Crash in the Clash at Daytona (Photo: Stewart-Haas Racing)
Kurt Busch says Jimmie Johnson was in a ‘no zone’ on the left rear at Daytona
Shane Walters
Jimmie Johnson defends himself after comments from Kurt Busch and Paul Menard following the 17-car crash at Daytona
Kurt Busch came out of the Clash at Daytona with a runner up finish. Sure, 17 of the 20 cars crashed out completely. But, Busch was already in the 3rd position before all that took place.
He nearly won the thing in his debut with Chip Ganassi Racing. If Johnson would have spun out or penalized. Kurt Busch was in the ready to inherit the win.
Busch had a birds eye view of the contact that started the crash in the Clash at Daytona. He was the car direction behind Jimmie Johnson and Paul Menard. No camera, no fan and no other driver had a better view of what happened.
Kurt Busch on the Jimmie Johnson/Paul Menard crash
“I felt like I had a good wing man, with my little brother behind me. It just didn’t quite materialize in the fashion that I hoped it would have,” Kurt Busch said after The Clash at Daytona.
“Everybody that’s running up front is smart and they’re trying to protect their track position.”
“When you don’t know when the rain is going to come for it’s final time… Everybody’s elbows out and antsy.”
“You’re just hoping that you’re the leader when the biggest rain drops hit.”
“So, Johnson made a move. He stayed in that ‘no zone’. I call it the no zone, in that left rear quarter panel, for way too long. It just pulled Menard around with him.”
“That’s some of the instability in the draft that these cars show. And that’s why we end up single file a lot. Just because sometimes your move is your last move. Because the cars are so unstable,” Kurt Busch concluded.
Jimmie Johnson responds to Kurt Busch
After the race, Jimmie Johnsin was relayed the comments that Busch made just moments earlier.
“So, he wants the trophy? I’d politic if I was him too,” Jimmie Johnson said with a laugh as he was told the statements by Kurt Busch.
Paul Menard on Jimmie Johnson
“Jimmie pulled out, I kind of moved down a little bit. Next thing I know, I’m just getting turned in the left rear.”
Menard said that before he say the replay. Once he saw the replay, his attitude shifted a bit.
“Yeah, ok. Jimmie does that a lot at these tracks. So, it’s unfortunate.”
Jimmie Johnson responds to Paul Menard
Johnson was relayed these comments from Paul Menard as well.
“I think we all aggressively side draft at these tracks. That’s what we do,” Jimmie Johnson said.
“Absolutely, that’s what I did. That’s what you do when you break the plane of the bumper cover on the car you’re trying to pass.”