NASCAR Misery Index: 5 saddest drivers after the Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, has an on track incident with Kasey Kahne, driver of the #95 Procore Chevrolet, and Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 GoDaddy Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

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While Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team will be celebrating their 2018 Daytona 500 victory for some time, let’s not forget about the drivers who won’t look back fondly on the season-opening race whatsoever.

Such is the nature of racing that there’s really only one driver, crew, owner and group of fans that will be completely happy each week. For the 2018 Daytona 500, it’s unquestionably Austin Dillon that fits that description, taking the No. 3 back to Victory Lane at Daytona exactly 20 years after Dale Earnhardt won his lone 500.

A few other drivers can take moral victories with them to Atlanta. You have to figure, for instance, that even though he said it was disappointing, Bubba Wallace was ultimately okay with his historic second-place finish. Teammates Chris Buescher and AJ Allmendinger both finished in the top 10, and we might not say that too often all season.

Everyone else is somewhere on what we’re dubbing the Misery Index, haunted by thoughts of what could have been. Since you know what they say about misery and company, let’s at least round up the five saddest drivers after Daytona so they have each other.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet, drives on the apron after an incident during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /

5. Jimmie Johnson

Even the seven-time Cup Series champion has bad days, but Jimmie Johnson had several of them in the course of eight days. Though not even close to 100 percent his own fault, the grandpa of Hendrick Motorsports crashed everything his team brought to Florida and maybe some stuff they borrowed as well.

The Clash? Of course he wrecked, as that’s becoming an annual tradition. An incident in his Can-Am Duel race meant that Johnson had to go to the back of the field for the Daytona 500, though he was able to work his way through the field and run in the top 10, because that’s what he does.

Alas, that didn’t save him from the carnage on Sunday, and before Stage 1 was even complete, Johnson smashed up what we can only assume was the backup to the backup car. His passive aggressive anger at other drivers’ aggressive early race moves during his post-infield care center trip was classic JJ, but was probably followed by sadness.

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