With a Glove in One Hand and a Sling in the Other, Jimmie Johnson Proves Once Again Why He’s One of the Few Old-Time Racecar Drivers

Without a doubt, Jimmie Johnson is one of the all-time greats. The seven-time NASCAR Cup champion is one of the last old-school racecar drivers who are unfazed by problems, even the serious ones that fall in the way of them pursuing their passion.

In Johnson’s case, this aspect of his personality was on display recently at Long Beach in the IndyCar weekend.

The thing is, while most racecar drivers decide to sit out a race with the littlest of problems or discomforts, Jimmie Johnson took his IndyCar into a practice session with a broken hand.

The former Hendrick driver had broken his right hand during a session on Friday as he crashed into the tire barriers while his hands remained on the steering wheel. Yet despite that, in less than two days, Johnson pulled on his racing glove in one hand, a piece of tape around the carbon fiber sling on the other, and he got back in the car.

After the session, Johnson tweeted, “Practice felt ok on the hand. I’m thankful that my ability to grip the wheel and maneuver the car is there.”

Jimmie Johnson felt nothing about the injury but bad about the crash

Speaking after his crash as he stepped outside the medical center, Jimmie Johnson insisted he had “no pain on track.” He explained how trying “go too fast” into Turn 1 and locking up pushed him wide and led to his crash.

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“I’m more disappointed in myself making the mistake and tearing up the car again, but from an injury standpoint, I feel really good,” he said.

Jimmie Johnson described how he’s “just upset” with himself. “I know where I need to get better in these cars and how to attack, and that’s in the braking zones and releasing the brakes,” he added

“I hate making mistakes, and I’ve made two now [at Long Beach].”