Jimmie Johnson to Be Part of Star-Studded Line-up for the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona

The 2021 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship boasts of an incredible line-up. Now, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is set to add another big name to the grid. The Action Express Racing team will feature ex-F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi, IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud, DTM driver Mike Rockenfeller. Additionally, NASCAR living legend, Jimmie Johnson will also link up with the trio.

Obviously, Johnson was quite excited to race alongside these drivers. The four of them will also partner Mike Conway, Pipo Derani, and Felipe Nasr. The seven-time Cup Series champion and his teammates will drive the Cadillac DPi-V.R.

In all honesty, Johnson will be in esteemed company, as Kobayashi and Rockenfeller are Daytona winners. It is also worth noting that this is his eighth appearance in the Rolex 24. However, he last contested the event in 2011 with Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney.

What did Jimmie Johnson say about the recruitment?

“The Rolex 24 at Daytona is one of the marquee races in the world,” said Johnson.

“It’s such a challenging event for both team and driver and requires such a high level of concentration throughout. It’s just such a fun and unique race to compete in. This will be the first time I’ve raced with Action Express and have been very impressed with the team and its preparation.”

With the race taking place in late January, everyone will be keen to go testing. In light of that, Action Express will test its #48 Cadillac at Daytona International Speedway soon. However, the team has yet to confirm its two drivers for the non-championship race at Daytona.

In terms of Rolex 24 pedigree, Kobayashi is a double Rolex 24 winner with Wayne Taylor Racing. Meanwhile, Rockenfeller reached victory lane for Action Express in 2010. Even Pagenaud has raced in the sportscar series, namely three seasons in the Acura Team Penske stable.

Admittedly, this is pretty much a one-off for Jimmie Johnson. After this, he will be preoccupied with the 2021 IndyCar Series championship.

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