By alley - Oct 2, 2016, 9:26 PM ET

NASCAR: Pit road mistakes plague Johnson again

Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 team advanced to the second round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on Sunday at Dover International Speedway, somewhat despite themselves.

The six-time Sprint Cup champions committed two mistakes on pit road during the first three races of the Chase and while it didn't come back to bite them, they won't have bonus points to fall back on in the upcoming Round of 12.

Johnson finished seventh in the Citizen Soldier 400 and advanced by 31 points – but probably should have won. He led twice for 90 laps and looked like a favorite to unseat Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch in the middle stages. But his team was penalized on lap 279 when a crew member jumped over the wall too soon.

"Well I think today was a different set of circumstances on pit road," Johnson said after the race. "It was certainly, I think Chad [Knaus, crew chief] still questions exactly what happened, but when I was coming into my pit box the No. 18 and the No. 43 were just leaving theirs and they were directly behind my box.

"I had to slam on the brakes and get turned and get underneath those guys to come in and I was pretty close to my box so I assume that just threw the rhythm off the pit stop and somebody came off the wall early. Certainly a mistake, but it's not one that I've ever had happen on the No. 48 team."

The error forced him to lose a lap, but he recovered to finish as the last car on the lead lap.

But moments like this could be a concern for Johnson only in the sense that he hasn't advanced to the third round in the first two seasons in which NASCAR has utilized an elimination playoff.

"Thankfully, we had a strong car that we were only a lap down and still ended up seventh," Johnson said. "I do feel like one got away but I'm very proud of this Lowe's race team. I'm happy to be advancing we are certainly thrilled about that, but feel like one got away today."