TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Jimmie Johnson knew the question was coming Friday in the media center at Talladega Superspeedway, and he was ready for it.

Asked if he and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon had spoken since running into each other during last Monday's Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, and subsequently talking a little smack about each other afterward, Johnson grinned.

Then he chuckled and replied: "Sure. Did you guys [in the media] hear about the fight we got into? Man, we just got into a hell of a fight."

Not really. But both Johnson and Gordon agreed that even though they are teammates, they also are rivals. It's always been that way with them, Johnson insisted, even though others may have been slow to pick up on it.

"Jeff [Gordon] and I have been racing each other really hard because we've both have had really good race cars and of course there is a very intense rivalry with the Hendrick teammates, especially in that 24/48 shop," Johnson said. "But being that it's a rivalry, it's always been a very good one and it will continue to be that way.

"We push each other really hard and ask a lot and we're both greedy in ways. We have probably put each other in positions on the race track that he [Gordon] hasn't liked and I haven't liked. I found myself in that position in Texas and decided to express myself a little bit. We've talked, for sure. Everything is fine and in good shape and we'll just keep racing."

Gordon always draws a crowd whenever he speaks during media availability at his hauler. That was especially so on Friday, when everyone wanted to hear his side of the story.

As it turned out, his side of the story was much like Johnson's.

"When you're out there on the race track, you're a competitor. You want to win -- and you're going to do everything you possibly can to get that win," Gordon said. "There are times when that fellow competitor and you are going to push things maybe too far. I feel like that's a little bit of what happened last weekend, and why it's good that Jimmie and I were able to communicate about it.

"We understand where our respect lies for one another. I don't think he liked that I was on his bumper and working that hard to pass him by getting up behind him. I didn't respect the fact that he ran into my door. We took it a little bit too far there, but yet we're still going to race one another a lot as the year goes on. I hope."

A late accident that did not involve Johnson relegated Gordon to a 31st-place finish at Texas after he had led a race-high 124 laps. He is fifth in points heading into this Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega.

Johnson went on to finish second at Texas and the four-time defending champion currently leads the point standings. But both he and Gordon admitted that their rivalry has been stoked by the fact that Gordon is running consistently stronger this year than he has since winning six races and finishing second in points to Johnson in 2007.

"We've raced hard before. We've upset one another on the track before," Gordon said. "I mean, who hasn't? I feel like most of the time it's gone the other way. Most of the time, it's been him passing me and me not liking the fact that he was being too aggressive racing with me.

"What makes it a rivalry and challenging and tough is that they're the team to beat and we all want to beat them. Everybody does. They've set the benchmark, and we feel like we have something that we can race them with this year."

So while they've talked and come to an understanding, that doesn't mean they may not tangle and trade some verbal barbs in the heat of the moment again before this season is over.

"We've dealt with this before and we're going through it again," Johnson said. "A lot of it is just because we're both very hungry and racing hard for each position."

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