NASCAR: Winners And Losers From Phoenix

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Nov 12, 2016; Avondale, AZ, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) during practice for the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Jimmie Johnson’s Penalty

Jimmie Johnson didn’t have anything to worry about at Phoenix. His win at Martinsville a couple of weeks before had already locked his spot in the Championship 4. However, he was still going to go out and try for a win.

Johnson started 17th and worked his way up through the field. Eventually, he took advantage of a battle for the lead between Alex Bowman and Joey Logano and got to the front. After leading 13 laps, the caution came out.

As Johnson led the field down pit road, he drove ahead of the pace car and was hit with a penalty for “pulling up to pit.” As a result, he had to come back down pit road and was held for one lap.

Before we went back to green, @NASCARonNBC showed why the 48 drew a penalty.#TheChase pic.twitter.com/ENPV5CogD6
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 13, 2016

The penalty caused major confusion and anger for the No. 48 team. While the penalty was legitimate and Johnson definitely violated the rules, we’ve seen many other cars do the same thing this season and not get penalized.

Fortunately for Johnson, he already had his spot in the Championship 4. However, the penalty sent him to the back of the field where he would go on to be involved in a wreck, resulting in a 38th-place finish.

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