Jimmie Johnson announced on Friday that he has tested positive for coronavirus, and as a result will miss Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Johnson is the first NASCAR driver to test positive for COVID-19, and it’s unclear when he will be able to return. Hendrick Motorsports announced that one member of the No. 48 team’s traveling crew is self-quarantining after being in close contact to Johnson.
Per NASCAR regulations, Johnson will be allowed to race once again when he receives two negative tests more than 24 hours apart, and is cleared by his own physician. Johnson is asymptomatic and says he feels great – and that the most difficult part of the experience has been trying to be a parent at home with coronavirus. Both Johnson and his wife Chandra tested positve, but his two daughters have tested negative. In a video call with reporters, Johnson said that he and his wife have been “heartbroken” at home to “see the fear” in the eyes of his children.
“I’m asymptomatic, so I don’t have the fear…. we don’t know how many days in that I am right now, so there is some concern that my conditions could worsen, but I literally have had zero symptoms. My wife at the most at allergy-like symptoms, which isn’t uncommon for us this time of the year in Colorado.
…. I feel great. I think our biggest concern right now is just for our children. They are negative as of yesterday. Of course we’re being very responsible in our home and trying to self-isolate – but at the same time we have to parent, and that’s really the tricky hurdle we’re trying to sort out right now, on top of managing their fears. Thankfully we’re healthy and hope to stay that way, but for a nine and a six-year-old, to try to manage the fear right now and they can’t come around mom or dad. You know, we’ve got to feed them and we’re concerned about feeding them and passing the virus. We’re trying to be as healthy as we can, but on the homefront with our kids, we’re heartbroken right now to see the fear in their eyes and watching them try to manage what’s going on right now.”
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