Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR
Nothing good lasts forever. Jimmie Johnson can attest to that. Going into the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Johnson and his Lowe's Chevrolet team were five-time defending champions. It's not that 2011 was a bad season for the Hendrick Motorsports team, but it was evident throughout the year that the 48 car was not what it once was in the previous five years.
Johnson notched only two victories in 2011, the lowest ever in his NASCAR Cup career. One of those victories came more through racing luck than Johnson's talent behind the wheel or his team's precision in the pits. Johnson was the winner of the "lottery" in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, thanks to a huge push from his teammate, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Johnson's second victory came in the Hollywood Casino 400 thanks in part to superior fuel strategy. There's no doubt that of the 12 Chase contenders, Johnson was the man to beat. Unfortunately, Johnson was never a serious factor in the battle for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title in the final 10 events even with the Kansas victory.
Penalties for the Lowe's Chevrolet driver and team might be an indication as to why the 48 car did not seem to be its usual self. Johnson was penalized a surprising five times on the year, once for speeding, once for pitting before the pits were open when he didn't have any problems, once for dragging metal on the track, once for violating the stop/go sign and once for a commitment line violation. The Lowe's pit crew had three penalties in 2011, twice for lug nut violations and once for removing equipment from their pit box.
2011 Statistics For Jimmie Johnson
6th in Sprint Cup standings
2 wins (Aaron's 499, Hollywood Casino 400)
14 top 5s
21 top 10s
1,115 laps led
2011 Penalty Report For Jimmie Johnson
Race 1 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 6 - Speed-Entering pits, Tail of Field
Race 10 - Lug nut(s) not installed, Must Come In
Race 12 - Removing equipment from assigned pit area, Tail of Field; Pitting before pit road is open, Garage
Race 15 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 19 - Lug nut(s) not installed, Must Come In
Race 26 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end garage; Safety violation, pit dragging metal
Race 34 - Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field; Commitment Line Violation, Tail of Field
Race 36 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Running the stop and go sign/light, 1 lap