Jimmie Johnson “definitely not happy” following incident with Corey LaJoie after reported stare down

Jimmie Johnson's latest NASCAR outing ended earlier than he would've liked courtesy of Corey LaJoie. During the Cup race at Kansas, Johnson's #84 checked up on the racetrack after seeing smoke, but behind him, LaJoie couldn't react in time. Within seconds, the latter's #7 hit Johnson's car's rear and left him spinning.

The seven-time Cup champion hit the wall and ended up wrecked, with flames coming out from under his hood. Johnson also seemed to stare down LaJoie in the aftermath of the incident.

Johnson was asked afterwards whether he was mad at LaJoie, especially after journalist Bob Pockrass mentioned the look he gave the latter. The Hall of Famer admitted that he wasn't happy and said:

"I'm definitely not happy. I know it wasn't intentional. I know Corey and a lot of these guys out there they aren't going to just dump you on the turn. A little more awareness in that situation would have been good," Jimmie Johnson said. [00:58]

Johnson further described that as LaJoie made contact with him from behind, there wasn't much that he could've done at that point.

"I know it wasn't on purpose but it's just unfortunate. Why he slowed, just to make the turn. I was slowing to make the turn, there's traffic in front of me. I've been trying to set up my line so there's clean air ... I was just setting up for corner and I got hit from behind," Jimmie Johnson added. [00:10]

On a positive note, Johnson claimed that he's learning a lot and believes that is something he can carry over and help the whole team in his bid to return to the top 10.

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Jimmie Johnson opens up on his situation with the Next Gen car

Leading upto the race at Kansas, Jimmie Johnson spoke to kansascity.com about how the racecars in NASCAR have changed from his times as a full-timer. Johnson relied on an analogy from golf to provide a perspective on the situation he's in with the Next Gen car.

"The cars have changed so much, it’s hard to carry anything over, but like a golfer on a golf course, you go somewhere you like and love, you just have positive vibes. That’s half of it, to enter these races with the right head space and to drive with a clear mind," Johnson said.

So far this season, Johnson's limited appearances as a driver haven't gone well. He finished 28th at Daytona, 29th at Texas and 28th at Dover, before his recent DNF at Kansas.

Despite that, however, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver claimed that he's enjoying the current stage of his career both as a driver and as an owner.