MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson is having such a blast as an NTT IndyCar Series rookie driver, he said on Tuesday he wants to remain in the series past 2022 when his two-year agreement with Chip Ganassi Racing concludes.
“I’m happy to go on the record and say I’ll run as many years as possible in the NTT IndyCar Series that Chip will have me, and I can find sponsorship,” Johnson said. “I am having such a good time, and every rep I get in the car, I’m only going to be better. If I were to come back in ’23, I think those expectations would rise up again and my performance would be better yet.
“My intent is to stick around as long as I possibly can.”
The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion tested an Indy car on an oval for the first time Monday at Texas Motor Speedway.
The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has admittedly had a difficult time adapting to the much different form of but had an impressive oval track test. Johnson’s best lap was 214 mph, which would have been fourth fastest in qualifications this past May.
Monday’s test was a major step toward a potential run in the 106th Indianapolis 500 next May.
“That’s really the process,” Johnson said. “I’m eager to find out when that date in October would be for the rookie orientation. It looks like (Romain) Grosjean would normally be going through that, as well. A couple notable rookies going to the Brickyard and working through the orientation process. So that would be the next logical step for me in the car, and conversations are happening certainly with my family.
“I feel like that orientation would be the next logical step on track and then following that would be more team/sponsor related conversations, are we able to do it, how would we do it, what would that look like and kind of use that second test session as a real moment to send me on my path towards potentially running the 500.”