Fresh Aspen air gives Johnson fresh takes
Jimmie Johnson has ascended the proverbial mountain seven times in 16 full seasons at NASCAR’s highest level. Skiing back down it has helped prepare him for each of those subsequent title defenses, comeback campaigns or whatever came in between.
This offseason, Johnson again found tranquility and rejuvenation in the mountains, moving with his wife, Chandra, and children, Genevieve and Lydia, to Aspen, Colo. A quick scan of his Instagram feed has made tracking his location and mood an easy endeavor.
As the snowpack eventually recedes and Johnson returns to his main home in North Carolina in May, he’s enjoying a few last icy breaths of soul-cleansing air before attempting to ride into immortality as the first to win eight championships in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
“It’s a simple way of life,” Johnson told USA TODAY Sports. “We’re intentionally staying very low-key in many regards in Colorado just to have that family time. Fitness to me, it just changes my whole frame of mind. If I can get up and do something in the morning, it just puts me in the best frame of mind all day long. (In) Charlotte, it’s easy to stay motivated, but in Colorado, you can’t help but to get out there and go. The environment is a big part of it there.”
In the mountains, Johnson found a new backdrop for his numerous athletic pursuits, mostly copious amounts of skiing. There’s also been newfound perspective. He hopes to eventually find fellow resident and female racing counterpart Janet Guthrie somewhere in town so they can chat. So far, they’ve only exchanged pleasantries through mutual friends.
“We’ve had our house there a couple years, but the way we acted, the way our kids acted, what we did together as a family, we were just, we need more of this in our lives,” Johnson said. “This is just good for all of us. We came up with the idea to give it a shot for the winter and see.”
Johnson enters the fifth race of this season Sunday at Auto Club Speedway at 16th in the standings with one top-10 finish, last week at Phoenix Raceway. He won at the Fontana, Calif., track last year for the sixth time.
Johnson, 41, said taking his winter sojourns required little convincing for crew chief Chad Knaus and team owner Rick Hendrick, despite all the work needed to maintain a team that has produced 80 wins “best among active drivers and seventh all-time “in 547 Cup starts.
“Chad’s like, ‘How long are you going to be gone? Is this going to work?’ ” Johnson recalled. “Even Mr. Hendrick, but they’ve been super cool and I think most of all have seen me come back and seen where I am in my head and just know why I want to be there. I’m just in a totally different place mentally, refreshed and ready and excited and looking forward to a good year.”