“I Had Higher Expectations”: Jimmie Johnson After Daytona 500 Setback

It sure is a little weird that 7x NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson will have to fight for a starting spot in this year’s Great American Race. Johnson, who would be running another part-time schedule with Legacy Motor Club in 2024, failed to qualify his way into the 500 on Wednesday, putting him in an unfamiliar spot, one he wasn’t really expecting to be in.

“I had higher expectations for sure, but we are lumped right there with the other Toyotas,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “The #43 car got a little more out of it, so I wish we had a bit more out of ours, but it is what it is.”

“We will go out and race hard (Thursday) night and try to make the 500.”

Johnson claimed he came to Daytona “mentally prepared” for a scenario he now finds himself in to make it to the race on Sunday. However, this strange spot is still a strange spot. “Much more nervous now,” the 2x Daytona 500 winner said when asked if he was feeling the nerves.

“I thought we were gonna be in a little better position, but it is what it is and we’ll go to work.”

Jimmie Johnson on not locking into the Daytona 500 field during single-car qualifying with his fate determined by the duels Thursday: “I thought we were going to be in a little better position than this. But it is what it is. We’ll go to work.” pic.twitter.com/XxCG76wXHB

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 15, 2024

Shift to Toyota has been a big change for Jimmie Johnson ‘in the greatest of ways’

Last year, Legacy Motor Club announced they’d be parting ways with Chevrolet and switching over to the Toyota camp. This shift made sense in many ways for the struggling organization, but it was still a major change. And Jimmie Johnson was aware of it.

“It’s been overwhelming in the greatest of ways. The amount of data that we have; the tools that are included with that, tools that we need to design and create,” he said as per Motorsport.

The driver-owner of Legacy revealed how they had to hire software coders to create the right tools for the new systems and software. Having said that, the NASCAR Hall of Famer emphasized that the change has been “a great journey” so far.