Power Rankings: Penalty just the biggest of J.J.'s problems
As great as Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team have been since arriving on the scene in 2002, inevitably every season they hit a stretch where they look, well, ordinary.
They're in such a rut now.
The month has been unkind, with a best finish of 15th in the past four races, that coming at Dover back on June 4.
The past weekend's event at Sonoma was especially troublesome. Not because of Johnson's performance, per se, but because of a penalty expected to come down from NASCAR due to a rules infraction regarding the Car of Tomorrow.
During inspection Friday, NASCAR found the front fenders on the cars of Johnson and Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon had been illegally modified. Subsequently Johnson and Jeff Gordon weren't allowed to practice or qualify Friday and were forced to start at the back of the field for Sunday's race.
While Jeff Gordon was able to maneuver his way to a seventh-place finish, Johnson could do no better than 17th.
"It wasn't what we wanted in the end, obviously," crew chief Chad Knaus said. "But we finished in the top 20. A lot of guys could stretch their fuel mileage a lot further than what we could. We wanted to make sure we finished, so that's what we ended up with. The car was decent. We thought we were going to be able to get a top 10, but things just sort of fell apart there."
Expected later this week are further sanctions against the 48 and 24 teams and the assumption is that the penalty will be similar to the one given to the No. 8 team and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. In that case, Eury was fined $100,000 and suspended for six weeks, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was docked 100 points.
"What happened to us on Friday was huge," Jeff Gordon said. "I think it had a trickle affect through this garage area that they are coming down this hard on this type of infraction. All of us are blown away and we don't know what's coming next. We are at the mercy of NASCAR and I hope they are light on us, but who knows?
"This is a new car and things are different. I think the punishment on Friday fit the crime. I think that anything further than that is going to be extremely disappointing and really kind of a jaw-dropper. But really, I've seen crazy things happen this year so I'm not wishing or expecting anything less than anything else."
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