Multiple-time series champions battle flat tires, wrecked race cars
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Related: Full Kobalt 400 results
LAS VEGAS -- Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon must be thrilled to get out of Sin City.
Armed with two of the fastest cars on the track throughout the weekend, both multiple-time premier series champions couldn't shake off a spate of unfortunate events that seemed to magnify as race day deepened.
Johnson had to pit from second place with a vibration, then blew a tire just when he had climbed his way back through the field. Then he blew another one for good measure.
Gordon's misfortune actually began late Saturday with less than a minute remaining in final practice, when he rammed the No. 10 Chevrolet following a spin from Danica Patrick, and it caused enough to damage to his No. 24 Chevrolet that it necessitated a backup car.
So the Coors Light Pole Award winner started from the rear, sprinted his way into the top 10, and then mussed up his car's nose by running into Jeb Burton … the direct result of Burton trying to get away from Johnson's wrecking No. 48.
"I guess Jimmie blew a right front tire," said Gordon, who patted Burton's head on pit road after the race as the two had a brief talk. "I was right behind Jeb (Burton) getting ready to make a move on him. I wasn't sure if I was going to go inside or outside, but all of a sudden he started checking up and I thought he was doing it to let me go by him and I didn't realize until right at that moment when my spotter said something to me that Jimmie was having a problem. And I ran into the back of him. It ruined our day and certainly ruined the front end."
The 43-year-old wound up 18th, as he nursed his battered, tape-covered Chevrolet around the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway oval over the final 80 laps.
Johnson's bad vibes didn't start Saturday as Gordon's did, but they came over a brutal hour-long stretch Sunday.
The No. 48 Chevrolet was out front for 45 laps and seemed to have a car with the ability to challenge eventual race winner Kevin Harvick, who led 142 of 267 laps. In fact, "Six-Time" was leading on Lap 91 when he slowed considerably after feeling a vibration.
He came down pit road for tires and was scored 35th (and one lap down) when he returned to the track. Johnson worked his way back to being one spot behind Clint Bowyer, and then Brad Keselowski, for the beneficiary position.
A tire blew on Lap 173, though, which eliminated any hope of Johnson getting back on the lead lap. Twelve laps later, another tire went down -- and his No. 48 Chevrolet again caromed into the wall as a result.
"The first one, they said the bead blew on it," Johnson said. " That's kind of a freak deal. The second one, it went soft. So there could have been some damage that caused it or some rub or something like that, and it went soft going into Turn 3 and I hit the wall, unfortunately. I'm disappointed. We certainly had an awesome race car."
The poor result is less of a worry for Johnson than it is for Gordon. With one win in pocket already, the No. 48 team has virtually clinched a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
It might be a little more concerning for Gordon, who actually jumped six spots in the standings -- up to 30th -- following his 26-point day.
"It was a great effort," Gordon said. "I just can't believe the way these days are going."
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