Johnson still upset after Talladega incident with Vickers
Quote selected text Published October 10th, 2006 in NASCAR News
Here’s one thing race fans won’t see any time soon: Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers buddying up at the track, or anywhere else.
Johnson’s anger toward his teammate and friend had not subsided Tuesday, two days after Vickers wrecked Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway.
Johnson spent the bulk of his weekly conference call avoiding even mentioning Vickers’ name, finally unloading on his teammate about 20 minutes in when asked if the two had spoken.
“I got a message from him, but that was about it,” Johnson said. “I don’t have much to say or much to talk to him about.”
Asked if their relationship had changed, Johnson said he wasn’t sure because it had only been two days since the incident. But it didn’t sound as if Johnson has any plans to forgive Vickers any time soon.
“I have a hard time feeling he was really sorry for what he’s done,” Johnson said. “At the same time I know it wasn’t intentional so I just kind of go on, [but] if I look at the interviews and the quotes and the message that Brian left me, I wouldn’t take it as an apology by any stretch of the imagination. That’s where I am at.”
Earnhardt was leading on the final lap of Sunday’s race at Talladega, with the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers running second and third. Johnson attempted to pass Earnhardt heading into the third turn and Vickers followed to help push him into the lead.
But Vickers hooked the back of Johnson instead of pushing him, and the contact sent Johnson spinning into Earnhardt. Vickers darted by both of them for his first Nextel Cup victory.
The outcome hurt both Johnson and Earnhardt in the Chase for the Championship standings. Vickers, who is not eligible for the Nextel Cup title, is leaving Hendrick at the end of the season to drive for Toyota next year.
His impending departure has gotten him locked out of Hendrick team meetings, and racing incidents with teammate Jeff Gordon in New Hampshire last month and now Johnson has caused friction between the once close-knit group.
But Vickers said he believes he and Johnson can get past Talladega.
“Do I think Jimmie is upset? Yes, of course he is. Do I think we can fix that? Absolutely,” he said after the race. “Jimmie is a great person, he is a very mature man and I am sure when the time is right, we will have our opportunity to work things out.”
Sunday’s outcome has also been awkward for car owner Rick Hendrick, Johnson said.
Hendrick is like a second father to Vickers, who was very close to Ricky Hendrick — Rick’s son — before his death in a 2004 plane crash. And Vickers’ win was done in the No. 25 Chevrolet, which was owned by Rick Hendrick’s late father, Papa Joe, and run by Ricky.
Hendrick had an emotional discussion with Vickers in Victory Lane and then left the track without talking to reporters.
“Rick’s view is that he’s the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” Johnson said. “His father’s team got back to Victory Lane, but at the expense of one of his other cars taking a hit in the points. I think it’s tough for him. He’s happy, he’s bummed.
“It’s the same way that I am and my team is. But at the end of the day, I’m happy for the No. 25 team. They’ve been working very hard to get where they are, and they’ve been close to winning. So I am happy for those guys. But I’m disappointed that I lost all those points that I did. And I think that’s just kind of the overall feeling that everybody has,” Johnson said.
Bookmark to:
- Fall Talladega 2006 Last Lap - Vickers, Earnhardt Jr, Johnson
- Vickers doesn’t think Bruton Smith’s extra security offer is serious
- Expect last lap drama at Talladega
- Johnson and Vickers patch things up
- Bruton Smith Assigns Extra Security for Brian Vickers at Charlotte in wake of Talladega incident
Of course he’s still upset….because he wasn’t the one spinning the guy out! JJ just kills me! He’s just like Jeffy…he can sure dish it out but he can’t take it! Hey Jimmie, get over yourself…you lost the race!
i think what brian vickers did is stupid and very childish. in his after race interview he didnt really apologize. i think that brian vickers should not be racing because no one likes him. i am a jimmie johnson fan and i knew johnson had a good run on junior then vickers takes bpoth of them out… stupid move.
hey tt i wana see u out on the track and git knocked out of the race when u are about to win it then see u git over it
I think that Jimmie Johnson needs to grow up. Brian has sacrificed wins before for him so why can’t he just be happy for Brian? It’s not like he was going to win the championship anyways.
