Jeff Gordon was kept out of the top five for the 14th straight race. Credit: Autostock

Despite teammate tangle, Gordon back in top 10

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- What seemed a brewing feud between Hendrick Motorsports teammates Brian Vickers and Jeff Gordon was quickly written off to typical Bristol mayhem.

Brian Vickers finished in the top 10 in three of four August events. Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images

"It wasn't a big deal. No way," said Lance McGrew, Vickers' crew chief. "You know that coming in. I gave the big speech to the guys in the trailer before the race: This is a place where people just freak out! It's just Bristol racing."

Gordon concurred.

"I came up on a slow car and didn't know Brian was on the outside of me, and I just knew I had to get around, (Jimmy Spencer) I think it was, because he was going to kill me," Gordon explained.

"And when I went to the outside (Vickers) was there and he didn't give it up. We were three-wide all the way to the wall and he finally backed out, and wasn't very happy with me when he went back by.

"But me and Brian will work that out. We get along pretty good. I understand the heat of the moment."

Vickers would eventually finish 20th after narrowly missing an accident on Lap 318, when Dale Jarrett wrecked Ryan Newman. Gordon, meanwhile, finished sixth, and therefore surged back into the top-10 for the first time since Pocono in June.

That's not to say he isn't wary.

"I'm still concerned," Gordon said. "The way our season has gone, no matter how good we're running or how bad, you never know what's going to happen. This was a night we wanted and needed to put together.

"All in all a great night. Good points night, so real happy with that. We just fought through a typical Bristol night where sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don't.

"I made some bad calls, asked for some adjustments in the pits thinking it would free it up some in the middle and all it did was make us real loose off. But man we were coming there at the end."