Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson wreck in Texas practice
FORT WORTH, Texas — It was a not-so-welcome-back to Texas for two NASCAR Cup Series champions in practice Saturday.
Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson crashed in practice for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Busch, a two-time champion and a -time TMS winner, had to go to a backup car after his wreck.
Busch is looking for a rebound. He has only finished inside the top-15 three times this season and has dropped from sixth in points to 16th in the playoff standings with a 1-point cushion.
Johnson, seven times a champion and a TMS winner, also didn’t qualify and will start in the rear of the field Sunday with Busch. However, the team worked on repairing his car to avoid going to a backup car.
“This car is a bit different – there is no doubt. I felt like we did a nice job trying to get me ready in the simulator. Unfortunately, I just got a little loose in turn one – I caught it – but it is such a narrow lane, that once I caught the car I was in the wall, and I was kind of along with the ride then,” Johnson said.
Johnson hasn’t raced at TMS since November 2020. When he did, he blew an engine after completing 279 of 334 laps.
In fact, Johnson hasn’t finished on the lead lap in a TMS race since March 2019. In that race, he won the pole and finished fifth after leading 60 laps. He also led 40 laps in the fall before the DVP clock expired after completing 199 laps of 334.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com