Chase contenders have words following Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – It wouldn’t be a race at Martinsville Speedway without some heated words exchanged afterward.

This time drivers Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson lobbed the verbal bombs at each other following the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 on Sunday. Biffle spent several laps dueling with Johnson late in the race, and blamed Johnson afterward for driving so aggressively that the bumper on Biffle’s No. 16 Ford eventually got knocked loose and was flapping loosely in the wind.

“We finally have a good car at Martinsville, and we worked our way all the way up to sixth or seventh – and then we just got a rear bumper tore off. It takes a lot to get a rear bumper tore off,” Biffle said. “I’ve got to look back and see what happened. He claims he was inside of me; it sure felt like he hit me from behind and rubbed across (the back of the car).

“Nevertheless, we had to come in (to the pits to get the car fixed) with 80 (laps) to go and go to the tail end of the longest line (of cars on the lead lap). And we drove all the way back up into the top 10. We had a great car all day. It’s just unfortunate that happened. I think we had a top-five car and it’s hard to finish in the top five at Martinsville.”

An obviously angry Biffle approached Johnson on pit road shortly after the race, and at one juncture pointed an accusatory finger in Johnson’s face. Biffle ended up salvaging a ninth-place finish, while Johnson finished fifth.

By Joe Menzer - Special to NASCAR Wire Service