'Seven-Time' is in: Jimmie Johnson races his way into 2024 Daytona 500

It wasn’t an easy feat for Johnson, however. He was right in the middle of the chaos when Daniel Hemric spun and hit the wall, sending Austin Dillon into Johnson and causing the two-time Daytona 500 winner to get light damage on his No. 84 Camry XSE. The fate of both Yeley and Johnson would be determined on the ensuing restart. 

As Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson battled for the win in the final corner, Johnson powered around Yeley through the middle, forcing Yeley’s Camaro to the third lane and finishing 12th. It was the first time Johnson had ever been made to race his way into the Daytona 500 through the duels. Last year, he made the race on qualifying speed, leading to a stress-free duel race, which was not the case Thursday night. 

“It’s very stressful,” Johnson said after climbing out of the car. “Hats off to J.J. Yeley. He put up one heck of a fight.”

The two NASCAR veterans showed mutual respect for each other post-race, shaking hands with Yeley still sitting in his No. 44 following a 16th-place finish that just wasn’t quite enough to make the show. 

At the end of the day, Seven-Time was just too much to overcome.