Subscibe to our feedTeam Lowe's Racing Finishes 14th in Bud Shootout
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The fans got their money worth at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night, where Team Lowe’s Racing driver Jimmie Johnson finished 14th in the season-opening Bud Shootout.
Johnson started the 75-lap race 21st and escaped seven of eight accidents with minimal damage. But when three cars wrecked with fewer than three laps remaining, it set the stage for a green-white-checker restart at the 2.5-mile track.
When Johnson took the green flag for the final dash to the finish, he was lined up in the third spot, directly behind leader Jamie McMurray.
But as the field exited Turns 3 and 4 on the closing lap, Johnson’s Lowe’s Chevrolet was tapped in the left rear, shooting him into the No. 11 machine of Denny Hamlin, and sending out the final caution flag of the night.
“I need to look at the video to see what happened there, I’m not exactly sure,” said Johnson. “Coming down the back straightaway, the No. 14 (Tony Stewart) was to my bumper and gave me a great shot; and the two cars in front of me were kind of stalled out and there was a lane in the middle.
“I thought I could take the run the No. 14 gave me and shoot through the middle of them. I’m not sure if somebody on the outside lane was trying to come down or if I came across somebody’s nose or what, but that’s when we made contact and started the wreck.”
Kyle Busch and Casey Mears were also involved in the incident.
“Tonight felt like a dash for the cash for sure, it was pretty dicey out there,” offered Johnson. “I think you can expect some single file racing at the beginning on Sunday (in Daytona 500), but once things close up at night, it’s going to be a lot like tonight’s race was.”
Kevin Harvick, who had taken the lead just before the accident occurred and the yellow flag waved, took home the victory.