Johnson driven by challenge of switch
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson, with wisps of gray in his beard, is a 45-year-old rookie in the IndyCar Series ready to reintroduce himself.
He’s a windbag, a craft-o-maniac, a guy who goes, is really into eggs and keeps things fresh.
Those are just some of the labels Carvana has tagged Johnson with in a series of seven spots highlighting the online car dealer’s first partnership with a professional athlete. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion began his official transition to IndyCar this weekend, and three of those ads will debut during the NBC telecast of Sunday’s season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
This won’t be the vanilla version of Johnson fans became accustomed to during 19 Cup Series seasons driving for buttoned-up Hendrick Motorsports. Those who know Johnson away from his day job have always decried his image, insisting he’s actually a hard-partying daredevil who never shies away from a bad idea.
Carvana, which is new to motorsports with its Johnson sponsorship and has a light sports marketing portfolio, decided to use Johnson’s true personality in making its ad campaign for the IndyCar season. It hired The Malloys — the brothers known for their work in music videos — to direct the commercials, and Johnson already knew both Brendan Malloy and Emmett Malloy through other connections.
He was comfortable when the Malloys came to him about using a laxative to demonstrate how quickly Carvana can complete a car sale, or eating seven hard-boiled eggs for the seven-day test policy. Johnson even put sequins on a pair of jeans to demonstrate personalized financing options.
So who is this loose and easygoing Johnson? Same guy he always was.
“You know, this is just what I’ve figured in my own head, and I’ve got nothing to back it up, but I’ve given people a reason to hate me for so many years, right?” Johnson said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“I was Jeff Gordon’s handpicked guy, and there was a crowd I was never going to win over. Then in my final year, people were like ‘OK, it’s his last year, he’s been here a long time, we’re not going to cheer him, but we’re give him some credit.’ Now that I am not there, I wonder if there’s a fan base that has finally decided, ‘All right, he’s cool. He’s served his time. I respect him for doing something different.’ I don’t know, but there’s some kind of shift going on, and people are finally starting to lighten up about me.”
The road ahead won’t be easy for Johnson as he unlearns two decades of driving a heavy stock car and adapts to a nimble, openwheel machine against drivers half his age. Johnson is slated to drive just the 13 road and street course events on the IndyCar schedule for Chip Ganassi Racing, with Tony Kanaan picking up the four oval races in the No. 48 — yes, Johnson is sporting the familiar number despite the switch.
Going into the weekend at Barber, there was a long checklist for Johnson when it came to IndyCar, starting with practice — and in 22 laps at Saturday’s first session, his car was the slowest of 24. Still, his response afterward was telling.
“Amazing,” he said. “What a rush.”
Johnson won 83 Cup Series races and shares the record for season titles with NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, but he went winless his final three seasons. Pushing himself in a new format has been galvanizing.
He has said for years that the Indianapolis 500 is off the table — in part because his wife, Chandra, doesn’t approve of the dangers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — but that stance seems to be softening. He’s a no for the race next month but told AP that 2022 is no longer off the table.
“I need to test on an oval, that’s the first step, and I’ve let the team know that’s certainly the first step I need to do to work through this process,” Johnson said. “I think a year in this sport certainly is going to help myself in understanding the risks.’”
IndyCar is what Johnson wanted to race growing up watching hero Rick Mears, but his path instead took him to NASCAR. Now he gets his chance after a full career and no reason not to start anew.
“I’m nervous and excited,” Johnson said. “Some days more nervous than excited, but I dig this.”
“Now that I am not there [NASCAR], I wonder if there’s a fan base that has finally decided, ‘All right, he’s cool. He’s served his time. I respect him for doing something different.’ I don’t know, but there’s some kind of shift going on, and people are finally starting to lighten up about me.” — JIMMIE JOHNSON