Saturday, September 6, 2014

Jimmie Johnson treated for dehydration after Richmond race

   Jimmie Johnson, already locked in the Chase for the Sprint Cup with three victories, never got the chance to join his fellow 15 competitors on stage after Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

   After exiting his No. 48 Chevrolet on pit road after his eighth-place finish, Johnson said he began to cramp and slumped to the ground. He stood back up and began to get dizzy, so he laid back on the ground near his car.

   Medics took Johnson to the infield care center where he was released about an hour-and-a-half later after receiving five liters of intravenous fluids.

   "I got dehydrated in the car and I'm not exactly sure what led to it. We need to see what happened," Johnson said. "I started cramping when I got out of the race car and when I was cramping I was trying to stand up and I got dizzy, so I sat back down.

   "I was hot in the car, so I need to make sure the fans were working and stuff like that. It was a scary moment. I'll have to learn from it and make sure it doesn't happen again."