Jimmie Johnson's Bizarre Trip Back to Reality

In a bizarre twist of racing fate, Jimmie Johnson has failed to finish two of the past three races.

He began this season by winning three of the first five events.

Kevin Harvick who had once joked about Johnson's incredible luck, has knocked the champion down to second in the points standings.  He is currently trailing Harvick by 110 points.

The driver of the Lowe's No. 48 Chevy is known for his ability to close the deal at the end of the race.  He would suddenly slide through traffic and capture the lead as if on cruise control.

Now as Johnson meanders down the road to reality, he faces challenges other drivers routinely deal with.

He claims the switch from the wing to the spoiler hasn't affected him.  It must be pure coincidence that his wins stopped and he was relegated to top-10 finishes or DNFs after the wing flew away.

It does appear the "shark fin," which is a blade-like piece on the left side of the decklid, has caused his car to handle differently.

The spoiler package tends to make the car a little less stable in traffic.  Some drivers have adjusted well and others have found it a bit detrimental to their performance.

Johnson is also faced with the drivers "having at it" and sometimes he was the perpetrator, other times the victim of such behavior.

Jimmie heads into the Autism Speaks 400 presented by Hershey's Milk and Milkshakes at Dover with a glowing record.

He loves the concrete monster mile where he has won five times including both races last year.

His Dover record reflects seven top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes for an average of 9.8.

Johnson has acknowledged that his team cannot continue it's dominance forever.  It looks like he is actually able to see his fifth consecutive championship slipping away.

Though he will remain a top contender for wins he has to deal with the other teams that are really amping up their game.

Denny Hamlin vowed to steal the championship from Jimmie this year and looks capable of carrying out his plan.

Jeff Gordon wants his fifth championship as badly as Johnson.  Jeff just hasn't been able to capture a win, though he runs well with several second place finishes.

Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are both anxious to finish the year at the top of the points standings.

Johnson can't prevent a hit like he took from AJ Allmendinger at Darlington.  A bizarre sight that looked like the No. 48 was a designated target.

It must have been shocking to the Lowe's team seeing the badly battered No. 48 on the hook of the wrecker.

Competition is getting sharper and smarter and certainly more competitive.  The JGR and RCR teams pose a serious threat to the Hendrick drivers.

In July Johnson will become a father to his first child.  Just one more dose of reality for the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.

There are many races to run before the Chase.  Johnson will have wins and good finishes.  He will also get banged around by other drivers who have no interest in giving the champ a little extra room to run.

Chad Knaus remains at the top of his game, pit stops are good, communication between he and Johnson are in sync and he gives his driver fast, reliable equipment.

Jimmie Johnson will absolutely make the Chase.  The magic seems to get sprinkled around at that time of year.  Johnson usually heads for the points lead in grand style.

The Lowe's No. 48 team may be running low on magic this year.

Reality will continue to blind-side our champion.  This is the year Jimmie Johnson will be watching someone else honored as the NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.

All is not lost though, because he will at least have diapers to change.