(By NASCAR Wire Service)
Posted: Friday,January 29th, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH ,FL - Four-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson crashed Thursday during practice for Saturday’s Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson was treated and released from the infield medical center after crashing the Bob Stallings Racing car. Because the entry was too damaged to participate in qualifying Thursday, the team will have to take laps in the qualifying session Friday.
“He feels ugly but OK,” team owner Bob Stallings said. “He’s not injured in any way. He may be sore, but there’s no reason for him not to race this weekend.”
(Photo: Grand-Am)
Stallings said Johnson was cut down on by another car in the road-course portion of the track, and Johnson backed the car into the wall “pretty hard.” Stallings said the other driver probably didn’t see Johnson, while Johnson thought the slower car was moving out of his way.
A new rear assembly for the Riley chassis is being put together in Concord, N.C., and Johnson is providing air transportation to have the assembly flown to Daytona. The team hopes to be back on track in time for the Friday morning practice session.
Backup cars are not allowed in the series to help contain costs.
Nine NASCAR drivers are competing in the race.
AJ Allmendinger was the top NASCAR qualifier, putting his Michael Shank Racing Ford third on the grid with a speed of 126.753 mph on the 3.56-mile road course in Daytona Beach, Fla. SunTrust Racing’s Max Angelelli is on the pole.
The Chip Ganassi Racing team that includes Cup drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray qualified fourth. And the CGR team with Cup driver Max Papis will start fifth.
Camping World Truck Series driver Colin Braun, driving for Krohn Racing, will start ninth. Cup driver Paul Menard, who will drive for Spirit of Daytona Racing, watched his car qualify 10th.
Two other Cup drivers, Boris Said and Bobby Labonte, are in the 45-car field. Said is part of the Turner Motorsport team, which will start 22nd. TRG Motorsports’ Bobby Labonte will co-drive a car that qualified 23rd.
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