Johnson: Champion or cheater? SCANDAL OVERSHADOWS NEARLY PERFECT RACE
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Cheaters never prosper, or so the saying goes. Some people were wondering, though, after Sunday’s Daytona 500.
As Jimmie Johnson celebrated the biggest victory of his career, at least one of his competitors wondered aloud whether his car should even have been in the race after his crew chief was ejected from Daytona International Speedway earlier in the week for cheating.
But Johnson ran a nearly perfect race to win his first Daytona 500 in five tries. He raced conservatively in the early going, avoiding a flurry of wrecks that knocked out several contenders.
Scrutiny persists for No. 48 team at DaytonaBy Nate Ryan, USA TODAY
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR needed 2½ hours to strip Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet to a shell and declare the winning ride in Sunday's Daytona 500 was legal. Now Johnson's competitors — particularly the ones he refers to as "48 haters" — will have 365 days to decide if those inspectors were right.
NASCAR inspectors give Jimmie Johnson's car the postrace once-over at Daytona.
NASCAR inspectors give Jimmie Johnson's car the postrace once-over at Daytona. By Paul Kizzle, AP
The blue and gold car was parked at Daytona USA just outside the Turn 4 tunnel at Daytona International Speedway and will remain on display until the Feb. 18, 2007, season opener.