'Anyone got clean underwear?': Jimmie Johnson's big save at 230 mph in Indy 500 qualifying

INDIANAPOLIS — Jimmie Johnson waited all week for the right time to be aggressive. He had driven conservatively during practice and through the first day of qualifying. Now, in the Fast 12 with a chance at the pole in his first Indianapolis 500, it was time to let it loose.

The decision almost immediately blew up in Johnson’s face. He drifted too wide on the first turn, brushing his back right tire against the wall. He recovered quickly and didn’t lose control of the car, but finished 12th with a four-lap average of 231.264 miles per hour. It was a disappointing conclusion to what was an otherwise successful qualifying weekend for the NASCAR veteran, but IndyCar rookie.

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“Anybody got clean underwear I can use? That was close,” Johnson said of the save. “You just don’t know what grip you’re gonna have until you get sent around the corner, and we’re certainly on the aggressive side with our settings, and just didn’t have enough there to hold the car.”

Despite the forgettable final qualifying run, things could be far worse for Johnson than starting his first 500 in 12th position. A year ago, as an analyst for NBC, he saw firsthand how random and cruel qualifying weekend could be as veteran, and current IndyCar Series leader, Will Power had to attempt a second run just to qualify 32nd.

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Now Johnson, if nothing else, has avoided the headache of having to navigate around 30 cars when the race begins Sunday. That, combined with his track record of success racing on ovals, puts him in close to as good of a position as he could have hoped for at the beginning of the week.

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His Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson and Tony Kanaan will all join him in the first four rows, with Dixon in pole position.

“I really do feel like I have a chance,” Johnson said. “Maybe we got a touch aggressive here trying to advance into the Fast 6, but I’m just proud to be part of this team.”

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Johnson is still in the odd position of an experienced racer who has never competed in an Indy 500 before. He said after Sunday’s qualifying run that he doesn’t know what to do or how to strategize for the race because he’s never done it before.

What Johnson is truly focused on, and has mentioned multiple times, is enjoying the ride — literally and figuratively — in a race he didn’t think he would run until a year ago. His father, Gary, has been at Indianapolis Motor Speedway all week and gives him the same advice he has since Johnson was a kid racing dirt bikes: have fun.

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Johnson has done just that all week at practice and qualifying, approaching the process with a sense of earnestness and wonder seemingly reserved for those in their first race. Even after Sunday’s near-disaster that left him in twelfth position, he made note of how excited he was to be while discussing its implications with reporters.

“I feel the anticipation growing,” he said. “The energy here for qualifying, you can feel it building, and that’s what I witnessed last year as a spectator and loved. And to be here involved in it as a driver is really cool.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 qualifying: Jimmie Johnson on his massive save at 230 mph