Johnson gets new IndyCar sponsor
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson needed funding for his move to IndyCar, so the seven-time NASCAR champion transitioned into a salesman for the first time.
He’ll continue selling all next year as a representative for the online auto retailer Carvana.
Johnson and Chip Ganassi Racing on Saturday announced Carvana — the company known for multistory car vending machines — as the sponsor for the No. 48 Honda that Johnson will drive in road- and street-course IndyCar races.
It’s a striking partnership in that Johnson has spent the last 19 seasons driving for Rick Hendrick, one of the largest car dealers in the country. Johnson sought Hendrick’s blessing before signing the deal.
“I’ve had him in the loop from the beginning,” Johnson told The Associated Press ahead of the announcement at the IndyCar season finale in St. Petersburg. “In typical Rick fashion, he was great with it and he knows how hard it is to raise sponsorship money.”
Johnson will retire from full-time NASCAR competition following next month’s season finale. The 45-year-old driver is tied with Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt with a record seven Cup titles.
He grew up initially wanting to compete in the IndyCar Series, an opportunity Ganassi offered him for 2021 providing they could find the funding. Johnson and his own management team shopped for sponsorship, with Johnson personally engaging with 44 prospects.
It’s a far different scenario for Johnson, who was hired by Hendrick in 2001 at the height of NASCAR’s robust
sponsorship landscape. Companies were signing multimillion-dollar deals to splash their logos on race cars, and team owners had no problem funding full seasons.
Lowe’s signed on for a long-term deal with Hendrick Motorsports in 2001for a new No. 48 entry piloted by a relatively unknown Johnson. The company was Johnson’s only sponsor for his first 17 seasons, before Lowe’s left NASCAR.
Ally has sponsored Johnson the last two seasons and made the initial introduction between the driver and Carvana.
Carvana becomes just the third sponsor for Johnson in two decades. He had worried he’d have to sell his IndyCar schedule in batches of two and three races to multiple companies because of the economic challenges in finding sponsorship today, but Carvana agreed to fund all 13 races on Johnson’s IndyCar calendar.
Carvana has a light sponsorship portfolio — the company is currently on the front of the jersey for Phoenix Rising FC of the United Soccer League — and is new to motorsports.
Johnson used his large social media presence to sway Carvana, which is premised on online consumer shopping. Johnson has more than 2.6 million combined followers on Twitter and Instagram, a total he said surpasses the combined accounts of every current IndyCar driver and the league itself.
“As I engaged with Carvana, I have realized how important my digital footprint is, and that was one big tool that we had to use to help sell,” Johnson said. “Carvana is a digital company and interested in digital content.
“We feel like we have a great responsibility to help them understand the loyalty sports fans have. If we tap that the right way, there will be a return on their investment for Carvana.”