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Back in 2010, Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team were shooting a pre-season promo. The driver was sitting and talking to crew chief Chad Knaus, with the mounted car right behind them. Suddenly, the car fell off the car lift and Johnson almost became an impromptu cast member of a Final Destination movie.

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Luckily, a startled Johnson, Knaus, two crew members, and a stylist were able to make a quick getaway. Somehow, the car came to a rest on a Kobalt toolbox, which held firm under the car’s weight. Later on, it was revealed that it was pretty much a gimmick to show how strong Kobalt toolboxes are.

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All said and done, the stunt definitely looked pretty convincing, especially with all the sparks. Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus were also lucky to not get clobbered in the head by the falling car. Apparently, the driver was in more danger, as his head was pretty close to the car.

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Jimmie Johnson had a light moment in the aftermath of the incident

After everyone managed to avoid getting heart attacks, they inched forward to inspect the damage. Surprisingly, the Kobalt toolbox was intact and still functional. In a light-hearted moment, Johnson asked Knaus to hand him a screwdriver. The drawer opened and the #48 driver got his screwdriver.

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Speaking afterward, the then four-time Cup champion confirmed that the video was staged. Apparently, it was a new commercial that wanted to show how tough Kobalt’s tools were. Evidently, the producers wanted to take some risks and it clearly paid off. The primary aim was to show that “you can’t hurt the tools.”

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Despite knowing that the whole thing was staged, Johnson and Knaus’ reactions were pretty genuine. After all, anybody would feel nervous when their head is under a very heavy car that is suspended. It would give anyone nightmares of something going wrong and being crushed, Final Destination-style.

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Dhruv George

14,839 Articles

Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as Know more

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Ankit Sharma

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