Johnson placed sixth at Texas Motor Speedway March 20; will make his first appearance in the 106th Indianapolis 500 March 29.
The next three NTT INDYCAR SERIES races will be held on street and road course, but Jimmie Johnson of The American Legion is still riding high after his race at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20.
Johnson’s sixth-place finish in his first oval race in an Indy car was thrilling, impressive and confidence-inspiring.
Johnson has plenty of confidence in a career that includes a NASCAR Cup Series record-tying seven championships and 83 victories. But his first top-10 finish since moving to INDYCAR in 2021 makes him a viable contender for the 106th Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
That will be the next time Johnson competes on an oval track in the No. 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda at Chip Ganassi Racing.
Johnson’s sixth-place finish in the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway impressed his competitors on the 1.5-mile oval that day, including the two drivers that fought it out for the victory.
“Jimmie was fast,” said Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin, who finished second to teammate Josef Newgarden by just 0.067-of-a-second when he was passed on the last turn of the last lap. “He was fast. He was doing some really good moves. I saw him pass a guy on the outside in Turn One.
“For INDYCAR itself it's exciting, a guy like that, with so much talent. There are not many people in America who don't know who Jimmie Johnson is. If he's going to compete at the front of the Indy 500, hopefully just behind me, we're good. I'll lead him across the bricks at the end of the race, no dramas. Tuck in, mate, it's good prize money.”
McLaughlin, a three-time Australian Supercars Champion and one of the all-time greats in that form of racing, admitted to a “Fan Boy” moment when he first met Johnson.
“J.J., we hang out a bit,” McLaughlin quipped. “Everyone who has NASCAR on television knows who J.J. is.
“I flipped out when I got his mobile number. It was pretty cool.”
Texas winner Newgarden was very impressed, almost incredulous, when he discovered Johnson had finished sixth.
“Did Jimmie finish sixth?” Newgarden said. “Wow, that’s pretty impressive. That's legit. It’s hard to finish sixth at Texas. It's hard. Like, that's really good.
“Well, look, not to take away from Jimmie, but it has been a steep learning curve. He's had to unlearn an entire career of operating procedures. The Indy car is so removed from what a stock car is. For him to be able to get on top of that so quickly, it makes sense it's going better here at Texas, it's closer to what he's used to procedurally. I don't want to act too surprised because he is a seven-time champ and an incredible worker.
“Man, that's really good, though. First INDYCAR oval race, sixth at Texas. These cars are hard to drive. The way that we draft, the way the groove works for us, you can't go up a lane or two like in a stockcar. They're scrubbing the car before he gets there. I need to watch this race back, see how he got there. I'm sure he'll be a huge threat at Indy then.
“Great news.”
Add Johnson’s name to a growing list of new competitors in the Indianapolis 500, such as McLaughlin, defending champion Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson, compared to an already deep field of veterans should make the 106th Indy 500 as competitive as ever.
Next up for Johnson is a trip back to the race that started his love of racing, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Johnson finished 17th there last September in what stood as his highest finish until the Texas race on March 20.
After that is the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on May 1 and the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on May 14.
Then comes the big one, the 106th Indianapolis 500 on May 29. Johnson will be making his first appearance in the most famous and most historic race in the world.
“I think today just showed what the 48 car is capable of,” Johnson said at Texas. “We all know what the Chip Ganassi cars are capable of. I just haven't been fast enough on the street and road courses to put the car in that window and get results.
“To be here on a track I know, an environment that I know, I was able to provide and do that for the team. I feel very excited about it, very encouraged about the remaining oval races that are on the books.
“I know I'm going to have a great car. We'll see how it goes.”
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