Alex Bowman has just helped former teammate Jimmie Johnson live out a dream. He provided the seven-time NASCAR champion with an opportunity to drive a winged sprint car.
The former and current drivers of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet spent September 27 at a local dirt track. They talked about the uniqueness of the winged sprint cars and then Bowman took some laps in the No. 55. Johnson followed while trying to quickly adapt to a very different style of vehicle.
What happens when two allies come together? Dreams come true. 💜
Take a look at what happened when @JimmieJohnson got behind the wheel of @Alex_Bowman’s #Ally55 winged sprint car. On a scale of 1 to 10, how cool is this?!
Bowman made some jokes about the situation back in late September. He said that Johnson was going to run the full, 92-race World of Outlaws schedule for Alex Bowman Racing. In reality, the two drivers were simply filming some content for Ally Racing, the company that has supported them both. Though the session still helped Johnson check off one of his goals.
Bowman Has an Open Seat for Johnson
GettyJimmie Johnson (left) drove a winged sprint car.
The Arizona native is not someone that disappears from the spotlight and heads off to a tropical location for the offseason. Bowman actually continues to work at his shop while preparing his Chili Bowl entries.
“My family’s out in Arizona. I haven’t gone home for Christmas in a long time,” Bowman told media members prior to the NASCAR Awards. “I’ve spent a lot of Christmases working on race cars, just always kind of that last-minute Chili Bowl prep because we leave the next week for Tulsa.”
Will Johnson take over one of the ABR entries for the Chili Bowl? Bowman does not believe so, at least not in 2023. Though he will have an extra winged sprint car ready if needed.
“Jimmie knows that I’ve got a car if he wants one,” Bowman said. “I actually just got a fourth car dropped off at the body hanger. So I don’t think it’ll happen this year. I don’t see him texting me and saying, ‘Hey, let’s do it.’ But maybe next year or maybe it will happen this year. I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. But other than that, it’ll be the same group of us. Just me and some of my buddies going racing.”
Bowman & Johnson Will Meet Again on the Race Track
The time spent at the local dirt track provided Johnson with an opportunity to test himself in one of Bowman’s winged sprint cars. It checked off a goal, and now he will prepare to face off with his former teammate once again.
Johnson will be back in action in the Cup Series in February 2023. He will make his first start since the 2020 season finale, and he will compete in the Daytona 500 while driving for Petty GMS.
Johnson has made 38 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, and he has achieved some success. He won the Daytona 500 two times and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 once, all while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.
Now Johnson will return for the 2023 edition while facing off with Bowman, who has started from the pole two times. The current driver of the No. 48 hasn’t won at the superspeedway, but he has posted a pair of seventh-place finishes.
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Alex Bowman Helps Jimmie Johnson Check Off a Goal