The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jimmie Johnson out of Brickyard 400 after testing positive
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
The 44-year-old Johnson is the first driver in any NASCAR series to test positive and the news Friday evening cast a shadow over the historic NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader races coming up today and Sunday. There was no indication any races would be affected.
Hendrick Motorsports said Johnson will not return until he is cleared by a physician. He was tested earlier Friday after his wife, Chani, tested positive after experiencing symptoms.
Johnson, who is asymptomatic, is scheduled to retire from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the season. He has made 663 consecutive Cup Series starts.
Pitching depth isalwayskey, but it’s paramount in 2020. Fortunately for the Braves, they’re one of the better-situated teams from that standpoint. The Braves opened summer camp Friday at Truist Park, beginning their preparation for a 60-game season that launches in three weeks.
Most important is readying the pitchers under a truncated preseason process.
“We’ve made some adjustments in schedules,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Everybody’s going to need something different, especially our pitchers. Whether it’s spring training 1.0 or 2.0, it’s going to be about the pitching. Everybody is in a different spot, so we’ve had to communicate with them, put our eyes on them and see where they’re at.”
General manager Alex Anthopoulos already indicated the team is considering piggybacking starters early on, meaning a starter might pitch only three or four innings in his first two outings.
It’s unclear how many teams will follow suit, but the Braves are well-positioned for such strategy.