NASCAR's explanation for bad Johnson penalty not fulfilling

NASCAR deserves some inexplicable mistake before Sunday's race at Texas. The sanctioning body smells Jimmie Johnson to the back of the field because of pre-race inspection failures.

Johnson's goal because failed pre-race inspection twice. Cars do not get back to the pack until they fail third-time inspection. Johnson's team apparently did not know it was going to the back of the pack until just before the race. By then there was not enough time to protest the wrong call.

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"Apologize to the 48 [team of Johnson] for what happened, "NASCAR executive vice president Steve O'Donnell said. "It was unacceptable on our part. It was a communication breakdown that occurred before the assumption of a third failure. There was not. "

There was no assumption of a third failure from NASCAR publicly, however. The series' PR reps emailed media that Johnson was going to the back of the field because of a second inspection failure. NASCAR even tweeted it.

Did no one in NASCAR's PR department catch the error? If they did, were they far away from the constant inspection-related storylines? Just how many people at NASCAR knew Johnson was getting a feel for the back of the field for two inspection failures in a clear breach of 2018 protocol?

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Johnson finished 15th. And it's a damn good thing he's no longer in the playoffs. Aim to "communication breakdown" of this magnitude simply can not happen in the Cup Series. Especially before a playoff race. Mistakes like this people do not trust NASCAR's decisions.

Almirola's griping on Joey Logano is ridiculous

Aric Almirola made himself look with Joey Logano.

Almirola was upset Logano raced him hard in the final stage of Sunday's race. Why? Apparently because Logano won a week ago. Since Logano won at Martinsville he should take it easy on Almirola and other drivers.

<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = ""The 22 just went down in turn and got it right on my door and about wrecked us both. I'm not sure, "Almirola said. "I will have to talk to him. He just continues to make things harder on himself. If that is the way he wants to race me when he is already locked up. When Homestead comes around if I am not in, he will know it. ""data-reactid =" 49 ">"The 22 just went down in turn and got it right on my door and about wrecked us both. I'm not sure, "Almirola said. "I will have to talk to him. He just continues to make things harder on himself. If that is the way he wants to race me when he is already locked up. When Homestead comes around if I am not in, he will know it. "

NBC played this replay during Almirola's comments. Logano did not put it right on Almirola's door and about wreck them both. Almirola simply lost the car under Logano.

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Look, I'm getting that Almirola is frustrated. He needs a miracle or a win at Phoenix to be one of the four drivers racing for a title at Homestead. Goal getting mad at a playoff driver. Logano did not wrong.

Bowyer's team has a terrible day

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Clint Bowyer and the No. 14 team shot in the foot on Sunday. Bowyer pitted during the opening of the race after contact with Denny Hamlin. He then got a pit road penalty because he was sitting on the wall with his feet in Bowyer's pit stall Bowyer stopped for gas in stage two.

Bowyer finished 26th, three lapse down. He has to win at home to homestead.

What in the world Rick Allen?

As Kevin Harvick was seemingly driving away with Sunday's race, NBC's play-by-play announcer Rick Allen offered up a weird revisionist history. Harvick's career got started.

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