“The IndyCar driver?” NASCAR Twitter reacts as Jimmie Johnson tops the Daytona 500 Practice
37 of the 40 qualified racers drove in the first practice session of Daytona 500.
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Daytona 500 practice session (Credits: @NASCAR)
Jimmie Johnson returned to the Cup series as co-owner of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. The seven times Cup champion marked his return by securing one of the four sports reserved for open charters in the single Car qualifiers. He went to have a solid Vacation Duel run. The No:84 driver proved he still got it by topping the Cup practice session before Sunday’s extravaganza.
Johnson has visited the Great American Race twice in his career and will chase his 84th Cup victory on Sunday. He clocked in the fastest lap of 194.25 mph from 34 total laps he ran. JJ bested his former teammates Chase Elliott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Alex Bowman to score practice P1. Johnson will start P39 on Sunday with the hopes of finishing up front, as pole position isn’t always a big factor at Superspeedways.
“I honestly think it’s too early to read far into this. It is plate racing, and that was just a practice session. We didn’t make any mistakes and did some things right to end up where we did. Anything can still happen. But I’m glad to be in here, I’m glad we’re at the top of the board and not the bottom. I’m sure the headlines would read a little differently if we were on the other end of it,” Johnson said after the session.
“It’s my first weekend in this car. It’s (crew chief) Todd (Gordon’s) first weekend working on the Next Gen car and the first time we’ve all worked together. So, we’re going through quality reps right now. It’s just so fun to get out there and mix it up. I was in a great draft with Chase and understanding the bump-drafting aspect of where this car is and got some quality reps there, too,” Jimmie Johnson added.
Jimmie Johnson has a tight schedule going into the 2023 season. Alongside the 6 Cup entries and team owner responsibilities, he will also lead NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports’s 24 Hours of LeMans entry the Garage 56.
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How NASCAR Twitter reacted to Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona 500 practice run.
Fans were pleased to see the 7 times Cup champion back on the top and shared their happiness to witness the legend’s impressive runs once again. Some fans used the moment to Johnson and the rest of the Cup garage.
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Justin P Joy
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