NASCAR Playoffs post-mortem: Saying goodbye to the 4 eliminated drivers

We look back at the four NASCAR Cup Series drivers eliminated from playoff contention by the ROVAL, including one in the most excruciating possible fashion.

If there’s one thing the NASCAR Playoffs have done, it’s set distinct signposts for when drivers are officially out of the running for the championship. Prior to the Chase/Playoffs era, it was more of a matter of attrition, with teams slowly fading away when the math was no longer on their side.

Now? Dreams of a title get shattered four at a time, every three races. But while the 12 remaining drivers moving on to the Monster Mile will get plenty of attention for the next three weeks, we’d rather focus on saying a fond farewell to the four who saw the ROVAL chew them up and spit them out.

Before we jump into this, yes, we unabashedly “borrowed” this idea from Yahoo Sports and its awesome goodbyes to every NFL and NHL team as they are eliminated from the playoffs. We can’t promise to be nearly as witty, but at least with four of these to do at a time, you’re getting some bang from the buck if you read on.

Jimmie Johnson

High point of 2018: We almost saw it on Sunday at Charlotte, believe it or not. There was the seven-time Cup Series champion, battling hard for a win that many fans (even old JJ haters, who now seem to feel sorry for him) would have welcomed. Instead, he made a mistake that wrecked any chances of winning for both himself and Martin Truex Jr., earning him a cooldown lap visit from the 78. To add insult to injury, his last lap spin lost him just enough places that he was knocked out of the Round of 12 by a single point. Welp.

Low point of 2018: With all due respect, the entire season was a low point for Johnson. Not only did he go winless, extending a streak of futility that goes all the way back to first 2017 Dover race, he only had two top-five finishes all season (spring Bristol, Coca-Cola 600). Two! That would have been unthinkable for the 48 team prior to this year, yet here we are. If he was being completely honest, he barely deserved to make the playoffs, much less advance past the first round.

Better luck next year? We all know Lowe’s won’t be back in 2019, but will any of the Johnson and Chad Knaus mojo? No one wants to see JJ go out as a faded shell of himself, but if he can’t rebound, it’s going to be extra tough seeing him ride around with other sponsors on his car.