Jimmie Johnson gave the best years of his athletic life to NASCAR and received plenty in return.
When he decided to walk away from the sport and spotlight after the 2020 season, Johnson was not finished racing. Like the fine-tuned machines he drives, the 46-year-old is not built to sit in neutral.
Johnson’s extraordinary run in stock cars — 83 Cup Series wins, 7 championships and more than $150 million in on-track earnings — provided him the freedom to get behind the wheel of whatever, whenever and wherever he chooses.
“I’ve had the success which makes it easier for me to put myself out on this limb,” Johnson told The Orlando Sentinel this week. “I’m doing it for the purest of reasons because I love to compete and I love to drive cool cars, and I’m still able to do that.
“I’m trying to take any opportunity I can to drive.”
This weekend, Johnson will participate in the 60th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, North America’s showcase sports-car race. Johnson then will travel to Sweden to drive an electric rally car during the Race of Champions at Pite Havsbad Piteå in northern Sweden, where the race will be staged for the first time on a snow and ice track.
When Johnson returns from the Scandinavian chill, he will turn his laser focus to gaining ground during his second season in IndyCar — this time as a full-time driver for Chip Ganassi Racing.
A presumed dalliance with a different racing style in 2021 has become Johnson’s obsession in 2022.
“I am a bit surprised that I’ve signed up for so much,” he said.
Many quickly wrote off Johnson as an interloper out of his league when he failed to record a single top-15 finish.
JJ and NASCAR will be initials intertwined throughout motorsports history. Johnson and open-wheel racing did not appear to be a good fit.
Johnson, though, took his lumps and learned.
The biggest lesson: “Identifying with how much aggression you have to drive with these lightweight cars.”
IndyCars weigh about 1,350 pounds and reach speeds of 230 mph while a NASCAR vehicle averages 3,000 pounds and reaches speeds a shade above 200 miles an hour on the sport’s superspeedways like Daytona. IndyCars also lack power steering and feature wider, softer tires offering superior grip yet requiring a driver to quickly raise their temperature to improve the tires’ tackiness.
IndyCars swerving furiously at a race’s outset heats up the tires. Johnson too often found himself zigging while experienced drivers zagged.
“That was so tricky ... to turn the tires on so that you then had the grip to go chase,” Johnson explained. “Being cautious and trying to have a smart approach with my years in a big heavy vehicle just didn’t work so well. Every tenth [of a second] you lose is a tenth you’re going to have to earn back the hard way.”
Johnson’s sixth sense in NASCAR allowed him to calculate his odds and capitalize on his chances, but after 16 straight seasons with a win he endured 111 straight races without a victory.
Even so, Johnson’s exit was the end of an era, when he, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. raised NASCAR’s popularity to its peak.
Johnson now aims to make his name and earn respect in other racing disciplines.
Johnson’s ninth appearance in the famed Rolex 24 might be his best chance for a win after 2021′s runner-up finish.
Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, a three-time Rolex 24 winner, will again spearhead the team. 2010 winner Mike Rockenfeller of Germany and endurance racing champion Jose Maria Lopez of Argentina will complete a formidable quartet.
“I don’t know if you even can say it, but somehow we’ve strengthened our driver lineup,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure it increases our chance to win any, but I’m just another level of pride at the opportunity I get to participate.”
Johnson’s humility and gratitude have served him well. He is likely to need them as he embarks on the next step of a journey he did not see coming.
“I just feel like I needed to change the pace,” he said. “I spent 25ish years in NASCAR, very proud, enjoyed every minute of it. Many people have a career and in their 40s, 50s transition into something new. I guess I’m following that similar path, although I’m in athletics and it’s uncommon.”
