NASCAR Cup Series

Johnson slaps wall toward end of Happy Hour practice at CMS

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:51 p.m. ET

Tom Jensen

Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson hit the Turn 3 wall at Charlotte Motor Speedway with four minutes left in the final Happy Hour practice session for Saturday night's Bank of America 500.

But afterward, Johnson said the damage to his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was minimal and the team will not have to go to a backup car.

"Got in there too hot, slipped up and scratched the right side of the car," said Johnson, who was eighth on the speed charts in Happy Hour. "The good news is, it doesn't look like there's any big damage. And it didn't feel like I hit hard. It just sort of scratched the paint. So, unfortunately a little bit of extra work for the guys, but prior to that our car's been really, really strong."

The accident occurred at the end of the one-hour, 20-minute final practice.

"I actually got too tight and drove off into the corner hoping it would turn sharp enough and I could see it coming," said Johnson. "It wasn't turning sharp enough and I got in the outside wall in (Turn) 3."

Johnson comes into the race 12th in points after being hit from behind and driven into the wall during last Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway. For Johnson to remain in contention to win his seventh championship, he'll need to either win at Charlotte on Saturday night or next week at Talladega Superspeedway, or be eighth or higher in points after he leaves Talladega.