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FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MARCH 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, speaks to the media after the NTT IndyCar Series XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MARCH 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, speaks to the media after the NTT IndyCar Series XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20, 2022 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
7-time Cup Series Champion and the driver one to win the Championship five times in a row, Jimmie Johnson, is dropping hints for the 2023 racing schedule. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver will decide in a few weeks what’s in store for him for the 2023 season.
Turns out, there’s a possibility of the #48 driver racing in the NASCAR All-star race in 2023. Admittedly, the #48 driver is yet to confirm his future endeavors, which can only happen after the release of IndyCar’s schedule.
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But still, fans on Twitter are keen to watch him race in the All-Star race, more so because of the announcement of the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway being the host for the upcoming All-Star Race in 2023. The excited fans are impatient about the return of the Hendrick Motorsports legend.
So I told @JimmieJohnson that #nascar fans already were asking about him possibly racing at North Wilkesboro.
And Jimmie’s face lit up as he noted that as the 2013 All-Star Race winner, he still could be eligible under a 10-year exemption.
“That’s another option!” he smiled. https://t.co/QfB4x20RCn
— Nate Ryan (@nateryan) September 9, 2022
Might as well just run the whole season then 😁
— Kevin Verbrugge🎣 (@SurfFisher48) September 9, 2022
I would absolutely love 💕 to see 👀 Jimmie Johnson run there …. I sure do miss him in the Cup…. I would love 💕 to see him come back.
— Angie DiBlasi (@angie_diblasi) September 9, 2022
@JamesBomber2 @JimmieJohnson better not play with us! We need a @NASCAR return!!!!!
— ErikBomber (@ErikBomber) September 9, 2022
The return of the 7-time champion will be quite the popular talk among the NASCAR community. It will be a treat to watch the driver with 83 all-time wins race in the Next Gen car after his retirement in 2020.
What’s in store for Jimmie Johnson in 2023?
The NASCAR Cup Series legend hung his helmet for NASCAR back in 2020. Interestingly, Johnson shifted gears after his retirement and joined Chip Ganassi Racing to compete in IndyCar.
USA Today via Reuters
Apr 18, 2021; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Indy driver Jimmie Johnson (48) at Barber Motorsports Park. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
The NASCAR legend, who is still struggling on the road courses, had a decent standing on the ovals with a fifth-place finish in Iowa.
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You never know what the future may hold for the #48 driver. But even to think about a fraction of a chance that the former Hendrick Motorsports driver might make a comeback in NASCAR is still a thrilling thought.
It does seem like a pleasant idea with the NASCAR legends returning for the All-star race. Let’s hope there are more such announcements in the future.
Written by
Edited by
Ankit Sharma