By resume, Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion with 83 career wins and all the accolades that come with greatness. But by feel, when Johnson makes his selective starts this season in the No. 84 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club, it’s a different ballgame.
“Daytona was nice where we had a bit of practice and had a qualifying race to work through and feel things out,” Johnson said Saturday. “I got into the rhythm, and I started to feel much like myself. The package for plate racing, even with the Gen6 car versus the Next Gen Car, is pretty darn close. A lot is the same, so that wasn’t all that different.
“I rolled into COTA thinking – all right, it’s going to be like Daytona – and I was sorely mistaken for that. These cars really do drive much differently – the mechanical grip level versus the aero grip is much different. The shocks and the way the internal bump stops work, in addition to the external bump stops on the car… None of that was taking place when I was in the car last, and man, the car drives so much different as a result.”
The Coca-Cola 600 (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, FOX) will be Johnson’s third start of the season. He spent two years away from stock cars after returning from full-time competition at the end of 2020, and in the meantime, not only has the competition continued to get better, but the race car has dramatically changed.
Making matters worse as far as this weekend goes, rain washed out practice and qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While everyone in the field will go into the race without any previous track time, it’s even worse for someone like Johnson. The four-time Coca-Cola 600 winner can admit it adds to feeling “ill-prepared” for this event.
“It is sad to me that in today’s world, we can’t go test to get ready for a race,” Johnson said. “And then a practice and qualifying session rains out, and you get zero track time, you have to depend on the simulator. We’re very low on the totem pole with resources and sim time; I get 30 laps of sim time to get ready for a race.
“It’s a 600-mile race and we’ll make the best of it. But just logically, as I think through how big our sport is, how big this race is, how big the opportunity is, it’s just crazy that I can’t get properly prepared for this race.”
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Beyond Sunday night at Charlotte and the inaugural Chicago street, the remainder of Johnson’s schedule has not been announced. He and Legacy Motor Club are trying to be methodical with his events whether it’s giving him the chance to cross off certain tracks or return to old favorites.
There is also the competition side. In the events he’s running, Johnson finds himself focusing more on how he can help the two primary cars, Noah Gragson’s No. 42 and the No. 43 of Erik Jones.
“My last two years in IndyCar and sportscars, I was much more selfish and much more in that traditional headspace as a driver – ultimate speed, ultimate fun, how can I do all of those aspects,” Johnson said. “Where now, when we take the No. 84 car to the track, is it hurting our program or is it helping our program? And if so, in which ways? When you think about crew personnel, and inventory of parts and pieces, that’s one conversation. Notoriety, popularity, sponsorship dollars, all of those other aspects are another conversation. We’re always weighing the pros and cons out, and here before long we’ll start thinking about ‘24 and what races make sense for me.
“And then I honestly feel like getting through this weekend is going to be a big step in me deciding – we choose a lot of road course races for me in ‘23, trying to help Legacy Motor Club get better on road courses. We feel like we’ve seen some gains from that, especially the time I’ve been able to spend with Noah and Erik – going to the sim, going to a driving school, driving some other cars and really just spending time together and honing that craft. This will be my first proper oval and depending on how that experience goes, I think it will give us a better place to decide from looking at ‘24.”
There is also another side of the competitive element — a new NASCAR world for Johnson also includes him no longer thinking like a seven-time champion who is looking for his next win or championship.
“It’s different,” Johnson said. “I’m evolving mentally, maybe a little quicker than I give myself credit (for) or would have thought in probably six months since stepping into this new role. And in six months’ time, I’ve been able to really transition into the thought process that I’m in now versus that selfish driver.”