Jimmie Johnson needed a solid performance on Sunday at Kansas Speedway to advance to the Round of 8, but suffered a major setback during the final stage of the race.
Johnson's 48 car went spinning around and he lost control of the car. The car suffered damage, and his crew immediately went to work in an effort to get him back on the track as soon as possible.
.@JimmieJohnson went around in the final stage at @KansasSpeedway! #NASCARPlayoffs #Chasing8 pic.twitter.com/El45izRbOY
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 22, 2017
Related: Kyle Larson's championship hopes took a huge hit early in the race
Johnson had even more trouble on a restart later in the race. He spun out again, and he lost ground on the rest of the field.
More trouble for @JimmieJohnson on that restart! ?#Chasing8 #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/FSNb8c9gIR
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 22, 2017
?#Chasing8 pic.twitter.com/8JdO89DTwm
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 22, 2017
Johnson earned some stage points earlier in the race, but he needs more and a better finish if he wants to advance to the Round of 8.
Johnson and the rest of the drivers vying for the final spots in the next round caught a break when Kyle Larson's car had engine troubles and his day came to an early end. Larson will likely be eliminated, and he was third in the points, so that opens up a spot for someone else.
If Johnson is going to have a chance to win his eighth championship, he'll need to catch a few more breaks down the stretch at Kansas.