Johnson cut himself while in Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Rolex 24 sports car race. He had just woken up from a nap Sunday when a team assistant came to tell him it was his turn to drive in the endurance race.
In a hurry to make a hole in his uniform to insert a cooling tube, Johnson grabbed a knife and tried to cut an opening into the fabric. He said the knife pierced through the uniform and sliced his finger.
"It got me pretty good," Johnson told The Associated Press. "Cut right through the fabric to where my finger was on the other side."
Johnson did not drive his final stint in the race, turning the car over to teammate Jimmy Vasser. The four-man team of Johnson, Vasser, Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney finished seventh in its class for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing.
Johnson said he received stitches in Daytona, then flew home to Charlotte, N.C., for a further examination Sunday night. He said the injury will not affect his driving and he'll be ready to race when teams report to Daytona in 11 days to begin preparations for the season-opening Daytona 500.
Johnson became just the second driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive titles in November. He tied Cale Yarborough, who won his titles from 1975-78.
This is Johnson's second offseason injury since he began his string of championships: He broke his left wrist following his first title when he fell from the top of a golf cart during a charity tournament. Johnson didn't miss any seat time because of that injury.
Four-way battle at Daytona with 5 hours to go
