In his IndyCar Debut, Jimmie Johnson avoided a massive crash early in the race but then he spun in lap 10.
Johnson finally made his years-long dream come true by making his debut in IndyCar at Barber Motorsports Park with the No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing car.
It turned out to be an eventful affair for the seven-time NASCAR champion as he was able to escape a massive crash involving a large number of cars.
A big crash on the opening lap of the 2021 @IndyCar Series season.
All drivers are OK. Watch on @NBC: https://t.co/THKlb3Rzyj pic.twitter.com/oiOrzVn0i6
— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 18, 2021
However, later in the race, Johnson lost control of his car and spun leading to a caution. While it didn’t end his race, he lost some spots due to the spin. He finished the race in the 19th position after starting in the 21st.
“Well, I learned a lesson in dirty air there,” Johnson said after the race.
.@JimmieJohnson's first spin in an @IndyCar race.
The 45-year-old rookie goes around at @BarberMotorPark. TV: @NBC pic.twitter.com/wR5BMysy9X
— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 18, 2021
Earlier in the practice session, Johnson finished second last among the 12 drivers. He said on Saturday:
“This smile is not going to go away. What an amazing day. Didn’t qualify last, so that’s a really good thing and a small victory for me in this journey.”
“Today was full of firsts, red tires, qualifying session, race weekend. Just the different layers that exist. And I survived the day. Had a lot of fun.”
While the race turned out to be a far better affair for Johnson than the practice session, he will be keen to keep on improving in the coming races.
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