In 2021, after nearly two decades, Jimmie Johnson will no longer be on the NASCAR grid on a full-time basis. In essence, he is stepping away from the NASCAR scene to explore other avenues.

Now, his latest venture is the IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing, driving on the road courses.

However, he spoke to ‘NASCAR Live’ earlier this year, long before the announcement, about life away from the sport.

He said, “There’s some sports car races that I always wanted to experience. Different cars that I always wanted to drive and experience. It’s about those experiences. I recognize that I’m on the older side and IndyCar might seem like a crazy destination.”

Despite this, Johnson believes that he can pull it off, despite his age. He also declared that he was willing to accept that risk and do it.

Talking about dirt racing, he confessed that he would like to go back and do it again at some point in his life. When it comes to sports car racing, Johnson is already taking a step in that direction with the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona race in January 2021.

What else did Jimmie Johnson say?

Moving away from racing, all he wants is some time to spend with his family. In other words, he just wants a social life to balance out his professional life.

Of course, the constant traveling will leave little time for families to be together. Even if they can travel to some of the races, they won’t be around all the time.

Now that Jimmie Johnson has officially retired from NASCAR, he has the freedom to do whatever he wants. While he’s crossing off the IndyCar series as the first item on his bucket list, he has tons of options ahead of him.

In all honesty, Johnson is simply doing it just for the fun of it; he does not really have anything to prove anymore. He has already established himself as a legend in the NASCAR scene, and the IndyCar series is now his to conquer.

READ MORE – From Jimmie Johnson to Clint Bowyer: Key NASCAR Figures That Retired After the 2020 Season