Jimmie Johnson Enters First Indianapolis 500 With An Eye On Making History

SportsMoney Jimmie Johnson Enters First Indianapolis 500 With An Eye On Making History Joseph Wolkin Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover NASCAR and the business of the sport. May 27, 2022, 07:00am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Jimmie Johnson poses for a photo with his daughters on May 21st, 2022 after qualifying for the 106th .

. . [+] running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

(Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Jimmie Johnson wants to join an elite category on Sunday. His eyes are set on hoisting the Borg Warner Trophy after Sunday’s 106th running of the Indianapolis 500. It’s a rare opportunity for Johnson to join AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win this prestigious event and the Daytona 500.

Johnson will start 12th in his first-ever Indianapolis 500, competing in the No. 48 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. And though he is a four-time Brickyard 400 winner, this go around at Indy is a different experience for the record-tying seven-time Nascar Cup Series champion, as this is the fastest car he’s ever been in at 232.

398 mph in Day 1 of qualifying. “I want to be competitive,” Johnson said on Thursday. “I think we’ll be a player.

“It would put me in one of the most elite clubs as a driver to win a Daytona 500 and Indy 500. There’s two [drivers] who have done it. It would be insane.

” Johnson made the move to Chip Ganassi Racing and the NTT IndyCar Series last year to compete solely on road courses after a historic 20-year NASCAR career. As he became more comfortable with the faster and lighter racecars, he decided to attempt the full schedule, taking a risk and competing on ovals. Ever since Johnson moved over to the IndyCar Series, fans, media and everyone alike wanted to know if he would compete in the historic event.

Now that he is doing the unthinkable, he can’t get Sunday’s contest off his mind. MORE FOR YOU WWE Extreme Rules 2021 Results: Winners, News And Notes As Roman Reigns Beats The Demon The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2021: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo Reclaims Top Spot From PSG’s Lionel Messi The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers’ Win Over The San Francisco 49ers “I’ve been joking with family and friends that I’ve been in this Indy 500 vortex,” Johnson said. “I’m in my own little universe up here.

I went home for a couple of days and it was nice to recharge the battery and catch my breath. I had to make sure the rest of life was in order, and I came back here to do it again. ” Throughout Johnson’s swap into a different series — in his mid-40s — he’s learning more about himself.

The month of May, as he prepares for the Indianapolis 500, helped him understand who he is when it comes to competing in IndyCar. “I feel like I’m seeing a pattern that is familiar and comforting,” Johnson said. “The pattern is my understanding of race craft, cars and tracks that I’ve been through since I was a kid.

I always felt like I’m a bit of a slow learner, but once I learn it, I get it. It took me five years of driving stock cars before I had the success that I did. “I hope I have three or four more years to reach my peak.

I certainly see and know the more time I have in these cars, the more competitive I’ll be. ” Johnson believes he will stay in the NTT IndyCar Series for several more seasons. His comfort level in these hot rods continues to increase.

However, as seen in the Carvana docuseries on Johnson’s season , he is recovering from a horrific hand injury during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend. It’s one of the worst injuries he’s ever had in his career as a racecar driver. “I’m thankful I had the screw put in,” he said.

“It’s been feeling much better and I think I’m back to 100% now. I’ve broken plenty of bones, but this is the first time the hardware stayed in. I had reconstructive knee surgery, where they had to go back at a later time and take out the pins and such.

The screw you saw stays there for life. ” As Johnson prepares for the crowd of well over 300,000 people — the most he’s ever raced in front of — he is thriving off the pressure. He admitted he will be nervous come race day, but that’s OK given what he does for a living.

“I am a lucky man to say the least,” Johnson said. “Chip’s organization and the people he’s put in each position – you get into my teammates and Dario Franchitti (driver coach) – I’m in the best position possible and I’m so thankful for him. ” This weekend, Johnson will be sporting a special helmet with the American Legion ahead of Memorial Day.

He partnered with country singer Blake Shelton to help design the helmet, featuring Johnson’s two grandfathers and Shelton’s father and brother. “Indy is special,” Johnson said. “Everyone tries to do something unique.

We just debuted it with Jimmy Fallon, and it looks really good. ” The green flag for the Indianapolis 500 will wave on Sunday, May 29 at 12:45 p. m.

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