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Johnson Wins Wild, Reckless Daytona 500
Jimmie Johnson Wins First Daytona 500 on Two-Lap Shootout; Rivals Question Legitimacy of Victory
NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson celebrates his win in the Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
By JENNA FRYER AP Motorsports Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Feb 19, 2006 (AP)— Cheater or champion? Such is the stigma Jimmie Johnson still had to bear after winning his first Daytona 500 just 10 days after his crew chief was kicked out for illegally altering his car.
Johnson won a two-lap shootout Sunday to claim the victory, capping a roller-coaster week that saw NASCAR send Chad Knaus home after he cheated during qualifying.
Just moments after Johnson crossed the finish line, his rivals were wondering if the win was legitimate.
"This could still be the first opportunity for NASCAR to pull away a victory if the thing is illegal," third-place finisher Ryan Newman said. "It's disappointing. I think a lot of Jimmie Johnson and his talent, but I'm pretty sure at least three of his last four wins have had conflictions with the cars being illegal.
"You know, it's not necessarily good for the sport."
After a three-plus hour inspection, NASCAR finally cleared Johnson's car.
It doesn't change the perception of his team, but Johnson thinks it's overblown.
"This is a huge statement and something that I'm very proud of," he said with a bottle of champagne sitting on his lap. "We know that there are rules, a set of rules. Chad broke the rules. He's admitted that. He's in Charlotte watching the race. He missed the event. We're serving our penalty."
There's probably more to come. Johnson has indicated that the team expects NASCAR to suspend Knaus an additional three races. The team will probably also be docked points, knocking Johnson off the leaderboard.
The team has a history of misdeeds and questionable conduct.
NASCAR accused Knaus of cheating following Johnson's win in Las Vegas last March when his car failed post-race inspection. Knaus was suspended for two races, but appealed and had the penalty reduced to probation.
Then, following a September win Dover, Del., the No. 48 Chevrolet again failed inspection. Only this time NASCAR said Knaus had exploited a loophole in the rule book, and the sanctioning body quickly closed it.
