Circuit Of The Americas is unforgiving towards all of NASCAR’s best, even towards a seven-time champion, as Jimmie Johnson found out Sunday.
He was caught up in a first-lap wreck as the field tried to avoid a spinning Brad Keselowski. Though Johnson avoided Keselowski himself, he was hit hard in the right rear by Ty Dillon.
Johnson, along with Dillon, was forced to retire. That’s becoming a familiar feeling for the champion in his comeback tour with new team Legacy Motor Club, as his only other start this season at Daytona also ended in a DNF.
“What a disappointing finish,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, we got off to a slow start yesterday and qualified poorly. We all know what happens when you start in the back and unfortunately we were caught up in that.”
“Just a wild and crazy first lap that was taking place,” he summed it up. “I thought I had the wreck missed, but I just saw a flash of red out of nowhere. I guess there was more going on on the outside of the No. 6 car [of Keselowski] as it was spinning, and I saw him and just got collected.”
Johnson will be back once more at the end of May at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and he’ll have to be hoping to at least cross the finish line at that one.
It’s not just Johnson, though. 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace is another notable name out early. He slammed into Kyle Larson at the end of the longest straight on lap 11 after locking up and not slowing in the braking zone.
“Broke a toe link in the rear and then an oil line,” Wallace said to clarify the damage after coming out of the infield care center.
“I’m trying my hardest not to go down the slippery slope of self-doubt here,” he added. “Two weeks in a row, making rookie mistakes, six years into Cup.”
“I need to be replaced,” he concluded dejectedly.
For his part, Larson’s troubles weren’t over, as he hit Denny Hamlin while trying to get to pit road and repair the damage later that lap, but both were able to continue.
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