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Talladega plights

Brian Vickers in victory lane after a controversial win. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Jenna Fryer Associated Press
Brian Vickers in victory lane after a controversial win. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Brian Vickers isn’t allowed to attend Hendrick Motorsports team meetings.

Now he might not even be allowed in the building.

Vickers stole his first Nextel Cup victory Sunday by nudging teammate Jimmie Johnson into race leader Dale Earnhardt Jr., then skirting by the two spinning cars on the last lap at Talladega Superspeedway.

It robbed what looked to be a victory for Earnhardt and a solid chance for Johnson to resurrect his fading Nextel Cup title hopes. And it certainly spoiled what should have been a crowning moment for Vickers, who has just six races left in his Hendrick ride before his impending defection to a Toyota team.

The dramatic ending capped what had been a curiously calm event on Talladega’s sleek new asphalt. The race was incident free until 50 laps to go, when an 11-car melee crippled Jeff Gordon’s championship hopes.

A second accident set up a final restart with 10 laps to go and Earnhardt out front. Then points leader Jeff Burton got a flat tire and had to make a desperate pit stop while the championship board tightened up considerably.

With Earnhardt chugging along – and only 20 points out of the championship lead – the finish seemed secure.

But the two Hendrick drivers apparently had a game-plan of hooking up to run down Earnhardt. They moved low together, and Earnhardt threw a huge block to prevent the pass. Vickers pushed, Johnson bobbled and as he was drilled in the back bumper, he slid into Earnhardt for the two-car crash.

Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch finished second and third because of the wild ending.

The wreck dropped Earnhardt to a 23rd-place finish, Johnson to 24th and prevented either from making any gains in the Chase for the championship. Although Burton’s lead was cut to six points over Matt Kenseth, Earnhardt is 106 back in sixth place and Johnson is 156 out in eighth place.

Even more disconcerting for Hendrick is that Gordon also took a huge hit in the standings.

After leading seven times for 27 laps, he was denied a chance to run for the win when he received the worst of the first accident in the race. It came with 50 laps to go when contact between Carl Edwards, Joe Nemechek and Johnson set off an 11-car melee.

He declared his championship hunt pretty much over. A 39th-place finish last week and a 36th place finish here has him seventh in the standings, 147 points out.