“If you didn’t like that finish, you’re crazy,” Clint Bowyer said. “That was an unbelievable finish. I hope people enjoyed it, because it looked pretty wild through the windshield.”
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| The wild arrival with Johnson in first place. (Photo: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
Despite his five championships Johnson said the style of restrictor plate racing is still a skill to be learned.
“There is some technique required now, instead of just running wide open all the time and sitting there in a guy’s tire tracks,” Johnson said. “There’s some work and skill required. I think this racing was fun. When you have this many lead changes in a Cup race, that’s a good thing.”
Earnhardt explained why he was where he was, “I was more comfortable pushing Jimmie. I think that way was the faster combination for us,” Earnhardt said. “When we got to the white flag, I got on the radio and told Jimmie not to lift, no matter what.”
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| Jimmie Johnson (Photo: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
The race was remarkably clean for Talladega, but, Dave Blaney who had the drive of his career leading more laps in one race, 22, than in the last seven years.
"You have a big run and you are closing so fast. I kind of had a hole under the No. 5 (Mark Martin) and the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) there and I kind of showed it too soon and they blocked it and I just had to lift just a little bit. We just kind of...it was just the wrong spot and he just had me going and around we went. That is what is going to happen late in the race. I can't believe it didn't happen more. You just get such huge runs, it shoves you in there and if there is nowhere to go, you're in danger of getting turned around,” Blaney said.