In 2021, Jimmie Johnson will be one of a handful of NASCAR drivers racing at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. In the buildup to the race weekend, he previewed everything and spoke about his feelings surrounding the event. He had been in talks with Action Express Racing for a drive, around fall 2020.

Initially, Johnson was all for driving the #31 car, but the team decided to pull a few strings and add a second car. In fact, team manager Gary Nelson is excited about his driver line-up. Aside from Jimmie Johnson, the likes of Mike Rockenfeller, Kamui Kobayashi and Simon Pagenaud will drive the #48 car.

Speaking about the 7-time Cup Series champion, Pagenaud acknowledged Johnson’s efforts to diversify his trade. He also confessed that he was more than happy and honored to offer him advice. Meanwhile, Rockenfeller admitted that every endurance line-up has to work as a cohesive unit.

What else did Jimmie Johnson and his partners say?

The driver said, “There’s just an amount of professionalism and respect. I’m still getting to know Kamui [Kobayashi], and so I’m looking forward to that. I’ve just always loved the cars. These cars are really high tech, really cool-looking, fast. I’ve always been drawn to them, I always loved the big marquee events and participating in them. From where I sit, at 45-years old, being a rookie and in the situations I’m getting myself into, this is about living life, driving cool cars, and having cool experiences.”

Following the 24 Hours of Daytona, Jimmie Johnson has a new challenge to tackle. Namely the 2021 IndyCar season. with the Chip Ganassi Racing team. Johnson is practically a rookie in the open wheel scene. However he will have plenty of experienced heads to guide him when needed. It is worth mentioning that he is taking part in all the road course events, while Tony Kanaan runs in the oval races.