Talladega Speedway is a track like no other. Steeped in a rich NASCAR history, that stretches back to the very beginning of the sport, Talladega has been known to make or break many a driver over the years. This year, Hendrick Motorsports, one of the most iconic teams in NASCAR today, was one of the teams that felt the wrath of one of the most tremendous tracks on the circuit.
Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr all found themselves out of The Chase after the race on Sunday. Mechanical troubles had plagued the teams for the last few races and have seen Earnhardt, who started the season off by winning the Daytona 500, plummet from the top of the standings to not making The Chase. Despite the challenges the teams have faced, they all according to Jimmie Johnson, “went down swinging” doing their best to fight for position and hold onto their places in The Chase. During the race at Talladega, Kahne, Johnson, and Earnhardt all lead at least twelve laps. Johnson, in fact, led the most races of the race and Earnhardt the second most laps. Once they were shuffled back in the pack, however, it was a battle to get back up front where they could fight for the lead.
Dale Earnhardt Jr commented in a post race interview that despite being out of The Chase his goal was the same as it was at the beginning of the year: to win races. He also said that “There’s probably been worse things. I’m not retiring or anything. I’m not going to get too tore up about it. I’ll come back next year and try again.” Kasey Kahne has remained somewhat quiet, his interviews quiet and thoughtful.
Johnson, who was painfully close to making the Chase, also expressed that he intended to keep fighting and that the team had nothing to be ashamed of. Jeff Gordon, the only member of the Hendrick’s stable to make it into The Chase, was considerably more optimistic. He was very clear about the fact that he has enjoyed solid finishes at all the upcoming tracks and is hopeful about the possibility of winning another championship. While it is obvious that Hendricks Motorsports will not ignore their other drivers, it is also clear that their focus has shifted to Gordon and helping him to win the coveted NASCAR Championship.
Throughout the season, Hendrick Motorsports and their drivers have been hard charging players in the Race for The Chase. They have battled inconsistent engineering, equipment failure, and even simply bad luck, yet it was not until the final moments of the eliminator round that three of their four drivers were removed. Each of the four teams, throughout the season, fought long and hard and even in the midst of the heartache of being eliminated from The Chase, there is a hardwon feeling that they all are the possessor’s of championship hearts.
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