Johnson sees his week get wrecked
DAYTONA BEACH – It seemed only fitting that Jimmie Johnson’s weekend would end up with him watching much of the Daytona 500 from the sidelines.
The two-time Daytona 500 winner saw his No. 48 Chevrolet get caught up in a nine-car wreck in the backstretch that brought out the second caution of the day. It was the third time this weekend that Johnson was involved in a race-ending accident.
“It looked like everybody thought that was the finish to the Daytona 500 and it was really only Lap 59 coming to 60,” Johnson said following the crash. “Unfortunately we lost our third car of the weekend.
"There was some great racing throughout. Unfortunately, many thought it was the black and white checkered flag and not the green and white checkered flag.”
When asked if the wreck could have been a byproduct of the influx of young, inexperienced drivers in the field, Johnson stopped short of casting any blame.
“I’m not picking on the young guys by any stretch,” he said. “Veterans typically cause more problems out there. Because we have more confidence and experience and usually create more issues than the young guys do.”
“I’m not sure everybody was thinking big picture and really using their head through that,” Johnson said of the incident.
Johnson started Sunday near the back of the field at No. 35 out of the 40 car field and wound up with a 38th-place finish. It was his third-worst finish at the Great American Race.
It was also the second consecutive Daytona 500 in which the seven-time NASCAR cup champion ended up wrecking out and the fifth time in 17 career starts in which he didn’t finish the race.
Yet it must have been an eerily familiar feeling for the 42-year-old Johnson, who started off a nightmarish week with an accident in last Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash. He wrecked on the final lap of the exhibition race after being spun out by Kyle Larson.
Four days later, Johnson found himself back in the same situation after being involved in a three-car crash just eight laps into the 150-mile race during the Cam-Am Duels Thursday. The mishap sent him to the back of the field for the start of Sunday’s race.
“Tough way to start Speedweeks,” Johnson said after that finish. “I feel terrible for my race team for all their hard work.
“I just hate that we have been through three cars down here a lot of different Speedweeks. That part bothers me. But, I do feel very confident in the car we are going to roll out and what the team will be able to put under me,” he said before taking the track on Sunday.
Following his disastrous finish, Johnson reflected on what his Daytona experience felt like this week.
“It’s been tough lately. I have had some great days and nights here through the July race and this race, but of late it’s been tough,” he said. “That is just how it goes. If I want to think too hard about it I can look at Earnhardt’s record here and know how long it took him to get his first.”
But Johnson also said some of the new rules changes led to some exciting elements of racing.
“We are going way faster with this rear ride height rule in the cars. Just everything is on edge. It’s a lot of fun, we are flying around here, but it puts handling at a premium.’’