Buddlite
01-28-2010, 05:33 PM
JJ had a crash during practice for the Rolex 24 today.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Defending, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson crashed and suffered some bruising today in opening practice for this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson crashed in the left-hand kink area of Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course driving the No. 99 Bob Stallings Chevrolet Riley Daytona Prototype.
"A GT car was very wide to the left and JJ assumed the GT saw him and was making way for the faster car," team owner Bob Stallings said. "As it turns out, the GT probably did not see JJ and closed off on him.
"Jimmie had to lift and get on the brake and as soon as he pointed the nose of the car down, the car turned on him and he backed it into the wall pretty hard. All the damage is on the back end of the car."
Stallings said Johnson was traveling an estimated 185 mph when he tried to avoid colliding with the slower GT sedan. Johnson’s car spun around and crashed backwards into an infield wall which "twisted the rear end chassis."
The No. 99 entry has been withdrawn from the race. Stallings has sent for the team’s backup Daytona Prototype in Dallas. The other car should be at the Speedway by Friday.
"We are scrambling logistically to get our people back to Dallas and rent a truck with a lift on it and get our No. 98 car, drive all night and get back here by tomorrow morning," Stallings said.
Team spokesman Adam Saal said Johnson "was reportedly OK, a little bit bruised, but he’ll be fine."
Saal said Johnson was taken to the Speedway infield care center, evaluated, treated and released.
Stallings said, "Jimmie feels really ugly about what happened."
"What I told JJ was this was all about racing and we have the capability to respond to it. My expectation is that we will."
DAYTONA BEACH -- Defending, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson crashed and suffered some bruising today in opening practice for this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson crashed in the left-hand kink area of Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course driving the No. 99 Bob Stallings Chevrolet Riley Daytona Prototype.
"A GT car was very wide to the left and JJ assumed the GT saw him and was making way for the faster car," team owner Bob Stallings said. "As it turns out, the GT probably did not see JJ and closed off on him.
"Jimmie had to lift and get on the brake and as soon as he pointed the nose of the car down, the car turned on him and he backed it into the wall pretty hard. All the damage is on the back end of the car."
Stallings said Johnson was traveling an estimated 185 mph when he tried to avoid colliding with the slower GT sedan. Johnson’s car spun around and crashed backwards into an infield wall which "twisted the rear end chassis."
The No. 99 entry has been withdrawn from the race. Stallings has sent for the team’s backup Daytona Prototype in Dallas. The other car should be at the Speedway by Friday.
"We are scrambling logistically to get our people back to Dallas and rent a truck with a lift on it and get our No. 98 car, drive all night and get back here by tomorrow morning," Stallings said.
Team spokesman Adam Saal said Johnson "was reportedly OK, a little bit bruised, but he’ll be fine."
Saal said Johnson was taken to the Speedway infield care center, evaluated, treated and released.
Stallings said, "Jimmie feels really ugly about what happened."
"What I told JJ was this was all about racing and we have the capability to respond to it. My expectation is that we will."