DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The loyal legions of fans hoping for a glimpse of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson inside the Daytona International Speedway garage over the weekend’s famed Rolex 24 At Daytona was substantial. And colorful.
Most wore the dark blue or purple colors of Johnson’s NASCAR Cup Series cars, others had T-shirts depicting Johnson in his new full-time job behind the wheel of an IndyCar, and there were still plenty carefully carrying die-casts of the No. 48 Ally Racing Cadillac Daytona Prototype car he shared over the weekend in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener.
Although Johnson’s team finished fifth in in the headline DPi class, 11th overall after a busy and eventful twice-around-the-clock event, he remained upbeat about the experience and about the experiences still to come in 2022.
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No matter what, Johnson was already a winner with this crowd. The good-natured, 46-year-old California off-road racer turned NASCAR modern legend was as affable and friendly as always throughout the chilly race weekend. During the full-field autograph signing before the Rolex 24, he posed for quick selfies with fans and humbly took in their praise and good wishes – so many sharing their appreciation for the diverse racing path he’s leading.
The line of people wanting an autograph or a quick conversation with Johnson was easily the longest queue in the Daytona Fan Zone infield area. It was so long in fact, it had two extra workers just to reassure people 50-75 yards away that they were in the right lane.
“I’ve been watching Jimmie since he started in NASCAR, many, many years ago,” said fan Aaron Smith, 46, of Atlanta, who was among those patiently waiting for a Johnson autograph.
“My dad and I came to the Rolex the first year Jimmie ran, way back when. Just been a big fan of his. Just a great guy, great race car driver and the fact he’s running Indy on top of NASCAR and Rolex is awesome to watch. Seems pretty rare, but I can tell you that Jimmie seems to be a trend-setter of drivers coming to NASCAR that have an appetite to run more than just NASCAR or one circuit. It’s just awesome to watch.”
Not only is Johnson two years out from starting the clock on his certain NASCAR Hall of Famer status, he’s set to compete in his first Indianapolis 500 in May. He’s driving the IMSA Michelin Challenge endurance quartet of races in sports cars again this season, and this weekend he will be in Sweden alongside young IndyCar star Colton Herta representing the United States in the annual Race of Champions, which features some of the best racing drivers in the world across a wide spectrum of disciplines.
“Aww man, it’s great,” a smiling Johnson said of his full schedule, acknowledging that one of the most frequent questions he got over the weekend was whether he might compete in a NASCAR race again.
“I’m busier than expected, but would love to come back to NASCAR for some fun in the future,” Johnson told NASCAR.com. “I’m not sure it’s possible in ’22, I don’t have any plans to [right now].’
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But Johnson has always been willing to adjust his schedule when possible and under the right circumstances. This year’s big addition is his debut in the Indianapolis 500. He will be the first multi-time NASCAR champion and multi-time Daytona 500 winner to compete in the great open-wheel race; Cale Yarborough won multiple Cup Series titles and Daytona 500 crowns after his four starts in the Indy 500 (1966-67; 1971-72).
Only legends Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt have won both a Daytona 500 and Indy 500. Andretti won at Daytona in 1967 and at Indy in 1969. Foyt won the Daytona 500 in 1972 and has four Indy 500 victories (1961, ’64, ’67 and 1977).
That quest will be part of Johnson’s first full-time IndyCar Series campaign. This year he is going to add oval races after a 2021 rookie season that was made up of road-course events only.
And judging by Johnson’s demeanor, it’s all a culmination of his many experiences and open expectations. The Rolex 24 at Daytona was his green flag.
“I remember being a young kid in San Diego and the IMSA Series would come to Del Mar race track and I remember watching [Indy 500 winner] Bobby Rahal win that race with a big cool mustache and a cool beer sponsor on the car,” Johnson said. “That was my first time to see a prototype car close and that was the moment where I said, ‘man, I want to drive these cars. Some day I want to race.’ That’s what got me interested in it and then I was able to explore it and start coming here. ”
“This is something I want to be a part of because everyone is here and because everyone from all these different disciplines come to run. It’s so cool to share the track with IndyCar, SportsCar, NASCAR, F1 stars, whoever it might be.”
And even though Johnson will be in Sweden, a half-world away from the highly anticipated NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, Johnson says he will be keeping tabs on the event. He said he would have attended, but had already committed to the Race of Champions.
“I had a close eye on going, but will be paying attention,” Johnson said. “I think it’s going to be great.”