DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson needed everything to go right Saturday night in order for him to make the playoffs in his final season as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver.
However, Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 was being held at Daytona Int’l Speedway and races rarely go as planned at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Johnson was collected in a late-race crash not of his making Saturday night, all but ending any chance he had of advancing to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs to pursue a record eighth series championship.
“I really felt like we had a way to transfer, to win, or point our way in the way it went in the first two stages,” Johnson said. “Things just got ugly down in turn one. Unfortunate, but that’s plate racing.”
Johnson, William Byron and Matt DiBenedetto entered Saturday’s race as the only three drivers who could mathematically earn places in the playoffs based on points. However, there were only two spots available assuming a driver outside the playoff bubble didn’t win.
That meant at least one of them would miss the playoffs. The unfortunate driver turned out to be Johnson.
The crash that ended his hopes of advancing came with two laps left in the scheduled distance of the race when contact between Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace resulted in a multi-car crash in turn one.
Johnson was one of several drivers left with no where to go and he was collected in the incident, severely damaging his No. 48 Chevrolet. His Cliff Daniels-led crew managed to make enough repairs to the car for him to finish the race, but it wasn’t enough for him to claim a spot in the playoffs.
Byron went on to win the race to earn his spot in the playoffs while DiBenedetto finished 12th, which gave DiBenedetto his first playoff berth by six points over Johnson, who finished 17th.
“I knew the position we were in, so it’s not like this is a shock or a surprise,” Johnson said. “My emotions are what I would have expected. I’m definitely disappointed.
“I still know I can win a race and there are still races to win, so after a couple beers and a flight home I’m going to get a good nights rest and try to shake it off tomorrow and try to focus on the next race.”
Johnson acknowledged that missing the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the disqualification from the Coca-Cola 600 are largely what put him in the position he was in Saturday. That’s what makes missing the playoffs by six points that much harder for Johnson.
“When I look back at the disqualification at Charlotte and then missing the Brickyard 400 due to my COVID-19 positive test and to only miss it by six points – we did all that we could this year,” Johnson said. “I’m so thankful for Hendrick Motorsports and the career that I’ve had there, the relationship with Ally and their continued support for this race team. Cliff Daniels and these guys on my team – they pour their guts out for me.”
While his shot at another championship may be over, Johnson’s drive to win hasn’t subsided. There are still 10 races left in the season and he still has 10 opportunities left to earn another trophy to close out his career.
“There’s 10 more chances to take a trophy home,” said Johnson, who has 83 NASCAR Cup Series victories during his lengthy career. “That’s all we’re focused on at this point. Nothing else matters – it’s about winning races and finishing up this year as we should.”