TALLADEGA, Ala. — Jimmie Johnson last started from the pole at Talladega Superspeedway in 2002, as the points leader, lined up next to Mark Martin.

He didn’t even make it to the first lap. In a bizarre prerace mishap as the drivers were warming up their tires, a problem with Martin’s steering box caused him to run into Johnson. The two cars skidded into the infield grass, Johnson suffered damage to the front of his Chevrolet, and was dropped to the back of the field when the race began.

“Did you bring that same steering box back?” Jeff Gordon asked Martin on Saturday after rain washed out qualifying at Talladega.

The inclement weather led NASCAR to set the field for today’s race on points, putting Johnson and Martin side-by-side again, with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Gordon in the second row.

Gordon was only joking when he hinted at potential sabotage, but both he and Martin know they need something catastrophic to happen to Johnson today for either to have a chance of challenging him for the Sprint Cup title.

The three-time defending series champion has a commanding points lead with only four races remaining in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, with Talladega as the last remaining obstacle in his path toward a record fourth consecutive title.

The fastest track in NASCAR is the worst of the 10 Chase venues for Johnson, who has one victory but an overall average finish of just 17.7 at Talladega.

Kyle Busch wins truck race

Kyle Busch got a generous bump from teammate Aric Almirola a few hundred yards from the finish to win the NASCAR Camping World Trucks race at Talladega.

Busch and Almirola pulled wide behind leader Todd Bodine on the final lap and Almirola nudged Busch’s No. 51 Toyota to the front. They overtook Bodine just before the finish line.