammate Gordon, but by the time the checkers flew that advantage had dwindled to 41 points over Greg Biffle.

Biffle finished sixth Saturday -- the best of his career at RIR -- but doesn't put much stock in good fortune resulting from others' misfortune.

"It's unfortunate for those guys -- I don't want to gain points on guys like that, but it's part of our sport," Biffle said. "The shoe could be on the other foot next week."

Gordon fell to third in the standings, 124 points behind Johnson after hitting the wall at the halfway point.

"I know exactly what happened, it was one of the stupidest things I've ever done in my life," Gordon said. "A car spun in front of me, I saw smoke and slowed down, decided to take it a little high, just ran straight into the wall by myself."