NASCAR's Johnson Helps Sports Car Team Get on Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona is billed as a grueling, endurance test of driver, car and crew. For NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and the defending Grand-Am Series champion GAINSCO team, that describes the 24 hours just leading into the historic sports car season-opener.

The four-time Sprint Cup champ Johnson was still smarting Friday from a collision in Thursday's opening practice for this weekend's twice-around-the-clock race through the Daytona International Speedway road course.Johnson wasn't injured in the crash -- caused when a slower GT car came down into his racing line -- but the No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet Riley prototype he is co-driving this weekend suffered severe damage to the rear end.

At one point early on, it looked as if repairs couldn't be made in time and the car would have to be withdrawn -- what would have been a huge blow for the GAINSCO full-time drivers, 2009 series driving co-champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty.

But Johnson loaned the team his personal airplane, which immediately flew replacement parts down from Charlotte, N.C.

The crew pulled an all-nighter before the all-nighter that is the race, finishing just before the sun came up Friday over the famous Daytona high-banks. And while the car wasn't able to participate in qualifying, it was ready for the final two practice sessions on Friday.

"I was there until 12:30 last night watching them, hoping everything went back together smoothly because I was responsible,'' Johnson said, shaking his head.

"I felt freakin' horrible about it. We over-worked the crew, now we're in a position where we have very few spare parts and we lost a lot of track time. But just to see the crew's spirits and enthusiasm after I put them through such a tough day really brought my spirits up.''

And the saga didn't end there.

On Friday afternoon, Gurney cut his right index finger on a champagne bottle he and Johnson used in a ceremony to christen the speedway's new flag stand perched well above the start-finish line. Although a band-aid was all he needed, it was an ironic twist considering Johnson cut his finger during this race last year, requiring stitches and a minor "medical procedure."

And then came this final entry from Friday's official Grand-Am Series pit notes: "Jon Fogarty slams on his brakes to narrowly miss a spinning Team Sahlen Mazda."

Fogarty avoided an accident as practice ended, but the already over-taxed crew was left repairing the car's clutch late Friday afternoon instead of getting an early start on their one night of rest.

While the series champion car will start last in the 45-car field -- 15th in the marquee prototype class -- Fogarty did post an encouraging third fastest lap in each of the final two practice sessions Friday.

"Considering what position we were in during the middle of the day yesterday, we are really happy,'' Gurney said. "It is almost like it didn't happen at this point. ... We are back in business.

"We are starting in the back but that is not really important in a 24-hour race.''

While Fords driven by Oswaldo Negri (Michael Shank Racing) and pole-winner Max Angelelli (SunTrust Racing) continued to pace practice speed charts, even the competition felt for the struggling defending champions.

"Nobody wants to see that happen,'' said Team Ganassi driver Scott Pruett, a three-time Rolex winner. "You want to race the best, you want to beat the best, that's what makes you a champion.

"And I've been there, we've all been there at some point in our careers,'' he said nodding toward the GAINSCO team garage.

To their credit, the GAINSCO team remained upbeat about their ordeal and are hopeful of their chances when the green flag drops at 3:30 p.m. (EST) on Saturday.

"It will be our finest hour,'' Gurney said of a possible victory.

And after what they've been through, who could argue that?