DARLINGTON, S.C. - Stuck in their motorhomes after rain washed out practice at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR's top drivers had nothing to do but read about the controversy surrounding points leader Jimmie Johnson.

He's under attack from some of his rivals for aggressive driving, but many find the criticism amusing.

"A couple of drivers really had some harsh words about him, and it makes for a really good story," Jamie McMurray, one of Johnson's better friends on the circuit, said Thursday. "I've been reading about it on the Internet all day."

But Johnson, NASCAR's likable good guy during his first three seasons on the tour, found the negative spotlight a little uncomfortable.

He's been feuding on and off all season with Tony Stewart, was criticized by Jeff Burton last month, and was called an "idiot" by Dale Earnhardt Jr. last week and blamed for causing a 25-car accident at Talladega.

"It definitely takes its toll on you and makes me think harder about who I am, what I am and the type of driver I am," Johnson said. "I believe in that person ... and I'm not going to let anybody's opinion change what I do or who I am.

"It's tough. As anyone can imagine, being in the center of bad press, it's uncomfortable."

Johnson isn't used to being the villain. Pleasant and personable since bursting onto the NASCAR scene four seasons ago, he was an instant star.

He's also turned into the driver to beat, winning a series-high eight races last year before falling just eight points shy of taking the Nextel Cup championship.

Johnson also has led the standings the past six races of this season and takes a 130-point lead over Kurt Busch into Darlington, where he swept both events last year.

So some wonder if the attack on him is nothing more than jealousy.

"It has always been clear that whoever the guy is on top of the flagpole, everybody is going for him," said Robbie Loomis, crew chief for Jeff Gordon, Johnson's car owner and teammate at Hendrick Motorsports. "Everybody is trying to get inside that team's head. But I promise you, it is going to take more than reading something in the paper to turn them upside down."

McMurray understands why Johnson is being attacked for aggressive driving.

"It seemed like when Dale Earnhardt used to be aggressive, there were a lot of cheers in the stands and everybody kind of said, `That's just the way he is,' " McMurray said. "Some people can get away with that more than others and Jimmie is very aggressive."

But Jeremy Mayfield, who overheard McMurray's comments, quickly cautioned that Johnson is no Earnhardt.

"You've got to be careful because if you call it aggressive driving, then Jimmie is going to think he's doing everything right," Mayfield said. "That's not the Dale Earnhardt aggressive style.

"Earnhardt would just nudge you and put it where it was supposed to be. You didn't see him just wreck everybody all the time or whatever is going on now with Jimmie."

Johnson did block Stewart in the closing laps of the Daytona 500. And he did run up on Burton's bumper in Bristol, causing Burton to crash.

But in fairness to Johnson, he can't solely be blamed for Sunday's melee at Talladega. Yes, his car hit the side of Mike Wallace and the contact sent Wallace into the wall while collecting 24 other cars.

But Wallace would not have been alongside Johnson if he was not being pushed by Earnhardt Jr. at a spot on the race track where NASCAR had asked the drivers not to "bump draft."

"I don't see where any one person is at fault," Johnson said. "It's an unfortunate thing, but it's racing. It's just guys racing 2 inches apart, 200 miles an hour. Two inches isn't much. Once that's gone, you have a big wreck."