They need to fire vickers now hes costing his teammates the championship first gordon now johnson me personally i go for jr and he shouldve kicked all the hendricks butts after the race but what r u gonna do VICKERS Sux!!!!
jimmie shouldnt get over it,vickers should be aware that its his teammate and he has a chance to win the championship
Jimmie Johnson is a cry baby. It’d be nice to see someone punch his teeth out.
Jimmie johnson is the best racer alive!!!!
What happened, happened. The was no way that Jimmie or any of the Hendrick drivers would win the championship.
i’m happy that Brian finally didn’t fall back for his teamates at the end of the race. he needed to win. they should have appreciated him losing the race numerous times for them. instead they are crying about it. no suprise there though.
i think everyone should just stop freaking out over this. all vickers was doing was racing. everyone bump drafts and he unfortunately hit JJ in the wrong place. Jr is past it…now its JJs turn. that’s just part of racing!
What a sour puss. If NASCAR had balls and would prohibit blocking moves, like the one Earnhardt laid on the Hendrick boys, we wouldn’t be having this controversy. But NASCAR loves the controversy and loves Earnhardt. We’re all being played by the big marketing machine of NASCAR.
Vickers had one thing in mind as that developed - stay as close to Johnson as possible to help both of them move past Earnhardt. If he then got a chance to get by his teammate, he would have taken it, as he should have. But Earnhardt blocked, Johnson swerved out, taking speed off his car and Vickers was too close. It’s that type of racing, it’s the environment that NASCAR has built.
But it does show what a small man Jimmie Johnson is. Perhaps if his team didn’t keep falling on its face at the end of the season he’d be in a little better mood.
Gosh this is totally getting out of hand… Im a true dale junior fan and I say enough is enough. It was a bad mistake that cost junior and johnson but hey everyone has some bad luck sometimes. Just let it go, Junior who at the time was the race leader let it go and so should the fans. Im not saying any of it was right but hey it’s life, it’s racin, and it’s happened 2 days ago get over it!!!
GO dale Earnhardt Junior
these comments are really amusing……im guessin hendrick motorsports is happy for a win for the team but understandably upset because a chase contender lost alot of ground on a possible championship….to me that means more than a win id be upset at that too you work hard all year to be a champion…..races come they go………me bein a big junior fan i was pissed at vickers move but you can tell it wasnt intentional just the wrong place at the wrong time………what really set it off for me is how vickers was puttin it all on junior in his interview “runnin jimmy outta track” as he said…..vickers shot down and clearly hooked jimmy thats it…….junior was really the one that should have been upset the most because he HAD it WON….but thats racing…..it just a sport not worth arguing over
NASCAR has fans that are born to argue. hah
And what about that Ferrari engine failure that all but deprived Schumacher of an eighth championship in his final year? Who would have predicted that?
Folks, I will say it again…personal attacks and inappropriate comments are going to be deleted. Please show some restraint.
Thanks.
Administrator
Why should Vickers have to apologize? When Johnson or Gordon screw him over they don’t apologize. Vickers is a great driver and is not their little whore. I love Dale Jr. and he was mature about the whole thing like Johnson should have been.
Well I’m a total Jr. fan so if ya ask me he handled it the best. Unlike both hendrick drivers he is still able to win the championship. Vickers should show more respect for people in the chase. Even Tony Stewert knows that much.
Johnson needs suck it up.. and stop moaning about everyone else. Week after week Dale Jr is a man even when he’s wrecked he does’nt point fingers,he just say’s we’ll get um next week! Take the skirt off Jimmie!!
Johnson has every right to be upset still. He feels betrayed by his so called team mate and friend. Vickers isn’t sorry… he is going to be gone by the end of the season, or SOONER! He was looking out for himself, he could have let up when Jimmie went to pass Jr. He had a clear and clean pass, and Vickers got too anxious and wrecked two of the chase contenders. Yes it is racing but I don’t blame Johnson for being upset still. He leads points all year and and has bad luck in the final 10. GRRRRRR!!
I agree with Samantha , time and time again Vickers has helped his teamates in the draft at the restrictor plate tracks with JJ and Jeffie , but come time to go for the win , they leave Brian out to dry and he falls back in traffic. Anyone who says Vickers cost Jimmie the win needs to remember what car bump drafted his #48 butt up into 2nd place to start with. It wasnt Jeff , he was too busy whinning to the media in the garage.