(Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Of six open cars, Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana recorded the two fastest times in Daytona 500 qualifying, locking into Sunday’s Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson, who is in his first Daytona 500 since 2020, recorded a time of 50.202 to place 23rd in time trials. A two-time winner, Johnson is set to make his 20th start in the race.
“It is a huge relief,” Johnson, a co-owner of LEGACY Motor Club, told the media. “Came down here for my rookie season when the 48 team was just started up. We had to get in through qualifying. That was a very stressful moment. So I’ve kind of fallen back on that experience, although it was 20-something years ago now.
Johnson spent 2021 and 2022 driving in the NTT INDYCAR Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and didn’t know what to expect when he got on track. Since there wasn’t any practice prior to qualifying, Johnson only had experience in the Next Gen car at Phoenix Raceway in his Select Driver Orientation Test.
“There was a different feeling knowing there’s something bad that can happen, you might not be in the race. Did have that sense at the [Indianapolis] 500,” Johnson said. “But once I rolled off pit lane, fortunately, that went away. That’s my first time in a plate car with this new Next Gen car. The experience was way different than I anticipated. The ride quality was much rougher. I didn’t know if that was supposed to happen or not.
“Then when I pulled it into fifth gear, which is weird to go to fifth gear, the drag of the vehicle, the rpm dropped really far. I didn’t know that was normal. So the entire lap I made around, I thought something was potentially wrong with the car. The rpm was really low, didn’t feel very fast. Once I crossed the finish line, I heard we had a good lap.
“It was stressful out there, more stressful than I intended it to be.”
(Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
Pastrana, an 11-time gold medal winner in the X Games, recorded a time of 50.208 to place 25th in time trials and make the show with 23XI Racing. He last raced in NASCAR in 2020, when he did two Craftsman Truck Series races for Niece Motorsports.
Pastrana raced the entire 2013 Xfinity Series season for Roush Fenway Racing, where he finished in the top 10 four times. Sunday’s Daytona 500 will be his first Cup Series start.
“To be a part of The Great American Race, even looking at the little pass I got today that said ‘Cup Driver’. This is cool,” Pastrana said. “I’m a motocrosser. I’ve done a lot of fun things. We’ve dabbled a little bit in NASCAR. I got chewed up and spit out by these guys really fast.
“At the end of the day they’re the best drivers I believe in the entire world. It’s an honor to be able to race with these guys. To be able to line up in the 500 on Sunday will be a dream come true no matter what the outcome is. I’m just going to try to be as smart as I possibly can, make as few mistakes as I possibly can.”
Pastrana said he used the simulator before arriving in Daytona, but it didn’t compare to actually qualifying the car
“I’m getting up to speed and I’m watching the [tachometer]. It’s got no suspension on the car because they put it on the ground. It’s hitting all the bumps, basically vibrating your teeth out of place,” Pastrana said. “Trying to hit my marks, missed my second shift. Oh, man. Didn’t step off the gas enough. Double pulled in the backstretch. I just blew it.
“I just wanted to put my foot over the top of the brake pedal as a security blanket. At 180, however fast you’re going, you don’t feel that in a simulator.”
Johnson and Pastrana will learn their official starting spots for the Daytona 500 after Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duels.
