Search
Close this search box.

Partner

Jimmie Johnson, Fifth at Las Vegas, Scores First Top-Five Finish Since Daytona Last July

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE. (Photo by Chris Owens/HHP for Chevy Racing)

Don’t look now, but Jimmie Johnson could be mounting a comeback in his final NASCAR Cup Series season. Johnson nabbed his first top-five finish since Daytona last July (20 races ago), with a solid fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

According to Johnson, the restarts were key to his great finish.

“Man, every restart you just have to get everything you can,” Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, said. “Once your momentum is broke and guys fall in line, it’s so hard to generate enough of a run and energy to pass somebody. So we’re just driving like fools getting started. I hope the fans enjoyed it, it’s pretty wild from the seat.”

Johnson started back in 18th, when the field was set by points due to Saturday’s qualifying session being rained out. But Johnson spent little time working his way toward the front.

While Johnson was fast all race long, he had to feel nervous over the final stretch of the race as he slapped the wall with less than 50 laps to go, and then made contact with the right side of his car again as he was passing John Hunter Nemechek.

Fortunately, the damage didn’t rub the tires on Johnson’s car and he was able to make it to the finish cleanly.

Now, with a newly redesigned Chevrolet Camaro body, and momentum building, Johnson feels things are heading in the right direction for his No. 48 team.

“Yeah, we’re rolling in the right way — I think,” Johnson explained. “This year’s [Camaro] gives us a bigger window to work within. To see four or five chevy’s up front mixed in with those Fords today and was really nice, and I think a telling sign of what we needed to get us up front.”

Next week, Johnson heads to the site of his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory, which also happens to be his hometown track — Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Post

Kyle Weatherman JJ Yeley Jason Miller shove post race fight video 2024 Atlanta NASCAR Xfinity Series
Video: "Next Time You Touch My Racecar" Kyle Weatherman Takes Post-Race Shove After on-Track Incident with Yeley
Kyle Busch car chief ejected COTA inspection Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Richard Childress Racing JTG Daugherty Racing
Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Car Chiefs Ejected After Multiple Failed Inspection Attempts
Screen Shot 2024-03-08 at 9.15
Stewart-Haas Hauler Involved in Multi-Vehicle Accident in Texas; Headed Back to North Carolina
2024 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer point standings
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Point Standings
NASCAR TV schedule Saturday March 16 Bristol Truck Series Weather Guard Truck Race NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR TV Schedule: Saturday, March 16 at Bristol
Hopkins Butcher
Video: Late-Race Battle Ends in Crash, Retaliation at Hickory

Join Our Newsletter

Ready to have NASCAR news hand-delivered to your email daily?

Related Article