23 Years Ago, Jimmie Johnson’s Near Fatal Escape Had NASCAR Fandom Going Bonkers Over His Savageness

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International for the penultimate round in the regular season. The iconic venue is actually a tricky one to master. As it happens, the 5.5km 11-turn circuit has caught out a number of drivers in its heyday. In fact, even seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson fell victim to one such crash.

It is worth noting that some of the crashes at The Glen have been pretty violent, and there has been a fatality too in the past, in the form of JD McDuffie in 1991. Luckily, Johnson did not meet the same fate.

Jimmie Johnson reminisces about his heart-pounding accident at The Glen

Back in 2000, Johnson was competing in the Busch Series race, when he crashed out. Heading down the straight, it was clear that something had gone horribly wrong on Johnson’s #92 machine. He evidently realized that his brakes had gone, because he suddenly veered off the road and ran across the grass, cutting the corner.

After a slightly bumpy ride, his car got launched airborne and he hit the air fence head-first. To the delight of the crowd, he was able to extricate himself from the car on his own. He once confessed about the accident, “I still vividly remember every moment heading towards that wall”. Safe to say, he probably needed a change of underwear after that.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JULY 29: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, looks on during practice for NTT IndyCar Series Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 29, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Many actually feared the worst, because of McDuffie’s fatal accident in 1991. This was because the accident looked almost scarily similar. So, one would imagine the audible sigh of relief when Johnson clambered out and stood on his car’s roof. In the end, it was Ron Fellows who triumphed in the race, ahead of Butch Leitzinger and Kevin Harvick. Meanwhile, Johnson was lucky to walk away and lick his wounds.

When he headed towards the air fence, there was a gravel trap in the way. Owing to that, he was probably hoping that it would slow him down and lessen the impact. Unfortunately, he did not take into account the fact that his car could get airborne, rendering that plan useless.

According to him, it was one of the few times that he genuinely feared for his own life. It is also worth mentioning that he also had the fans and his loved ones in mind, which explains why he tried to get out quickly. According to the Hendrick Motorsports legend, he could tell that people were getting worried because the impact was massive. So, he clambered out as fast as possible and stood on the roof to show that he was okay.

READ MORE: “I Thought It Was Over” – Jimmie Johnson Shares the NASCAR Crash That He Thought Will End His Life

However, whenever the crash video has resurfaced, it has stunned fans in different ways.

Jimmie Johnson’s dangerous crash from 2000 leaves fans in surprise

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Safe to say, the crash looked brutal in real-time. While NASCAR has witnessed fatalities on the track, it was only understandable why Jimmie Johnson’s crash left plenty worried. While it was scary for many fans, some of them still cannot fathom how miraculously Johnson survived.

Time and again, whenever the video surfaced, the NASCAR fandom couldn’t help but express their astonishment at the incident on Twitter.

“Thank goodness!!! Cringe every time I see it.”

“Miracle he survived. That crash is definitely cringe-worthy! Yikes!”

“That styrofoam didn’t do crap it was the Armco barrier that actually took the impact. He blew right thru that styrofoam. It’s amazing he came out without a scratch.”

“Not a great amount of run off area, almost cleared the gravel trap completely. Glad hes ok” 

“so thats how jimmie johnson gained his superpowers too bad he lost them in pocono 2017”

It is certainly amazing how Johnson was left unaffected by the accident. What matters more is how he picked up from there and went on to become one of the greatest-ever drivers in the Cup Series history. Not many know, but to date, Johnson has kept the steering wheel from the crash. That’s some memento from the incident.

WATCH THIS STORY: Nerve-Wrecking Personal Tragedy Forces Jimmie Johnson to Bow Out of Chicago Street Race