23XI Racing ace Tyler Reddick is looking to emulate his team owner, Denny Hamlin. The 28-year-old driver started 19th in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel Race 1, far behind pole-sitter Joey Logano, and has emerged victorious at Daytona to move into the main event on a winning note. This will be the No. 45 Toyota driver’s chance to claim a maiden Daytona 500 victory and improve the record at one of his worst-performing tracks. Another huge result of Duel 1 is 7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson’s qualification.

Driving the Legacy Motor Club #84 Toyota, Johnson was the most high-profile driver among the unchartered teams to fight for an open spot at the Daytona 500. Johnson latched onto the opening created by NY Motorsports’ fill-in driver JJ Yeley, losing pace behind Ross Chastain, who had been stalled mid-race and was forced to go higher up the track. Using this moment, Johnson pushed ahead on the inside and snatched his spot for Sunday.

Jimmie Johnson seals a Daytona 500 appearance in an intense battle

The two-time Daytona 500 winner is all set to make his 21st appearance in the Great American Race. However, the route to doing so wasn’t easy at all. With 11 laps remaining in the race, a spin triggered the caution flag. The caution flag meant a do-or-die situation for Jimmie Johnson as he was sitting 18th with his competitor JJ Yeley four places ahead of him in 14th.

What worsened the situation was that there were no other cars around him for Johnson to gain pace and gain ground on Yeley’s #44 Chevrolet. However, the situation turned around in the blink of an eye as Martin Truex Jr dropped to the rear and this aided Johnson by giving him a slipstream boost. While Jimmie Johnson was moving up the grid with tenacity, he didn’t expect to move ahead of Yeley to lock a Daytona 500 spot.

Luckily, Ross Chastain couldn’t move away from the incoming traffic and was stuck in the middle of the track. When Yeley reached Chastain, he intended to go around it but committed a mistake when he went higher up the track instead of taking the inside route. With a three-wide scenario opening up, Jimmie Johnson went to the center and all three cars moved ahead of JJ Yeley.

“I’ve never been in a position like this before, and I have such a greater appreciation for everyone before me that’s tried to race their way in,” claimed the Legacy Motor Club owner. “It’s very stressful. Very thankful that we got this Carvana Toyota in the race. I knew the first half of the race was going too easy. I knew there would be a challenge thrown at us. We got in just in time.”

Following the intense battle on the track, Jimmie Johnson parked his car and climbed out of it to shake hands with JJ Yeley in an incredible display of sportsmanship. While Yeley left the race expecting more from it, he should be proud of an outstanding effort that needed just some more luck.

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JJ Yeley didn’t expect his choice to cost him a Daytona 500 appearance

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A lot has changed for Yeley in the past few days. When NY Motorsports’ intended driver, Greg Biffle announced that he would not race in the #44 Chevrolet until the contract obligations were fulfilled, Yeley came into the team as a stand-in driver. With so much going on behind the scenes, there was immense pressure to make his way into the Daytona 500.

Revealing the sudden change in emotions with Jimmie Johnson’s overtake in the final turn of the race, Yeley claimed, “Going into Turn 3, I was not counting my chickens but I was getting close.”

Ross Chastain’s sudden stall was a huge dilemma for the 47-year-old. Had he chosen the inside line, there was a big chance of him colliding with the incoming three-wide traffic. Explaining his confusion, Yeley said, “Saw there was some contact. Someone in the middle (Chastain) lost a lot of momentum and I just made a split-second decision to go to the outside, try to carry the momentum. He stayed in the middle, (Truex) pushed him, the momentum just pushed him all the way to the checkered flag.”

With so much at stake, losing the ticket to the biggest race of the year in the final moments was a heartbreak for JJ Yeley. However, having been in the industry for decades, he understands that racing can be cruel at times.

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