Jimmy johnson racer drivers#

You have to be precise while also watching what other cars around you are doing. And the entrances to the first and fourth turns at both ends of the front straight are very demanding. It could be sunny at one end of the track and shaded at the other ends with clouds. The track changes as the temperature changes. The straightaways are long and different.

“The track has very little banking (nine degrees) compared to NASCAR ovals. You have to be ready to adjust to a lot of variables.

“In the Indy 500, it’s difficult to plot a strategy. “I feel like this track is a good fit for me,” said Johnson.

Jimmy johnson racer drivers#

All are premiums in the Indianapolis 500, where drivers look far down the track to set up passes. Johnson is known for his ability to turn continuous, precise laps at high speeds on ovals - letting his cars drift toward the walls and setting up passes without scrubbing speed. “Indianapolis might be where my skill set serves me best,” Johnson said of his late-career foray into open-wheel racing. Johnson is tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most season championships (seven). “Ovals in general play into my skill set,” said Johnson, whose 83 NASCAR race wins ties him for sixth all-time with his childhood stock car driving hero Cale Yarborough. In fact, this will be Johnson’s 692nd career start on an oval - which is more oval races than the rest of the drivers in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 combined. “I had a lot of momentum and sorta had to make that pass,” Johnson noted.īut Johnson is a four-time winner of the Brickyard 500 and has a total of 17 Brickyard 400 starts and two Ind圜ar road courses races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He finished sixth at Texas Motor Speedway on March 20, making a very notable outside pass of Indy 500 pole-sitter and teammate Scott Dixon during the race. This will be Johnson’s second Ind圜ar start on an oval. Dad Gary is here as part of his crew, serving as one of his two spotters. “I pinch myself thinking I’m a part of the Indy 500,” said Johnson, who has turned this week into a family reunion. He remembers Danny Sullivan’s famed “spin and win.” His favorite drivers were Rick Mears and Al Unser Jr. The Indy 500 was the first race that Jimmie dreamed of driving. came out with his book, my grandfather showed up with it and said ‘shoot for this.’” The race meant so much to my dad and grandfather. “The Indy 500 was the first race that caught my eye, although I’d walk away at times to go outside and ride my bicycle. “My dad (Gary) and grandfather (Ken Johnson) got together every year to watch the race. “I had to be 8 or 9 when I saw my first Indy 500 on television when we were living in Crest,” said Johnson. I’m realizing how big this race is in Americana.”īut it was always big in the Johnson household. “The past couple of weeks has been quite an experience for me,” said Johnson. He even appeared earlier this week, with daughter Lydia, on the “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.” He might have been closer to the front had he not scrubbed some speed during a “fast 12 qualifying lap” last Sunday while miraculously keeping his Honda-powered Dallara off the first-turn wall.Įven though the field includes eight former Indy 500 champions, the presence of Johnson has added luster to Sunday’s race. The 46-year-old El Cajon native will start from the outside of the fourth row Sunday in the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap qualifying average of 231.264 miles an hour. Then we had sponsor stuff and other things to sort out.” “Truth is, I was going through that process more than I realized. “Ultimately, she said ‘if you’re comfortable, I’m comfortable.’ “Just in my tone and my enthusiasm returning from doing the television, I think Shannie (Chandra) knew what was going on behind the scenes in my head,” said Johnson.