CHARLOTTE, NC – From Italy to Iowa to simulators and finally Finger Lakes, there’s no respite for Jimmie Johnson. He’s heading to Watkins Glen this weekend for one of his last two scheduled appearances in the IMSA sports car.
He will then turn his attention to the planning of his 2023 schedule, which Johnson hopes will include a spot for 24 hours of Le Mans.
NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet plan to bring a classic car to Le Mans next June in a special Garage 56 class designed to showcase the innovation of NASCAR’s new Next Gen model. The prestigious endurance race is scheduled for June 10-11, or two weeks after the Indianapolis 500.
Johnson wants to be part of the team, but his participation, he said, depends on the 2023 IndyCar schedule – an indicator that the seven-time NASCAR champion still has plenty of plans for a third season. of the open wheel racing.
This week, Johnson has been wary of a “behind-the-scenes” push by IndyCar president Jay Frye to ensure the series opens during Le Mans.
“I want to go to Le Mans. But I think a lot of hinges on the schedule are announced to understand if I can do it,” Johnson said. “I know there’s interest. I’m sure there’s a lot of interest in doing that. We’re just waiting for the first domino to drop.”
Johnson, who has been driving for Rick Hendrick for nearly two decades, believes he is on the list of Le Mans contenders.
“I feel like the interest is really high for both sides,” he added. “We can’t talk more formally yet because the schedule hasn’t been released yet.”
With everything in limbo, Johnson has turned to dog days in his current racing schedule. IndyCar raced five weeks in a row before taking a two-week break, which allowed Johnson to take his wife and two daughters to Italy for a quick vacation.
But the 46-year-old had to return for Monday’s test at the Iowa Speedway, a rare oval track that Johnson has never raced. He was blindfolded and drinking coffee during a media session this week explaining how his next stop is a simulator in preparation for this weekend’s Six Hours of the Glen, the third of the series. four IMSA endurance races that Johnson built into his schedule in a coalition between Hendrick, Action Express Racing and sponsor Ally.
Johnson missed the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March because it contradicted IndyCar’s stop at the Texas Motor Speedway, his first debut in an oval car, so his return to the Cadillac No. 48 this weekend is a reunion with teammates Mike Rockenfeller and Kamui Kobayashi.
He briefly took a seat at Watkins Glen a year ago and is uncertain Chad Knaus, his former NASCAR captain and head of the 48th IMSA program, will employ him on Sunday.
“A six-hour race with three riders, not much driving time,” Johnson said. “I think the time I spend in the car ultimately depends on my speed.”
Johnson doesn’t know what his 2023 schedule will look like but also expects it to include another full IndyCar season and at least IMSA endurance races.
His IndyCar return depends largely on funding. Johnson personally reached out to Carvana to assist with his transition from NASCAR champion to IndyCar rookie, and he only ran road and street last year. He added the oval this season and launched the Indy 500 last month.
Though seen as a threat to his first 500 win, he came through late and finished 28th. He continued to struggle on roads and street courses, leading to a report – which Johnson has revealed – that he will only run the oval next year.
“I’m not sure where that came from. It wasn’t in any of the discussions I had or the thought processes that I had,” he said. “What I’m doing is fun and exciting. Keep getting better. Definitely hope to do something similar again next year.”
Whatever he does in 2023 will depend on sponsorship, scheduling and the 2023 rules changes planned for motorsport races. The prototype DPi class will be replaced by a new LMDh class that will make the IMSA top class eligible to race at Le Mans.
But with this change comes concerns that there won’t be enough original frames and parts for teams on a piecemeal schedule.
“We’re still at this stage with an IndyCar, a sports car or any other idea where I have to go racing. Everything right now is that people are just starting to talk about options,” Johnson said. “It’s usually late summer, early fall when the paper starts to move around and people are looking for a way to ink and finish it. We’ve just started the cycle and I’m definitely trying to keep the options open. My picks are always open.”
