Jimmie Johnson Reflects on NASCAR Return

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson has weighed in after making his return to the NASCAR Cup Series. He made it clear that he certainly enjoyed his time behind the wheel of the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro despite ending the Daytona 500 at the infield care center.

“I had a blast,” Johnson told media members after being released, quote courtesy of Bob Pockrass. “That was fun. That was so nice not worrying about stage points — and I even got a few — and not really worrying about anything. It was just about trying to get to the finish for the checkered flag, and I was one lap away.”

Johnson continued and explained that he wasn’t sure if he had a race-winning car. He said that his speed was not good enough to pull out and lead a line of competitors. Though Johnson also acknowledged that “anything could happen” when answering questions about realistically winning the Daytona 500.

Johnson started The Great American Race at the rear of the field next to Travis Pastrana. However, he worked his way up to seventh by the end of Stage 1. He was running inside the top 10 during Stage 2, but a speeding penalty resulted in him taking the green and white flag 28th overall.

The seven-time champion was buried in the field at the end of the second stage, but he was able to make moves during the final segment. He worked his way up to 12th, and he was on the cusp of a top-10 finish before the wreck that collected him and 12 other drivers.

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More Races Remain on Johnson’s Schedule

Johnson finished 31st overall, but he showed that he can still compete in the Cup Series as he spent time in the top five and top 10. He left Daytona International Speedway more comfortable with the Next Gen car, and now he will prepare to make more starts for Legacy Motor Club.

Johnson has already announced that he will compete in the first-ever Chicago Street Race in July, but there are still questions about the other races on his schedule. Where else will the seven-time champion suit up?

“No, no, not yet,” Johnson said about whether he knows the next race on his part-time schedule. “It will be before Chicago, I know that. But we’re getting close.”

Judging by Johnson’s answer, he won’t be making any announcements in the immediate future. For now, he will focus on supporting Erik Jones and Noah Gragson as the two full-time drivers pursue strong performances and spots in the Cup Series playoffs.

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Johnson’s Future Schedule Depends on Multiple Factors

There are multiple tracks where Johnson could suit up and control the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro. Dover Motor Speedway is one of those that stands out based on his previous success at the track.

Of course, Johnson has not announced if he will head back to the Monster Mile. There are multiple factors that will come into play as he figures out the exact tracks where he will compete. Ultimately, he wants to help the team instead of hurting it.

“Yeah, there are many ways to look at the races I run,” Johnson said in a media session on February 17. “Right now, kind of our pecking order is of course finding sponsorship for the car. And then secondly, what is going to not hurt the team — from a workload standpoint, car count, and aspects that go with that. And then it is to help the other two cars.

“Once we get six months into this and I think we can staff up accordingly, get our inventory right, and kind of catch our breath from the busy offseason we’ve had — we can maybe shuffle the prioritization of those. The goal, ultimately, is to have the No. 84 car really help the other two cars. Help really drive technology and really be a performance reason as to why it’s on track. We’re just not there yet, but that’s kind of in our 12-month forecast.”

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