The first race of the 2025 NASCAR season ended on a chaotic note, with over half a dozen lead cars suffering a DNF in the closing stages. While the likes of Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. suffered unwanted setbacks, Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, and Tyler Riddick became grateful beneficiaries in Daytona.
For Johnson, in particular, the P3 finish was a huge achievement, given it was his best Daytona 500 result since his 2013 win. Beginning the race from P40, the owner-driver made a massive leap to take the final step on the podium. However, the 49-year-old doesn’t think much of the way the result came.
Jimmie Johnson Doesn’t Care Much About the Nature of the Result…and for Good Reason
Speaking to Frontstretch following a happy outing in Florida, Johnson revealed he had emotions he didn’t expect to have once the race ended. There was pride within the Legacy Motor Club driver, and much of it had to do with the progress his team had made.
Talking about the crash that helped his cause, Johnson donned a carefree attitude, claiming to just love racing. The No. 84 driver revealed his “give-a-s*** meter” broke a long time ago and that he was out on the track just for himself.
Adding to his statement, Johnson said, “I know other people have had different opinions, but I’m out here for me. I have great support from Carvana, Toyota, Family Dollar, (and) Advent Health.”
Furthermore, the Californian claimed several people believed in his team and where they wanted to go.
November 2022 saw Johnson invest in Petty GMS Motorsports, rebranding the team Legacy Motor Club in 2023. Switching to Toyota in 2024, the rebranded team started working on improving their performances.
Last season’s second half saw considerable improvements, setting the tone for the 2025 season. Having now earned his best-ever finish since coming back from retirement, Johnson will be hoping for another successful outing once he takes to the track at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
