Johnson Owns Up to Wreck

Jimmie Johnson, the Nextel Cup driver who has been blamed for triggering several high-speed wrecks this season, acknowledged Tuesday that one Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama was his fault.

On the 20th lap of a 500-mile race, Johnson rammed the rear end of leader Elliott Sadler’s car, knocking Sadler sideways and starting a multi-car accident that took out eight cars, including those of veteran Mark Martin, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip. Waltrip flipped six times.

“I feel bad. I don’t know what else I can say,” Johnson said in a teleconference. “I started a wreck and took out a lot of good cars. I’ve apologized to everyone, and I feel horrible for it, so I’m taking the responsibility.”

No one was injured, but there were angry accusations aimed at Johnson, a former off-road racer from El Cajon, Calif., and at restrictor plate racing.

After the accident, Sadler accused Johnson of trying to get rid of everyone so he could win the race, noting that the Hendrick Motorsports driver had caused a wreck in April at Talladega. After that one, Earnhardt called Johnson “an idiot.”

Martin ignored Johnson and laid blame on artificial racing conditions resulting from the carburetor restrictor plates used to reduce speeds. “We’re out here running 185 mph in 230-mph cars, and there just isn’t a thing the drivers can do,” Martin said. Johnson, who was involved in a second accident later in the race, finished 31st and fell from first to fourth in the Chase for the Championship standings, 82 points back of Tony Stewart. Martin finished 41st and is ninth, virtually out of the championship picture.

-- Shav Glick