NASCAR Cup Series: Jimmie Johnson wins 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash

Jimmie Johnson triggered a wreck involving well over than half the field before going on to win the first race of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Advance Auto Parts Clash.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson returned to victory lane after a NASCAR Cup Series race for the first time since he won the June race at Dover International Speedway in the 2017, as he won the preseason exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway, the Advance Auto Parts Clash.

This race was scheduled to be a 75-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway oval in Daytona Beach, Florida, but it was cut short to only 59 laps due to rain, which caused several caution flag periods throughout the race.

Johnson started the race in 13th place in his #48 Chevrolet and went on to win it after spinning out race leader Paul Menard, who started from the pole position, on lap 56, causing a massive crash that collected well over half of the 20 cars in the field. In fact, not including Johnson’s car, only three other cars made it through this wreck unscathed.

Here is a video of this wreck.

Here is how Menard responded to being wrecked out of the race that he had dominated up until that point.

Following the race, Johnson claimed that he saw that it was raining and wanted to take advantage of what he believed was his opportunity to take the race lead and earn the victory, which is what ended up happening. Here is what he had to say about the matter.

The caution flag period that took place as a result of this massive wreck effectively ended the race, as the race was deemed complete just four laps later as a result of the rain. No more green flag laps were contested following this wreck.

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Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch finished the race in second place in his #1 Chevrolet while Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney finished in third and fourth place in their #22 Ford and #12 Ford, respectively, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman finished in fifth in his #88 Chevrolet.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Daniel Suarez rounded out the top 10 by finishing in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th place in their #3 Chevrolet, #9 Chevrolet, #10 Ford, #6 Ford and #41 Ford, respectively.

The race featured a total of five lead changes among four drivers. Aside of Johnson, who led only the race’s final four laps under caution, three other drivers led at least one lap of the race. These three drivers were Dillon, Kyle Busch and Paul Menard. Menard led more laps than anybody in the field with 51 laps led before he was involved in the lap 56 wreck.

The race also featured a total of four caution flag periods for 20 laps. Of the 20 drivers who started the race, 11 finished it and nine finished it on the lead lap.

Here are the full race results of the 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway.

Race Results
1st – Jimmie Johnson
2nd – Kurt Busch
3rd – Joey Logano
4th – Ryan Blaney
5th – Alex Bowman
6th – Austin Dillon
7th – Chase Elliott
8th – Aric Almirola
9th – Ryan Newman
10th – Daniel Suarez
11th – Jamie McMurray
12th – Kevin Harvick
13th – Paul Menard
14th – Kyle Busch
15th – Martin Truex Jr.
16th – Clint Bowyer
17th – Denny Hamlin
18th – Brad Keselowski
19th – Kyle Larson
20th – Erik Jones

There is plenty more NASCAR Cup Series action scheduled to take place at Daytona International Speedway over the course of the next week. The Gander RV Duels are set to broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 14. These two race are set to determine the starting lineup for the 61st annual Daytona 500, which is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 17. Be sure to tune in to all three of these races.