Johnson ready for faster than ever 500
Jimmie Johnson is days away from living out his lifelong dream – one that is shared by racers all across the globe.
He had previously given up on it, though, especially as his NASCAR career exploded and he had kids.
But his childhood dream is finally coming true, and on Sunday Johnson will make his Indianapolis 500 debut behind the wheel of the No. 48 Carvana/ American Legion Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Last year, in his first NTT IndyCar Series season, Johnson stuck to road and street courses – no ovals because of the higher speeds and increased risk. Now, he’s running a full IndyCar schedule, and Sunday’s race will be his second on an oval, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile track.
“I just really want to savor the experience,” Johnson said. “Of course, I want to run well. Of course, I want to win the race. But I think through the bulk of my career, I was so worried about performing and getting the job done that maybe I didn’t enjoy as much of it as I should have.”
For The Win spoke with the Indy 500 rookie and seven-time NASCAR champ Thursday about one of the biggest races of his career and how he’s prepared.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
You’re 72 hours away from your
first Indy 500. How are you feeling?
Excited. This has been such a great experience over the last few weeks. And I’m just excited for my first attempt at the Indy 500.
Are you nervous?
Not yet, but I will be. That’s going to come. I’ll save that for race day.
How would you describe your mentality headed into this race?
I don’t know what to expect. I’ve not been in an Indy car at this track with a full field and all that goes into what
makes the Indianapolis 500 what it is. So I think getting through that emotional peak at the beginning – overcoming the emotions from driver introductions, the national anthem, all the prerace festivities and settling into the car – is probably the first obstacle to work through.
Knowing that it’s a 500-mile race and a lot can happen over those 500 miles, just getting off to a smart start to the race, getting tuned in and hopefully going forward.
What was it about being a part of NBC’s Indy 500 broadcast last year that made you so determined to do it this year?
The worst place for a race car driver that isn’t driving is the racetrack. You just have such FOMO and just miss the experience and want to be out there.
And I really felt like watching the Indy cars would either help back my decision to not run ovals or it would blow the top off of it. And literally the first time that the cars went by, I knew that it’s something I wanted to do. I think being in the sport for a year and understanding the safety of the aero-screen (a hightech windshield that protects drivers from debris) and what it’s brought was also weighing on me, and I was finally in a good place with it.
Do you feel like you have a shot at winning?
Absolutely, we do have a shot at winning the Indianapolis 500.
You’ve had a couple close calls with the track wall during practice and qualifying and said you found the limit of your car. What is that limit?
These cars have so much grip, but when you crossed that line, things go downhill quick. And part of being a race car driver is walking that tightrope and understanding where the limit is. With my experience level, I’m still trying to tiptoe my way into the limits of the car and certainly found that a couple of times.
Your four-lap average qualifying speed was 231.264 miles per hour, but you hit 240 miles per hour going into Turn 1 during qualifying. Is that the fastest you’ve ever driven?
Oh, yeah, that’s a new high score without a doubt. It’s crazy. Then knowing you have to turn the steering wheel and make a 90-degree turn is the even more crazy part of it. But it’s fast. My senses – I’ve had to readjust my vision, where I look. There’s much different physical experience that I have going this fast and learning to adjust to that’s been part of the journey.
Where do you look going into those corners?
As far ahead as possible. And it’s easier said than done because you’re so worried about putting the car on a specific line, but you’re covering so much road so quickly that you’ve really got to keep your eyes up and look ahead.
Are you hesitant at all going into Turn 1 or Turn 3?
Yeah, I mean, they’re tricky turns, and depending on the wind direction, it heightens that. And then I have 20 years of letting off the gas and dragging the brakes into the corners in stock cars, and you never let off here. So, you know, I have this muscle memory that’s telling me, “Hey, lift, use the brakes.” And I’ve had some interesting conversations with myself going down the straightaways.
What do you tell yourself in that moment to try and break a two-decades-old habit?
I really wanted to build into the pace and that feeling to avoid having a disastrous mistake made. And sure, I have made some small mistakes, but I got away with them and didn’t have any major damage. So it’s really trying to find visual reference points and improve the effort and step up that effort in a measured way each time.
What’s your confidence level at right now?
It’s pretty good, certainly way higher than starting the Texas (Motor Speedway oval) race. One, I have the Texas race under my belt. Two, we’ve had a lot of on-track practice here. So I’m trending in a very positive fashion, but no, race time is different. And I think I’ll spend the first half of the race building into my confidence and looking for a strong finish.
There’s weeks of buildup to the Indy 500 and so many festivities around it and promoting it, which can be a lot. Is this comparable to anything you’ve ever experienced in other motor sports events?
It reminds me of the Daytona 500 and the buildup to the 500 being multiple weeks. This week, more so looking at a singular event, it’s certainly reminds me of a championship race, like leading into one of my (NASCAR) Homestead (Miami Speedway) championship races and the media stuff that followed it. So it’s not exactly the same, but at least I’ve had some experience like this in the past.
Do you think other NASCAR drivers are maybe envious of this opportunity?
Oh, I think so. I think all drivers want to race in all marquee events. Everybody wants a shot at it. Hopefully, my time here will inspire others to come do it because I know there’s a lot of great talent in all forms of racing that would really enjoy this experience.
What’s the No. 1 most important thing you can do in this race?
Finish it. To finish first, first you must finish.