Hendrick drivers go bump in the Atlanta night

HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 01: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Dover White Chevrolet, loses control of his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 1, 2013 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
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HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 01:  Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Dover White Chevrolet, loses control of his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 1, 2013 in Hampton, Georgia.  (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
HAMPTON, GA – SEPTEMBER 01: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Dover White Chevrolet, loses control of his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 1, 2013 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

It was another week of frustration for the Hendrick Motorsports drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday night.  Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne both suffered issues that left them with terrible finishes, caused in large part by teammate Jeff Gordon. Gordon meanwhile needed a win to make the Chase but fell a little short and will need luck along with a stellar run at Richmond this Saturday night.

The only Hendrick driver to have a decent outing was Dale Earnhardt Jr. who can breathe a little easier.

The trouble began early. On a restart after a competition caution on lap 31, Gordon starting on the outside of leader Juan Pablo Montoya, lost grip and slowed dramatically. The resulting accordion effect stacked up the field behind him. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.