'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jimmie Johnson has reacted to his 2018 clash with Martin Truex Jr. that robbed both drivers of a 1-2 finish at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. The former, driving the #48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports was chasing his maiden triumph of the season.
At the same time, Truex Jr., who was driving for Furniture Row Racing, was aiming to bag his fifth race win of the 2018 season. However, the hard racing proved disastrous for both.
Having led for five laps, Truex Jr. gunned towards the start/finish line, with seven-time Cup Series champion Johnson making moves to get past the former's #78 Toyota. However, with the checkered flag in sight, the HMS driver tried to lunge from the outside line of the second-to-last corner but lost control of his high-octane ride.
Trending
It spun the #48 Chevy, which disrupted the #78 Toyota's race line, eradicating both drivers from a sure-shot podium finish. As a result, Truex Jr. finished 14th, while Johnson finished way up in P8. The ultimate beneficiary was Ryan Blaney who secured his maiden and only race win of 2018.
Ahead of the Bank of America ROVAL 400, NASCAR shared a throwback video of Jimmie Johnson's desperation taking a toll on both championship contenders. The legendary driver replied to the video with a one-word reaction.
"Oops," Johnson reacted.
Even if the HMS driver settled in second, his championship hopes would still be alive.
Martin Truex Jr. slammed Jimmie Johnson as the "stupid" move in Charlotte cost valuable championship points
The 2018 Bank of America ROVAL 400 was the 29th Cup Series race, marking the Round of 16's final run. Until then, Martin Truex Jr. had clinched four wins, three consecutive- Phoenix, Auto Club Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway. The Richmond triumph was the Furniture Row driver's last of the season.
After starting the 109-lap run from 13th place, Truex Jr. surged to fourth in the first stage. However, as Stage 2 wrapped, the #78 Toyota was nowhere to be seen in the top 10. Still, the veteran driver regained momentum and took charge of the field.
On the other hand, Jimmie Johnson started sixth and maintained his track position in Stage 1. The second stage saw his #48 Chevy surge to a second-place finish. But the fierce battle on the final lap rendered both drivers' efforts to score maximum points useless.
Truex Jr. was frustrated with Johnson's "desperation" and reprimanded the driver for shattering his Charlotte run. The Furniture Row Racing driver said (via Racer).
“He wasn’t ever going to make it through that corner whether I was there or not. Just desperation on his part and pretty stupid really, if you think about it because he was locked into the next round and now he’s out. I guess if there’s a silver lining, that’s it," Truex Jr. said.
The crash proved more fatal for Jimmie Johnson as he failed to advance to the next round. Martin Truex Jr. finished his 2018 season in P2, whereas, the seven-time Cup Series champion stood 14th.
