While Johnson won and Mark Martin said he had a blast finishing fourth in the Auto Club 500, the day wasn’t as entertaining for their two Hendrick Motorsports Racing teammates.
Jeff Gordon, who started way back in 28th place, had moved all the way up to the front and was running third when he developed a puzzling issue with his engine that came and went. He wound up finishing 20th. On the heels of a 26th-place finish at Daytona in the season opener, he’s in an early hole.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., hoping to maintain some momentum off his second-place finish at Daytona, had a typical day for him at Fontana. He climbed into the top 20, then wound up 32nd after tearing up his axle.
“Well, what can you do?” he said. “Just go on home.”
Considering he finished 25th in the points last year while his teammates finished 1-2-3, he’ll need to start finding a lot of answers at home for the non-restrictor-plate tracks that lie ahead. Earnhardt started right next to Gordon on the grid, but while Gordon moved up quickly, Junior and his team struggled again.
“We’re two totally different teams,” he said of the difference.
Are the two teams sharing information?
“Of course we are,” he said. “I can’t build the cars. What do you want me to do? I just drive them.”
More at pe.com
Frustration mounts for Earnhardt Jr after Fontana
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