MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 18, 2018
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CAMARO ZL1 – Involved in a multi-car accident on lap 60
WHAT HAPPENED?
“There was some great racing throughout. But unfortunately, many thought it was the black and white checkered flag and not the green and white checkered flag. On lap 59 to be throwing blocks like that just…a lot of wrecked race cars. We will go to work and go to Atlanta next week. But it is disappointing for this Lowes team and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for all the work they put into it. But we’ll get this Camaro ZL1 dialed in for Atlanta and take it over there.”
WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?
“It looked like everybody thought that was the finish of the Daytona 500 and it was really only lap 59 coming to 60. Unfortunately, we lost our third car for the weekend. It’s unfortunate it has turned out that way, but we will get this Lowe’s for Pro’s Chevy dialed in for Atlanta and go do it again.”
ON THE INCIDENT:
“Just racing that hard coming for a green and white checkered flag. I’m not sure everybody was thinking big picture and really using their head through that.”
IS THAT A PRODUCT OF SO MANY YOUNG DRIVERS IN THE SPORT RIGHT NOW?
“In that instance it looked like it, but I’m not picking on the young guys by any stretch. Veterans typically cause more problems out there. Because we have more confidence and experience and usually create more issues than the young guys do.”
TALK ABOUT THE CARS BEING HARD TO HANDLE:
“We are going way faster with this rear ride height rule in the cars. Just everything is on edge. It’s a lot of fun, we are flying around here, but it puts handling at a premium. It gets us closer to the edge of traction and we are just slipping and sliding all over.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOU AND DAYTONA LATELY?
“I know. It’s been tough lately. I have had some great days and nights here through the July race and this race, but of late it’s been tough. That is just how it goes. If I want to think too hard about it I can look at Earnhardt’s record here and know how long it took him to get his first.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 – Involved in a multi-car accident on lap 60
WHAT HAPPENED?
“Our GEICO Camaro ZL1 was running pretty good. I was trying to get some stage points. It’s really important for us to kind of come out with a good start and I was wanting to be aggressive in the first stage, get some points so we could do whatever we wanted to later on in the race. I saw them crossing lanes up there in the front and I was kind of pinned to the top, so I didn’t really have anywhere to go and once they started crashing I was just stuck in the oil and didn’t really have anywhere to go. I hate it for our guys, they really put in a lot of work to be out so early in the 500, but we have a long season ahead of us so can’t wait to get to Atlanta and get past all this.”