By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor
If Jimmie Johnson or Aric Almirola hope to claim Sunday’s Daytona 500, it appears they’ll have to do so with a backup car.
The primary cars of both Johnson and Almirola were collected in a crash during the early stages of Thursday’s first Can-Am Duel at Daytona International Speedway.
The field was riding around single-file on the high lane on Lap 8 when Jimmie Johnson’s left-rear tire appeared to go down. The seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion attempted to pull out of line on the race’s tri-oval, but he was unable to control his car as he attempted to slow down.
Instead the Californian’s No. 48 Chevrolet was sent careening back up the track, where Almirola collided with him head on.
Daniel Suarez spun to the inside to avoid the wrecked duo, sliding to a stop in the Turn 1 infield after avoiding any contact with the wall. The rest of the field were able to dodge the incident outright.
BIG TROUBLE! Jimmie Johnson and Aric Almirola are done for the night in Daytona. https://t.co/a5BV1xcjxE
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 16, 2018
Both Hendrick Motorsports (Johnson) and Stewart-Haas Racing (Almirola) were forced to revert to backup cars for Sunday’s Daytona 500 as a result of the crash.
“I just had a flat tire,” Johnson said. “As I was coming into the tri-oval I could feel the car starting to shake, there is kind of a shake when you have a soft tire and I knew what it was and tried to pull out of line and I thought I had it under control, but as I exited the tri-oval, it finally went flat and turned me sideways and unfortunately, I collected Aric (Almirola) in the process.”
Johnson’s crash continued a torrid Speedweeks for the two-time Daytona 500 champion. The Californian also spun during Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash after contact with Kyle Larson, initiating a massive last-lap crash that damaged multiple cars.
“I’m devastated for the work and effort that goes into these cars and more on the crew side,” Johnson said. ‘I know the next car is going to be fast. I know all three cars we have built are really good and strong. I just hate that we have been through three cars down here a lot of different Speedweeks. That part bothers me.
“But, I do feel very confident in the car we are going to roll out and what the team will be able to put under me.”
The crash also brought an early end to Almirola’s first start with Stewart-Haas Racing. But while he was left disappointed, the Floridian searched for positives after the crash.
“There was nothing I could do,” Almirola said. “I saw him pull out of line. I thought he was just checking up but he came back across the track.
“It is disappointing. Not the way I wanted to start Speedweeks with our Smithfield Ford Fusion, but we will get another car out and get ready for the rest of the weekend. The beauty of it is that it is just the 150’s and it wasn’t the Daytona 500.”