The hits just keep on coming for Jimmie Johnson at Pocono.
One month after a June wreck that destroyed his No. 48 Chevy, Johnson found himself in the garage early less than halfway through Sunday’s Overton’s 400. Johnson and teammate Kasey Kahne were fighting side by side in turn 3 before the No. 5 car washed up into Johnson.
Here's the contact between Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne that ended the No. 48 team's day. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/W7R0O8lvPX
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 30, 2017
The contact was called accidental by both sides, happening just moments after Johnson and Ryan Blaney got tangled up on a restart.
“I think the No. 5 washed up into me and kind of finished me off over there in Turn 3,” he said. “It’s definitely not the day we wanted to have but I don’t think either one of those situations were intentional by any stretch.”
For Johnson, it’s the third DNF in the last four races, wrecks that have seen him plummet through the standings. But with three wins already this season, this seven-time champion can shrug off today’s incident as he’s safely locked inside the playoffs.
Kahne’s car continued on with minimal damage.
About the author
The author of Did You Notice? (Wednesdays) Tom spends his time overseeing Frontstretch’s 40+ staff members as its majority owner and Editor-in-Chief. Based outside Philadelphia, Bowles is a two-time Emmy winner in NASCAR television and has worked in racing production with FOX, TNT, and ESPN while appearing on-air for SIRIUS XM Radio and FOX Sports 1's former show, the Crowd Goes Wild. He most recently consulted with SRX Racing, helping manage cutting-edge technology and graphics that appeared on their CBS broadcasts during 2021 and 2022.
You can find Tom’s writing here, at CBSSports.com and Athlonsports.com, where he’s been an editorial consultant for the annual racing magazine for 15 years.
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That same kind of contact to a teamate in turn 2 on Formula One this morning was a 10 second penalty.