Jimmie Johnson Wins Aaron’s 499 At Talladega Superspeedway By Closest Margin In NASCAR History

Having all four of your team’s cars finish within a half-second of the lead usually amounts to a darn good day.

That was undoubtedly the case for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, which had the winner (Jimmie Johnson), his loyal pusher (fourth-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and the third-place finisher (Jeff Gordon).

Being part of the eight-car cluster at the Talladega Superspeedway finish line on Sunday paid big dividends in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, with several drivers gaining two or more spots.

The results of the Talladega race left Kevin Harvick as the week’s big winner – despite a fifth-place finish – as he jumped five spots in the standings. Harvick, who has already won two races this season, is now fourth in points.

Some fans felt Jimmie Johnson passed below the yellow line en route to his victory at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, which would make his winning move illegal.

Did he?

Dave Blaney’s hands were still shaking 15 minutes after the race, his mouth occasionally giving the hint of a quiver after what had to be one of his greatest days at Talladega Superspeedway – but also one of the most disappointing at the same time.

One can only imagine the range of emotions flowing through Blaney after finishing 27th in the Aaron’s 499, despite leading as late as five laps to go.

Just when you think Talladega Superspeedway’s lottery-ball nature is sure to yield a surprise winner, here’s Kyle Busch.

Busch won the Aaron’s 312 under caution on Saturday afternoon, leading the pack with a push from Joey Logano as Mike Wallace flipped into the air to bring out a yellow on the white-flag lap of a green-white-checkered finish.

Apparently, Hendrick Motorsports has this whole restrictor-plate qualifying thing figured out.

At the first plate race since Hendrick swept the front row for the Daytona 500, Hendrick took all four of the top spots at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, resulting in a pole for Jeff Gordon.

Think about this, if you will: If Janet Jackson had never shown her boobies at the Super Bowl, would Dale Earnhardt Jr. be a Sprint Cup Series champion?

“Come again?” Earnhardt Jr. said Saturday. “Did you say, ‘boobies?’”

NASCAR is on track beginning today at Talladega Superspeedway, starting with a Nationwide Series practice this afternoon.

If you’re coming out to the track or just planning to watch practices or qualifying on TV, here’s the full weekend schedule for Talladega (all times are Eastern; the track is on Central time):

Someday, when the still-fresh track surfaces at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway begin to wear out and lose grip, pack racing will likely return to the restrictor-plate tracks.

Until then, it stands to reason that most plate races will look a lot like this year’s Daytona 500 – two-car tandems hooking up and racing around the track like two dragonflies doin’ it.