MARTINSVILLE, Va. — AJ Allmendinger might want to start more race days off needing medical attention.
Allmendinger began Sunday feeling terrible. He finished feeling better by placing a career-best second in a race that stretched to a Martinsville Speedway record 515 laps.
“I think maybe I need to go to the nurse’s office every week and take a shot,” Allmendinger said. “I didn’t feel very good this morning but everybody who works on my car works hard and we deserve to run up front,” Allmendinger said.
He took advantage when a late wreck took dominating drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson out of contention.
“I don’t know If we had a second-place car, but the way these races play out, you’ve got to put yourself in position,” Allmendinger said.
Allmendinger said he is ready for the first open date of the season next weekend as NASCAR takes it traditional break for Easter.
“I think we all need a rest,” Allmendinger said. “I need to get healthy. I’ve been traveling so much doing fun things for (my sponsors). I think this right time to take a weekend off, take some notes from what we learned this weekend and head for Texas in two weeks.”
NO. 200 SLIPS AWAY
Car owner Rick Hendrick looked to be in position to get his 200th victory with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. running 1-2-3 before the wild turns of events at the end that resulted in Clint Bowyer spinning Gordon and Johnson in an overtime finish.
Instead of going to victory lane on a day that Gordon and Johnson teamed to dominate, Hendrick’s best finish was a third by Earnhardt.
Before the wild turn of events that began with David Reutimann stopping on the track and causing a caution, Johnson and Gordon were battling side-by-side on a track where they have combined for 13 wins.
“It was pretty intense,” Gordon said after running out of fuel during the overtime and finishing 14th. “You could see how hard we driving and how badly we wanted it. You said Eanrhardt doing the same thing earlier in the race.”
As bad as the finish was for Gordon and Johnson, it was better than the fate that befell their teammate Kasey Kahne, who had a rough day after starting from the pole. Kahne lost the lead to Kevin Harvick on the first lap, never led and battled engine trouble until it failed, dumping oil and causing him to spin trying to get on pit road.
Harvick, who dominated Saturday’s Truck race, looked like he might do the same while leading the first 21 laps. But, he faded after dropping out of the top spot and finished 19th, two laps behind, one spot behind Brian Vickers, who was unable to keep up with Michael Waltrip Racing teammates Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr.
