Jimmie Johnson, who retired from NASCAR in 2020, made a comeback in 2024 for nine races. He kicked off at the Daytona 500, landing a P28 finish, but then missed out on seven races before showing up again in Texas. But right from practice, Johnson seemed uncomfortable and it looked like he wasn’t feeling his #84 Toyota Camry. He even caught some early trouble during a practice session at Texas Motor Speedway. Despite his stellar past as a seven-time Cup champ and a winner at Texas, the best he could pull off after starting P37 was a P29 finish. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr seems to just have a bead on why Johnson’s having such a rough go this time around.

What can Jimmie Johnson do to escape his Next Gen troubles?

Dale Jr was pleased to hear Johnson openly discuss his challenges during the Texas race, from the first lap in practice right through to the race’s end. He commented, “Jimmie struggled…talked a little bit about that. I’m glad to hear it. Listen, you know, I don’t think I could do any better. This is a weird car rack and pinion steering low profile tire. […] I love hearing him say what he’s struggling with what he needs to improve.”

But Dale didn’t just leave it at that; he offered up some seasoned advice for Johnson, suggesting that more consistent racing might be the key. “He [Jimmie Johnson] needs to race more. You know, just like racing in the late model stocks,” Dale Jr said. “Man, I’m not going to get better at qualifying that car and racing that car unless I do it every week. And I’m it’s frustrating I’ll go race it again at the end of July and struggle with parts of it because I need to do it every week to build this wall right to, to build it brick by brick, right,” he continued.

Furthermore, Dale Jr didn’t mince his words when he compared NASCAR to major sports like the NFL and Major League Baseball, stressing that there are no part-timers in these arenas. And that’s why the suggestion came for Jimmie Johnson- “I think if he wants to really succeed at this outside of the one-off you know pop run that he’s probably going to have because he’s Jimmy Johnson, he’s amazing, I think he needs to run more.” 

On his podcast, Dale also noted that Johnson is fully aware of this challenge and is determined to tackle it head-on, showing a commitment to stepping up his game and getting back into the rhythm of regular racing.

Seven-time Cup champion embraces unfamiliarity with the race car and Cup series

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Jimmie Johnson hit the Texas Motor Speedway this time around, and honestly, anyone could have mistaken him for a rookie. It was his first race there in the latest Cup series car, and his debut in a Toyota on a 1.5-mile track was bound to be a challenge. Last year, Legacy switched from Chevy to Toyota starting in 2024, so the change was a big leap for Johnson.

During practice, he spun out, triggering the first caution of the race. Later, he spun again during the race on Lap 51 but managed to claw back into contention with a free pass during the fifth caution. Despite these setbacks, he ended up 29th at the finish line, staying on the lead lap till the end. However, he also completed all 276 laps, including those in double overtime, marking his longest stint yet in the new-gen Cup car.

Johnson shared his thoughts, “I spent a lifetime running a car off the right rear. This car you just cannot do that. From the aero platform, the tire and I believe the sidewall stiffness of the tire, you can’t slip and slide this car around like I like to do. I kept telling myself coming into this weekend that I need to drive off the right front.” And just not that! The driver even took to his X account to share he’s indeed having to learn his way around the Next-Gen car. “400 miles of learning the NextGen car today. Thank you for the support and I can’t wait to do it again in a few weeks,” read the tweet.