Moments after Jimmie Johnson finished third Sunday night in the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s official website flashed a three-word tribute to the 49-year-old, seven-time champion and El Cajon native:
“Still Got It.”
“What an experience,” Johnson said after his best finish in NASCAR’s premier event since his second Daytona 500 win in 2013. “I have emotions I didn’t expect to have. This feels incredible.”
Not only did Johnson race through a last-lap accident to finish third, the Legacy Motor Sports Club that Johnson owns posted finishes of fifth (John Hunter Nemechek) and 12th (Erik Jones).
“I’ve never been in this position as an owner,” Johnson continued. “It’s really a different set of emotions. Two top-five spots. And Erik had some problems in the 500 after running second Thursday night (in a Twin 125 qualifying race).”
While Johnson is one of three drivers in NASCAR history to win seven championships — Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are the other two — he still had to earn a berth in the Daytona 500 through qualifying. He secured the 40th and final spot in the field.
But in an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune last week, Johnson felt he could still win a superspeedway race.
“Experience in those races is a huge advantage if you can avoid being caught up in a pack accident,” said Johnson.
Which is exactly the way the Daytona 500 played out, although Johnson was slightly caught up in the race’s first accident, which eliminated five racers, including four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.
Johnson credited his crew chief, Chad Johnston with developing the “perfect strategy.”
“We tried to play it smart,” Johnson said.
Johnson pitted just before the end of Stage 2, positioning him at the lead of the pack early in the final segment before dropping back to draft and save fuel. He was in the top-10 going into his final stop when he lost more than 20 positions on the track when he got stuck behind another car on pit row.
Johnson was 15th and in the middle of a three-wide pack entering the final 2½-mile lap of overtime, then picked up three spots in traffic and was 12th coming out of turn two when calamity struck the leaders. Johnson steered a path through the debris and finished third behind William Byron and Tyler Reddick.
“I got hit on both sides, but managed to keep my car straight during the accident,” said Nemechek. “There was a lot of smoke. Jimmie blew my doors off. I don’t think he ever lifted for the crash.”
Johnson said he could see the last-lap accident unfolding.
“I looked forward and saw a roof getting sideways and smoke,” Johnson said. “I followed the two cars that finished in front of me. As the seas parted, I punched it. There’s luck to it, too. But we shot through the smoke and the opening.”
Johnson said the results of this Daytona 500 “certainly hit me differently” than any result he’s had before.
“We’re still smiling,” he said. “But it’s racing. We’ll enjoy this for another three or four days and plunge back in. But the pride that and resolve I have in this company, knowing what we’re trying to achieve and the journey we’re on, I am so satisfied, so happy right now.
“I’ve done a lot of dreaming about this kind of result. The impact for the team is twofold. One, it validates the vision and mission statement. And for our employees, it’s been a tough couple years. This is definitely a shot in the arm.
“I love racing. But I’m not here for me. I know other people have different opinions. But I’m not here for me. We’re a team.”
Johnson spent most of the two weeks before the Daytona 500 promoting his team. He missed NASCAR’s Hall of Fame ceremony to make appearances at the Super Bowl. He shot free throws with Shaquille O’Neal and got the basketball Hall of Famer involved with his car.
Sunday’s third-place finish was his best result since he last competed for the championship in 2020.
