CONCORD, N.C. – Jimmie Johnson saw a huge opportunity and went for it.
Unfortunately, it ended with dramatic implications.
After a Lap 104 restart eliminated several of the Bank of America 400 ROVAL contenders, the battle for the win came down to Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and reigning Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr.
Johnson caught Truex on the last lap and attempted to make a last corner pass on Truex entering Turn 17, but Johnson spun between Turns 16 and 17 and collected Truex at the exit of 17 spinning Truex towards the frontstretch wall. With both drivers trying to get control of their cars, Ryan Blaney snuck by between the two, emerging unscathed and stealing the inaugural win.
“I had been so good into that final braking zone, I really felt like I could put some pressure on them and take a shot at it,” explained Johnson. “I got out of the chicane on the back straightaway better than he did and put some pressure on him. Got him loose and off the bottom and I thought that was my chance. Unfortunately, down here through the bumps coming into that breaking zone, I just locked up the rears and couldn’t control my car and spun. I didn’t think that I initially got into him, but clearly, I did and spun him around.
“Took myself out of a shot at the championship and obviously affected their day which I feel bad about. (Sigh) I wish I wouldn’t have been so focused on a race win and I could have transferred and kept my championship hopes alive, but we had such a good car and just one of those split-second decisions to race for the win instead of for the points and it bit me.”
For Johnson, he wasn’t thinking about making into the Round of 12, he was focused on winning after a year where the No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet has struggled for speed and results.
To add insult to injury to Johnson’s dramatic ending at Charlotte, his eighth-place finish found him tied for the final spot in the Playoffs with the seven-time Cup champion finding himself on the outside after Kyle Larson and Aric Almirola advanced based on their best finishes during the three-opening races of the Round of 16.
“I was more worried about the win than anything else,” Johnson added. “I hate that I started wheel-hopping and took Martin (Truex, Jr.) and me out. That’s the last thing I wanted to do. I put pressure on him into Turn 3. He washed up and I thought I was going to be in the prime braking zone going into that final turn and have a shot at it.
“I’m on to the brakes and started locking the rears and wheel-hopping and then, I didn’t think I hit him at first. I knew I was spinning, obviously, but I guess I collected him in my spin. I certainly regret doing that. And then, ultimately, we were in a transfer position and didn’t get it. I was just going for the win.
“Wins are so important. And the veteran could have taken a safe route and didn’t, and unfortunately took us out of the Playoffs and took out the No. 78 (Truex, Jr.)”
Truex showed his displeasure with Johnson spinning him out after the checkered flag, entering Turn 1.
“Last corner desperation behind us, that’s what you get,” offered Truex after the race. “I gave him (Jimmie Johnson) the inside lane and he had the run through (turn) four and I was real tight down there. I let him have the inside going down inside coming out of four there to the chicane. He just over-drove it and was never going to make it and used me as brakes and turned us both around.
“It sucks, we could have raced side-by-side off the last corner for a win and that would have been cool. The fans would have been digging it, but instead, we finished 14th and he’s locked out of the Playoffs. I guess that’s what he gets.”
Truex said while Johnson appeared to be closing on him to make a pass for the lead, he didn’t believe he had a realistic chance of making the final corner.
“He (Jimmie Johnson) wasn’t ever going to make it through that corner whether I was there or not. Just desperation on his part and pretty stupid really if you think about it because he was locked into the next round and now he’s out.
“I guess if there’s a silver lining, that’s it. Want to thank Auto Owners and all their associates with what they did with this race car being teal for Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and it was a big day for us. It would have been really fun to take it to victory lane, but at the end of the day it wasn’t meant to be and we’ll move on to the next one.”
Despite the chaotic ending to the race, Johnson continued to handle himself with professionalism.
Leaving Charlotte, Johnson continued to apologize for the outcome with a tweet, “Everyone makes mistakes… apologies to the 78 and all of their fans.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
