MORE: Johnson to backup after wreck | Full race lineup

AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson said it was driver error and not a mechanical malfunction that caused him to crash into the wall Friday during qualifying for Sunday’s Good Sam 500 race here at Phoenix International Raceway.

“This one’s on me,” Johnson said Saturday morning, meeting with the media outside his Hendrick Motorsports team hauler prior to the start of practice. “Last night … with the chaos of the guys trying to get the backup car out we didn’t have a chance to look at things closely. This morning … they have and this one’s on me.”

TECH TALK: Examining Johnson’s mishap

Johnson, 40, had just completed one qualifying lap during the third and final round of qualifying. At the time, he had posted the third fastest speed of the round before his No. 48 Chevrolet shot up the track and into the wall.

The area of the car’s impact is protected by SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier. Johnson was not injured.

“As I came in Turn 1, working my way through the center of the corner and jumped in the gas … I guess I pull on the wheel when I do that, because I pulled on the wheel and it just came off in my hands,” the six-time premier series champion said. “So I’m sitting there with no steering, holding the steering wheel staring at the blue wall and was along for the ride at that point.

“I got to the brakes briefly; I remember looking down at the steering shaft and seeing it spinning and I knew there was no way I could get the wheel back on. It was all happening so quick.”

Johnson’s incident brought out the red flag to halt qualifying, and only a brief amount of time remained in the session once it resumed.

The uncertainty of why the steering wheel came off, and the subsequent investigation by the team, led to the delay in providing a detailed explanation of what had happened, Johnson said.

“I didn’t want to falsely blame something or someone or whatever the situation may be,” he said. “Honestly, it’s such a delicate topic I just wanted to be able to talk to my crew guys and look through everything first before it became national news.

“Even last night it was very difficult to find out what the cause was because of the tight time frame trying to get the back-up car out. This morning the picture is crystal clear what happened. I just didn’t get the wheel locked on.”

Going forward, Johnson said he would make “small changes” in his routine and preparation, including having an additional line marked on the steering wheel unit and shaft to ensure that it is fully engaged.

It’s a move, he said, former teammate Jeff Gordon suggested Friday evening when the two discussed the crash.

“I’m going to put that into effect right away,” Johnson said.

Johnson likened the helpless feeling to that of a crash he was involved in at Watkins Glen in 2000, when the brakes on his XFINITY (then Busch) Series entry failed.

“There are only very few moments in my racing career I have had that moment where you are just totally helpless and along for the ride,” he said. “It’s not a fun position to be in.

“I’ve always believed that my belts, my HANS, my helmet being buckled and my steering wheel are my responsibility. Members on the team say ‘hey this one is on me’; that is not the case it’s the driver’s responsibility to make sure he is safe. Those three or four connection points are my life line. 

“This is on me. I am completely shocked that is happened to me. Out of racing on four wheels my entire life I’ve always had a wheel that has come on and off, I’ve never had this happen. I’ve seen it happen to others and I’ve thought ‘how in the world does that happen,’ well it just happened to me. It’s just a freak thing.”

Johnson will officially be listed as starting fifth, however because he will go to a backup entry, he will start from the rear of the 39-car field.