Be it Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona, Fuji Speedway in Japan, Jimmie Johnson has had the fortune of driving at some iconic places, except for one. His Indy 500 dream. If you think he simply didn’t get a chance, you’re mistaken. In fact, the decision was almost locked, but a Chevy contract cost him the dream.
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Jimmie Johnson’s unfulfilled Indy 500 dream
“I had a legitimate shot to run with Roger [Penske] at the speedway. They were, I think, Honda-powered only, and my Chevy contract was a problem with that,” said Jimmie Johnson. This dates back to the time when Johnson was dominating the Chase format, winning consecutive championships. He was signed with Hendrick Motorsports, where he clinched seven titles, but OEMs were rather strict at the time.
“I ended up doing the 500, but just when I was a little bit younger and braver, I think I would have had a better result in the 500. And that’s one of those moments that slid by,” Johnson added, speaking to Will Buxton and Kevin Harvick.
That was his career peak. NASCAR seemed to be failing to produce new race winners, such was his level of domination. Along with HMS, he managed to set new levels of competitiveness. However, that dream of running the Indy 500 remained a dream for a very long time. But shortly after his retirement, Jimmie Johnson had the chance again, and he took it. Only that he wasn’t half as competitive as he used to be.
Running the Indy500 is a massive challenge for the NASCAR drivers. A lot of times, some of the more competitive drivers try to achieve “The Double.” This is an intense challenge, where drivers try to run the Indy500 and the Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Even the smallest of delays, however, can make it impossible to achieve.
Such has been the case with Kyle Larson, who has been trying to accomplish this for the past two seasons, running the Indy500 with Arrow McLaren. So far, Tony Stewart remains one of the only drivers who could achieve this.
But for Johnson, the dream was rather simple. As he revealed, this happened around 2008 or 09. Even though the deal went ahead, the manufacturer’s difference was too huge for him to accomplish it. Even years after this, having run the Indy500, Johnson still seems to regret what happened a decade ago.
Johnson’s post-NASCAR endeavors
While Jimmie Johnson might regret not running the Indy 500 early in his career, he definitely made the most of it post his full-time NASCAR retirement. In fact, 2022 became one of the most loaded years of his motorsports career. He ran a full-time IndyCar season with Chip Ganassi Racing. While he did not pull off the most impressive results, considering he was well past his athletic prime, he did clinch two top-ten finishes. His Indy500 run started off with a P12, but ended in a P28.
He had also been a regular competitor in the Rolex 24, and continued to do so after his retirement. He finished the race in second place in 2021 and in 12 place in 2022, racing for Ally Cadillac Racing in both years. More interestingly, however, he also ran the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the results were not as strong.
So at the end of the day, Jimmie Johnson had quite a flawless racing career. He still returns to Daytona every year with his team, Legacy Motor Club, on a part-time basis. While they don’t perform spectacularly well, Johnson does showcase his love for racing through his run.