Frustrating Night at Darlington for Lowe’s Team

Johnson started the 367-lap competition 22nd and fell victim to two minor incidents early in the race before A.J. Allmendinger’s car slammed into the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet on Lap 180, totaling both machines and ending the night early for the Lowe’s team.

“I have to see where he even came from,” said Johnson. “All I know is last minute I saw a green bumper and it was a hard hit. Unfortunately, we had all kinds of issues tonight. Got caught up in all kinds of little small things, but still had a very fast race car and I think we could have salvaged a top-10, top-five finish today. It is too bad. Just wrong place, wrong time I guess.”

Johnson’s Lowe’s Chevrolet earned its ‘Darlington Stripe’ early when he made contact with the outside wall. On Lap 83, Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. tangled while trying to avoid a loose Greg Biffle.

Johnson visited pit lane several times throughout the night for repairs and was hoping to salvage a solid finish when he and Allmendinger made contact.

“We had a tough night and a bunch of small issues but we were still fighting through all that and there on the lead lap,” added Johnson. “Hopefully we were going to have a top-10 finish but we got slammed over there in (Turns) three and four.”

Johnson was able to maintain the second spot in the driver point standings, now 110 points behind current leader Kevin Harvick. Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth are 3rd-5th.