Team Lowe’s Escapes from Bristol with Eighth-Place Finish

Jimmie Johnson finished eighth in Saturday night’s Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.  
 
Johnson started the event 21st and quickly drove to the top ten when the green-flag dropped. He remained there throughout the evening, leading 107 of 500 laps.

A pit road mishap on Lap 423 forced Johnson to come back down pit road and the Lowe’s Chevy returned to the track 21st.
 
Johnson barely escaped an accident on Lap 438 and moved to the eighth position by Lap 469. He remained there the final 31 laps and collected his 15th top-10 finish of the season.
 
“We were the fastest car out there,” said Johnson. “We should be in victory lane. It’s just a bummer, really disappointed.”
 
The result bumped Johnson back to second place in the driver point standings, 220 behind leader Tony Stewart.  Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards round out the top five.

Lowe’s Chevy Short on Fuel at Michigan

Jimmie Johnson dominated Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event at Michigan International Speedway, leading 165 of 200 laps before running out of fuel with fewer than two laps remaining.
 
“Certainly frustrating,” said Johnson. “We had a lot of power under the hood. It takes a lot of fuel…we had a great car. It’s not fun to have stats like we do here, leading laps and not go to victory lane, but we are working hard at it.”

Johnson started the race fourth and led six times throughout the event, only falling out of the top three due to pit cycles.
 
Johnson, who has never won at the two-mile track, had the car to beat all day. He reported a tight Lowe’s Chevy early and a loose car late, but never had a hard time staying up front. The No.48 team pitted for the final time on Lap 149 for four tires and fuel. But despite saving gas under caution, and also while leading, Johnson was unable to make it the final 51 laps.
 
“We had the fastest car by a bunch and I hate it for Jimmie and I hate it for all my guys,” said crew chief Chad Knaus. “We just really didn’t have a choice. It’s just like the last race here. When you lead all the laps; when you get to the end, you don’t want to just fall back and settle for a fifth or a sixth-place finish. That’s not what we wanted to do. Fortunately enough, we’re in a position to where if it would have worked out, we would have been great. It would have a storybook ending for us, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.”
 
On Lap 198 Johnson reported to the team that he was out of gas and came to pit road. He returned to the track and crossed the finish line 33rd.
 
“Just the way it goes,” said Johnson. “We did all that we could. Unfortunately we didn’t make it. This car makes a lot of horse power and I’ve got to thank the engine shop for that. Days like to day it didn’t work out. So I’ve just got to thank this crew for working so hard, all the Lowe’s employees and a big congratulations to (race winner) Brian (Vickers).”
 
The result dropped Team Lowe’s Racing to third in the point standings, 19 points behind second place Jeff Gordon and 303 behind leader Tony Stewart.

Johnson and Team Lowe’s Finish 12th at Watkins Glen

Jimmie Johnson finished 12th in Monday’s rain-delayed Sprint Cup Series event at Watkins Glen International.
 
The Lowe’s machine started on the front row after Johnson earned his first pole position of the season and his first pole at the 2.45-mile road course. 

When the green flag waved signaling the start of the 90-lap race, Johnson immediately began reporting a loose race car. The team expected the track to tighten up but never found the right combination.
 
Despite fighting the free condition, Johnson was able to remain in the top three for most of the event, until a spin in Turn 1 on Lap 54. Johnson did not sustain any damage in the spin. The incident occurred during a round of green-flag pit stops, and Johnson immediately brought the Lowe’s Impala SS to pit road for service, returning to the track 13th.
 
While he was able to avoid all other accidents, including a violent three-car pileup that resulted in a 20-minute red flag period, Johnson was never able to make a charge to the front in the closing 25 laps.
 
“Truthfully as the day went on we just got looser and looser,” explained Johnson. “We anticipated the track tightening up and coming to us and it just kind of went the other way. (We) spun out down in (turn) one and that didn’t help us any. I came to the braking zone and could see dirt and grass blowing around and though, ‘Oh man, here I go.’ And sure enough, around I went.”
 
“But we’re getting smarter and learning a lot,” continued Johnson. “Not the performance we wanted today but we fought really hard and got our first pole, so we have to look at the bright spots and just move forward.”
 
The 12th-place result allowed the three-time Champion to remain second in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings, now 260 behind leader and race winner Tony Stewart.

Team Lowe’s Comes from Three Laps Down to Finish 13th at Pocono

After coming back from a three-lap deficit in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race, Jimmie Johnson gained 12 positions in the final 13 laps to cross the finish line 13th.
 
Johnson started the 200-lap Pocono Raceway event second and led the first 22 laps before dropping to third. He remained in the top three until Lap 98, when he came down pit road for four tires while many others opted for two.

Johnson restarted 19th on Lap 102 but fewer than three laps later reported to the team that he had no power.  He brought the Lowe’s Impala SS down pit road where the 48 team made a quick fix under the hood and sent Johnson back to the track on the lead lap.
 
But the problem on the car wasn’t fixed and Johnson began running dangerously close to NASCAR’s minimum speed requirement, falling as low as 38th on the leader board.
 
Despite losing three laps to the leader, because there were no cars one lap down, Johnson continued to get the “Lucky Dog” award as yellow flags waved, allowing crew chief Chad Knaus and team to work under the hood as they gained laps back.
 
During a lengthy caution period with around 50 laps remaining, the team replaced several things under the hood of the Lowe’s machine and Johnson took off.

Thanks to a few quick cautions, Johnson moved back to the lead lap on Lap 174. On Lap 180, Johnson avoided a six-car accident and moved to 25th, where he restarted on Lap 187 before making his final charge to the front.
 
The 13th-place result allowed Johnson to remain second in the Sprint Cup Series driver point standings, 197 behind leader Tony Stewart.