The first two open spots in the Daytona 500 have been clinched by two drivers with wildly different motorsports careers. Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana have both put themselves into The Great American Race.
Johnson was the first to achieve this goal during qualifying on February 15. He turned in a lap time of 50.202 seconds at 179.276 mph, which was the fastest of the NASCAR Cup Series cars without charters. Pastrana was the second-fastest out of this group with a lap time of 50.208 seconds at 179.254 mph, which put him just behind the seven-time Cup Series champion.
🔒 it in 🤝
These two men will still compete in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races as NASCAR sets the rest of the starting lineup. However, they can enter these 60-lap events with the knowledge that they will have a secure spot on the grid. They won’t have to worry about beating out the other unchartered entries to secure their respective spots.
“This is cool. I’m a motocrosser,” Pastrana told media members after qualifying. “I was able to go rally, I’ve been able to do a lot of fun things. We dabbled a bit in NASCAR, and I got chewed up and spit out by these guys really fast. But at the end of the day, it’s because these are the best drivers, I believe, in the entire world.
“It’s an honor to be able to race against these guys. And 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 and make as few mistakes as I possibly can.
Johnson Has 1 Focus Entering the Daytona 500
GettyJimmie Johnson poses with the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro.
Securing a spot in the Daytona 500 was the main goal for Johnson and the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club team. Now that he has achieved this, he will focus on one that is much bigger.
As Johnson explained, he is on a mission to win the Daytona 500. He has already achieved this goal twice in his career — once in 2006 and once in 2013. Now he will try to add another Crown Jewel to his collection after being away from NASCAR for two full seasons.
“Here, yes the car is different and yes it will draft differently, but the fundamentals of the draft are still very similar,” Johnson told media members ahead of qualifying. “Plate racing is the wild card. It’s intentional for me to come be part of the Daytona 500 and the most impactful race.
“I think I really have a shot to win. If I survive and get through the first two stages, there’s really a shot that I have to win this race.”
The Remaining Open Cars Have Concerns
GettyTravis Pastrana celebrates after clinching a spot in the Daytona 500.
Johnson and Pastrana took up two of the available spots in the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Now, there are only two remaining for the other four open entries.
Austin Hill (Beard Motorsports), Chandler Smith (Kaulig Racing), Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports), and Conor Daly (TMT Racing) will all have to compete in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels while fighting for the last two open spots.
Two of these drivers dealt with significant issues on February 15. Chandler Smith went out for his qualifying lap, but he was unable to complete it. The No. 13 kept stalling, which forced him back onto pit road. Smith was able to head back out for a lap, but he continued to deal with issues before ultimately posting the slowest lap out of 41 cars.
Daly, for comparison, did not get the opportunity to head out for his lap. A “freak” issue with the oil heater caused it to short out. This led to the oil line exploding. The No. 50 team was not able to fix the stock car before qualifying, so he left the track with a DNS (Did Not Start) next to his name.
Once the first round of qualifying came to a close, the 10-fastest drivers prepared for the second round and the opportunity to win the Busch Light Pole. The open drivers looked forward to the Bluegreen Vacations Duels.
Johnson, who posted the fastest time among the open cars, will line up during the first Duel race. Zane Smith and Chandler Smith will both join him as they battle for one of the remaining spots.
The second Duel race will feature Pastrana after he posted the second-fastest time among the open cars. Hill and Daly will join him in the starting lineup as they battle for the final open spot in the starting lineup.
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Jimmie Johnson & Travis Pastrana Clinch Daytona 500 Spots