A defective cooling system in Jimmie Johnson's helmet was determined to be the cause of the six-time Sprint Cup champion's severe dehydration following Saturday night's race at Richmond, Va.
"The team found an issue with the cooling system for my helmet. Basically, it
was blowing warm air," Johnson said. "It’s nice to have a good idea as to what went wrong and
why I got so hot in the race car. It’s a newer system that we’ve implemented, so
we’re just going back to our old faithful system that’s worked for years and
years. We should have the problem rectified.”
An earlier post-race
analysis by Hendrick Motorsports on Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet
used in the race had found
all of the car's components were functioning properly.
After exiting his No. 48
Chevrolet on pit road after his eighth-place finish Saturday night, 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 feel much better. I felt a lot better Saturday evening after the infield care
center," Johnson said. "I attended the triathlon that my foundation put on Sunday morning (in Davidson) and then headed
down to Charleston for a buddy’s wedding. But I’m doing much
better and feeling good.”
