Jimmie Johnson is a four-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600, but on Sunday night, his race ended after just 112 of 400 laps. The veteran driver was the first to fall out of NASCAR’s longest race, crashing early in the second stage.
In Turn 4, the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota spun sideways, triggering a multi-car wreck that collected both Connor Zilisch and Cole Custer. While they were able to carry on, the NASCAR Hall of Famer’s day was over.
Johnson was making his 700th career start, joining an exclusive list of 21 drivers who have reached that milestone in the Cup Series. He began his day at the Indianapolis 500, driving the two-seater with NFL legend Tom Brady in the passenger seat.
Reflecting on the incident that took him out of the 600, Johnson told NASCAR on Prime: “I just make a rookie mistake … the traffic situations are just different with this car. My instincts — I kind of reacted in a way that I shouldn’t have. And by the team I realized it, it was too late.”
The good news for Johnson is that he has something to be proud of as an owner as the No. 42 and No. 43 cars he co-owns are both running strong early in the event. Johnson applauded them while thanking his partners before concluding: “I wish I was still out there.”
Officially, Johnson will finish 40th (last) unless there are any post-race disqualifications. He has been running a part-time schedule in recent years, with Sunday’s Coke 600 being his second start of the year. He also ran the season-opening Daytona 500, finishing an impressive third in the chaotic finish.
In this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Jimmie Johnson
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