Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were sitting around the table on the first Tuesday of April, taking jabs at one another as they normally do on poker night.
“So, Jeff, pretty slick moves I made to win that race at Martinsville, huh? ” Johnson said with a wry smile.
“Jimmie, I don’t care what boss man Rick Hendrick says. Next time you block me like that I’m putting you in the wall, ” Gordon responded with a half-hearted laugh.
OK, so maybe those weren’t their exact words or expressions.
But that the two were able to joke about a heated confrontation—and it was very heated—two days after Johnson held off his Hendrick Motorsports teammate in a bang-bang finish at Martinsville Speedway says a lot about their relationship. David Newton, ESPN.com
Only four races into this Chase for the championship and the realization is setting in: If Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson don’t struggle in Saturday night’s race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, nobody else has a shot at the Nextel Cup title.
“I know it probably won’t happen, but it would be nice if Jimmie and Jeff quit sharing notes, started to hate each other and wrecked each other on the racetrack. It would really help the rest of us out, ” said Carl Edwards, sixth in the standings - 205 points out.
“I have a feeling they’re going to keep plugging away and they’re going to be tough to beat no matter what. ” JENNA FRYER, AP.org
For decades, the notorious passion of NASCAR fans has revolved around rivalries.
Some flocked to tracks to cheer Chevy against Ford. Others came to watch stock-car racing’s King, Richard Petty, take on the ultimate scrapper, Bobby Allison. And in the 1980s and ‘90s, the big draw was the late Dale Earnhardt against anyone who dared challenge him.
But the battle for the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup is shaping up as a showdown between two drivers with so many similarities, it’s hard to tell them apart: Jeff Gordon, a California native who drives a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, vs. Jimmie Johnson, a California native who also drives a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. They’re currently 1-2 in the standings, separated by just nine points, with six races to go. Liz Clarke, Washington Post
And dealing with Gordon these final weeks of the season, with so much on the line? “I’m not saying it’s a piece of cake, especially if we get to Homestead and it’s Jeff and I fighting for the championship - it’s going to be very challenging,” Johnson said.
“But through it all, with all the competitive moments we’ve had, we’ve always had a lot of respect for one another.
“If we get down to the last race, it will get more intense. But our relationship, and the dynamic we have as teammates and friends, that won’t change.” Mike Mulhern, Journalnow
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