Johnson's run of misfortune continues at Pocono

Jimmie Johnson locked himself into the playoffs earlier this season but the No. 48 team is stumbling toward the post-season.

A crash on Lap 57 at Pocono Raceway after contact with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kasey Kahne, led to Johnson's fifth DNF. Calling it just a racing accident, Johnson said he didn't get the best restart and was running the high lane when Kahne's right-front tire hit his left rear, sending Johnson spinning and backing the Lowe's Chevrolet into the Turn 3 wall.

"I think the 5 car just washed out and washed into me and got me," said Johnson. "Certainly not an intentional move by any stretch, but ended our day certainly. Not the day we wanted here."

It's also a costly day. The accident will extend what has been a rough stretch for Johnson since he won at Dover International Speedway on June 4. In his last eight races, Johnson has just two top-10 finishes and 16 laps led. Four of his five DNFs have also come during that period.

"It helps knowing that you're locked in, but at the same time, I think we're missing a little bit of speed and then to have luck kind of go our way the last few weeks," said Johnson of knowing he's headed to the NASCAR post-season despite a bad day.

"You want to the momentum going the right direction, and we're getting close to the end of the regular season, so ideally we'd like to get things rolling. We've won championships in a variety of ways, and I know it's a heck of a lot easier if you have some momentum on your side rolling into August and September."

Entering Pocono, Johnson sat second on the playoff grid with 16 playoff points. However, Johnson has not grabbed a playoff point through a stage win since Sonoma. By failing to finish in the top 10 in the first stage Sunday and then with an early exit in stage 2, Johnson won't pick up any additional championship points.

"Definitely a lost opportunity for playoff points. I don't think any of us truly understand how important they are," Johnson said. "I think we all recognize they're going to be important – we'll know so much more at the end of the year.

"Thankfully, those races in the final elimination round are pretty good for us and if we can win there, it'll kind of take care of that problem. If not, we want to cover that other base with playoff points; we're sitting good now, but there's no telling what's going to happen."

Five races remain in the regular season, and Johnson knows it's better to get all the mulligans out of the way now.

"If it ends now, yeah. It's perfect," he said. "But if it keeps going, then it sucks."