On March 14, 2018, Lowe's announced they would end their sponsorship of the No. 48 team after the season. To commemorate the longtime partnership, Johnson drove the No. 48 car with its original Lowe's paint scheme in the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami. Following the season, Kevin Meendering from JR Motorsports replaced Knaus as crew chief of Johnson's team, with Knaus moving to the No. 24 team in 2019. Ally Financial (formerly GMAC, a past Hendrick Motorsports sponsor) signed a two-year deal to sponsor the No. 48 team starting in 2019.