The 2021 Daytona 500 officially wrapped up, but it took a while. This is largely because of a lengthy red-flag session during the first stage of the iconic race. For the first time, Jimmie Johnson was reduced to a spectator, and he sorely missed being out there on the track.

However, he also declared that while he misses the racing, he definitely does not miss Mother Nature’s wrath. Having been in the sport for a very long time, he knows what it’s like to wait patiently or impatiently. Considering that he does not miss the rain delays, it is definitely the latter scenario.

He stuck around to watch the race in its entirety. Needless to say, he was really happy for Michael McDowell for winning the race. Admittedly, it was a wild race, but Jimmie Johnson was positive that McDowell deserved all the credit. He would also be delighted to learn that his former team managed to get two cars in the Top 10.

Jimmie Johnson is looking forward to the new IndyCar season

Coming back to Johnson himself, the NASCAR veteran is eager to hit the ground running. The seven-time Cup Series champion has already taken part in multiple pre-season tests to get used to the car. Now, the only big challenge for him is to see how well he does in a race situation.

Nevertheless, the 45-year-old will be up for the task. It also helps that he will have plenty of experienced teammates to help show him the ropes.

On the other end of the scale, they can also provide healthy competition to keep him on his toes. Just because he is a former NASCAR champion, it does not mean that they will treat him like racing royalty. Jimmie Johnson will have to fight to prove himself on a new battleground.

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