Rare mechanical failure dooms Jimmie Johnson’s title hopes

: Crew members push the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, driven by Jimmie Johnson, through the garage area after an incident in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2012 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

 

: Crew members push the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, driven by Jimmie Johnson, through the garage area after an incident in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2012 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

HOMESTEAD, Fla. –The golden horseshoe was nowhere to be found for Jimmie Johnson Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  The five time champion whose team has been known to overcome great adversity in the past, saw his hopes for a sixth title end in the Sprint Cup garage.

For much of the Ford 400 Johnson kept the title just out of reach of Brad Keselowski, running ahead of and sometimes dogging Keselowski, who needed to finish 15th or better to clinch the title.

“We were in position and putting pressure on the 2 car like we needed to,” Johnson said. I said at the beginning of the week15th isn’t a lay-up and I certainly had him in position.” MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.