"I had higher expectations": Jimmie Johnson on his performance during 2024 Daytona 500 single-car qualifying

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion and owner of Legacy Motor Club Jimmie Johnson's 2024 season did not get off to the best of starts at the qualifying for this year's Daytona 500. The former Hendrick Motorsports driver was unable to qualify in the top 10 during the single-car qualifying session at the 2.5-mile-long tri-oval.

Johnson's hopes of competing in the iconic race this weekend now rest on the Duels at Daytona, which will allow him to make the field for the event on Sunday afternoon.

Elaborating on the general lack of pace from the Toyota camp during the session, Jimmie Johnson summed up his thoughts to Bob Pockrass and said:

"I had higher expectations for sure. We are lumped right there with the other Toyotas. The #43 car got a little bit more out of it so I wish we got a bit more out of ours but it is what it is."

Touching on what racing in the Duels will be like, Johnson further elaborated:

"I've never been in this position. I came down here mentally prepared to race my way in if that was required. Spent a lot of time studying the environment in the Duels, where the race with unfold and just get out there and race hard."

As has been the case for Toyota-back NASCAR Cup teams qualifying at Daytona, the smallest manufacturer in the sport has always been on the back foot at superspeedway-style tracks.

Despite the newer Camry XSE body style being introduced this year, it remains to be seen how the Toyotas fare during race conditions on Sunday.

Jimmie Johnson's performance during recent NASCAR Cup Series entries

Johnson has not been the luckiest of drivers of late as the seven-time champion has failed to finish any of the last three Cup Series events he took part in last year.

One such instance of the Legacy Motor Club driver and co-owner's luck was the 2023 road course race at the Circuit of the Americas, where the #84 driver was involved in a wreck, ultimately retiring for the race.

The California native also has an ongoing 133-race-long winless streak in the sport, which he will be aiming to break this weekend. The 2024 Daytona 500 goes live on Sunday, February 18, at 2:30 pm ET.