Jimmie Johnson shifts with pliers in Pure Michigan 400
By Cory Buck
Jimmie Johnson and his crew have a champion’s mentality when it comes to adversity. If there’s a problem, fix it, whatever the cost or method (barring illegality, of course). So it should come as no surprise that when Johnson’s shifter handle broke during the Pure Michigan 400, car chief Ron Malec handed him a set of pliers and vice grips and said Get to it.
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Yahoo Sports details Johnson’s wild ride as such:
"When Johnson pitted under green the team handed him a pair of pliers and a vise grip to attach to the remaining part of the shifter handle so Johnson could shift the gears in the car.However, he couldn’t get the vise grip onto the shifter handle. When Johnson pitted he was in high gear; after his team pushed him away from his pit stall he tried to get the vise grip on the handle."
Unfortunately, the gerry rig didn’t work and it cost Johnson and the team another lap. Johnson detailed that mess to reporters.
"“[The crew] handed me some tools and I didn’t have success trying to get that fixed. They had some contraption with a vise grip to try to figure that out and it fell off before I even got back to pit in under caution. So once I could get the wire tie busted and get the boot down I could see what was wrong and we were kind of able to adjust from there and [car chief] Ron Malec dove in the right side window and got it sorted out.”"
It’s like we always say, just get that wire tie busted and get the boot down and everything should take care of itself once your head mechanic dives in the passenger window.
Jimmie Johnson still finished ninth despite losing the race because he’s Jimmie freakin Johnson and of course he did.