Jimmie Johnson goes into Dale Earnhardt Jr. after Johnson was hit by teammate Brian Vickers. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Opinions differ following Talladega mayhem

Last-lap hit from teammate Vickers costs Johnson big-time

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Jimmie Johnson exited the infield care center at Talladega after finishing 24th in the UAW-GM 500 on Sunday. His lips were pursed, his face tight.

Johnson is an uncommonly composed man, but this was about as angry as he'd ever been following a Nextel Cup race.

Brian Vickers earned his first career victory in the UAW-Ford 500. Credit: Autostock

UAW-Ford 500 Unofficial Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Brian Vickers Chevy 2. Kasey Kahne Dodge 3. Kurt Busch Dodge 4. Matt Kenseth Ford 5. Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 6. Kevin Harvick Chevy 7. Jeff Green Chevy 8. Mark Martin Ford 9. Carl Edwards Ford 10. Bobby Labonte Dodge • Complete results, click here Chase for the Nextel Cup After Talladaga (4th of 10 races) Pos. +/- Driver Behind 1. -- Jeff Burton Leader 2. +2 Matt Kenseth -6 3. -- Mark Martin -10 4. +1 Kevin Harvick -33 5. -3 Denny Hamlin -51 6. +1 D. Earnhardt Jr. -106 7. -1 Jeff Gordon -147 8. -- Jimmie Johnson -156 9. +1 Kasey Kahne -185 10. -1 Kyle Busch -185 • Complete standings, click here Victory LaneBrian Vickers celebrates in Victory Lane at Talladega Top finishersBurton, Martin and Kahne talk about Sunday's race Frustrating finishJimmie Johnson talks about getting knocked out on the last lap UnluckyDale Jr. tries to figure out what went wrong on the final lap Final lapsBrian Vickers rolls to the checkers after some controversy Gordon goneJeff Gordon is upset after getting caught up in a multi-car wreck Big wreckThe Big One wrecks over 10 cars in Talladega Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Just 10 minutes earlier, Johnson was running second behind leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. when Hendrick Motorsports teammate Brian Vickers hit him entering Turn 3, sending Johnson's Chevrolet careening into Earnhardt Jr.

The hit gave the win to Vickers, and left Johnson fuming afterwards.

"He definitely got into the back of me," Johnson said. "That is all I know."

Vickers said that he was bump-drafting on the backstretch, but he said that he was trying to push Johnson to the win.

"I would expect him to be a little upset. He is my friend and teammate and he running for a championship," said Vickers. "He knows that just as well as I do that if I hadn't have been bump-drafting, he never would have had a shot to pass Junior.

"It is what it is. This is speedway racing. After he sees it, that it wasn't intentional, he knows that is not my driving style."

Johnson gained only nine points on championship leader Jeff Burton, who finished 27th after a late tire failure. Without the last-lap crash, Johnson would have been within 70 points of the lead with six races still remaining.

Kurt Busch had the best view of the last-lap skirmish. Busch, who went on to finish third, was running right behind the Earnhardt-Johnson-Vickers trio when the crash happened.

Busch said that Earnhardt Jr. clearly blocked Johnson, but he also said that Vickers could have given Johnson a minute break.

"Vickers didn't anticipate the block as large as [Earnhardt] did. [Johnson] had to maneuver a little bit and [Vickers] was right on his rear bumper," said Busch. "He should have maybe given an inch instead of taking the inch that the [Johnson] needed."

Kasey Kahne, who finished second, agreed.

"[Vickers] was pushing and gave him a great run," said Kahne. "It was hard to tell which way, but [Vickers] went down to get behind [Johnson] and kept pushing him and he was already on his right rear and actually kind of hooked him.

"I was trying to miss all that stuff."

The Vickers-Johnson drama was the latest in a series of strange twists concerning Vickers, who is leaving Hendrick Motorsports for Team Red Bull at the end of the season.

Just last week, Vickers was told that he was no longer welcome at the post-practice meetings between Hendrick Motorsports teammates. That decision came just two weeks after Vickers irritated teammate Jeff Gordon by racing him hard in the closing laps at Loudon.

Vickers denied that he raced Johnson aggressively due to the fact that he was leaving Hendrick.

"I would not have changed anything," said Vickers. "My aggression had to do with the fact that [Johnson] wanted to get by [Earnhardt]."

"He was not going to pass [Earnhardt] by himself. We were trying to finish 1-2 for Hendrick. It was an accident, and had nothing to do with the fact that I am leaving."