NASCAR

‘This Feels Incredible’: Jimmie Johnson Turns Atypically Emotional After Strong Daytona 500 Finish

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By
Jared Turner
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Jared Turner Sports Editor

Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.

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Published17 Feb 2025

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Jimmie Johnson Daytona 500

As a NASCAR Cup Series driver for Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson rang up 83 victories and a record-tying seven championships. Along the way, Johnson rarely wore his emotions on his sleeve but instead kept his proverbial head down and focused on winning — which he did with regularity.

After a two-year break from the sport, Johnson returned in 2023 as co-owner of a rebranded team — Legacy Motor Club — and committed to making select starts as a driver for the Statesville, North Carolina-based organization. But the going has been tough for both Johnson the team owner and Johnson the occasional driver, with the team failing to win a race in its first two seasons.

However, Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway will for more than one reason go down as a watershed moment for both Johnson and Legacy Motor Club, which has made several key personnel changes at Johnson’s direction and switched from Chevrolet to Toyota over the last 15 months in an effort to improve.

Jimmie Johnson Overcame Multiple Hurdles On Way To Impressive Daytona 500 Finish

After qualifying his way into the Daytona 500 based on speed and watching Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones nearly win his Duel qualifying race Thursday night at Daytona, Johnson had reason for some optimism heading into Sunday. Johnson felt encouraged despite starting next-to-last on the 41-car grid and being keenly aware of Legacy Motor Club’s recent struggles.

Ultimately, though, the Daytona 500 was not without setbacks for Johnson. The first one came on lap 70 when his No. 84 Toyota spun through the grass while he tried to steer clear of a multicar crash. Later, after working his way into contention, Johnson fell from sixth-place all the way to 29th after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. blocked Johnson’s No. 84 in its pit stall during the final round of stops.

But when all the smoke cleared — both literally and figuratively — on the 67th annual Daytona 500, Johnson found himself running third at the checkered flag. He avoided a last-lap melee that wiped out several frontrunners and handed the win to William Byron.

“What an experience,” said Johnson, who turns 50 in September. “We tried to play it smart. Chad (Johnston, crew chief) had a great strategy for the third segment. Unfortunately, on one of the pit stops, we got blocked in and lost our track position. Still had a good car and a straight car, and there at the end, I was able to make my way through the crash in the back. I was in a good position, and here we are. This is great.”

Jimmie Johnson Had More Than One Reason To Smile After The Daytona 500

Johnson’s Daytona 500 finish was his best in the NASCAR Cup Series since he prevailed at Dover in 2020, his last season of full-time competition. Johnson also recorded his best Daytona 500 result since capturing The Great American Race in 2013 for the second time.

Just to put the icing on the cake for Johnson, second-year Legacy Motor Club driver John Hunter Nemechek joined his boss in the top five with a fifth-place finish in the Daytona 500. Jones, meanwhile, came home a respectable 12th.

Having all three cars perform that well on NASCAR’s biggest stage left the typically stoic Johnson practically on the brink of tears.

“This feels incredible,” Johnson said. “I have emotions that I didn’t expect to have. I’ve never been in this position as an owner, and it’s really opened up a different set of emotions. The pride that I have in this result and the pride that I have in this company, now that we’re trying to achieve and the journey we’re on, I am so satisfied. So happy right now. Excited that we have two cars in the top five.

“It’s been an interesting couple of years (as a team owner), and to have our cars come out and be this strong … this Toyota was rocket ship fast. I’m just smiling inside and out.”