Jimmie Johnson will have a lot more free time on his hands in 2023.
After announcing last month that he would no longer race full-time in any series, the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion said he was going to “pivot” to competing in “meaningful” races across the motorsports spectrum.
That could include a return in select NASCAR Cup races.
While Johnson could potentially make that return in a car owned by Justin Marks’ Trackhouse Racing, don’t expect it to be part of the team’s Project91, which brought former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen to the Cup Series earlier this year at Watkins Glen Int’l.
“Jimmie is a friend of mine and we talk a lot and I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” Marks said earlier this week, adding “100 percent I would love” to put Johnson in one of his cars.
“Project 91 … the brand strategy for that is geared toward bringing international drivers to NASCAR,” Marks said. “So something like that wouldn’t fall underneath the project 91 umbrella, but, I’ll speak for myself, I would love to put Jimmie Johnson in one of our cars. … I think that if the interest is there on his side, then it’s an exercise that we have to go through.”
Marks said that conversation likely wouldn’t happen until Trackhouse wraps up its championship bids in the Cup Series. Currently, both Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez are in the Round of 12.
Justin Marks says Jimmie Johnson could potentially run a third Trackhouse car at “bucket list” NASCAR events for him but it likely would be outside the Project91 initiative: pic.twitter.com/rBomZLRTuk
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 4, 2022
The interest is there on Johnson’s part.
“I’m very fortunate to be in a position right now where I can look at different options,” Johnson said on Fox Sports’ Race Hub. “I’m still very open and interested in running a partial IndyCar schedule. I’ve always wanted to come back and participate in NASCAR just looking for the right opportunity and with the friendship I have with Justin, that’s certainly option that I need to consider and look at. I’d love to go race the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I’ve been participating in the IMSA series. So there’s a lot of racing and I’m very thankful to have interest from team owners to put me in a car and then partners that would like to continue the relationship on with me.”
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Round of 8 Clinch Scenarios
The second elimination race of the NASCAR Cup playoffs are at hand.
The playoff field will be trimmed from 12 to eight drivers this Sunday at the Charlotte Roval.
Chase Elliott already punched his trick to the next round with his win last weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
Alex Bowman, who is last on the playoff grid, will not be able to advance due to being sidelined for a second week as he recovers from a concussion.
Here are the Round of 8 clinching scenarios for the rest of the playoff field.
Note: This does not reflect the result of Hendrick Motorsports’ appeal of the 25-point penalty against William Byron, which will be determined today.
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the eighth winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson or Daniel Suarez.
- Ryan Blaney: Would clinch with 21 points
- Ross Chastain: Would clinch with 26 points
- Denny Hamlin: Would clinch with 33 points
- Joey Logano: Would clinch with 36 points
- Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 36 points
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 42 points
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 54 points
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 54 points
- William Byron: Could only clinch with help
- Christopher Bell: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Chase Briscoe or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the seventh winless driver in the standings.
- Ryan Blaney: Would clinch with 23 points
- Ross Chastain: Would clinch with 28 points
- Denny Hamlin: Would clinch with 35 points
- Joey Logano: Would clinch with 38 points
- Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 38 points
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 44 points
- Chase Briscoe: Could only clinch with help
- Austin Cindric: Could only clinch with help
- William Byron: Could only clinch with help
- Christopher Bell: Could only clinch with help
TV Ratings
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at Talladega was the first race to be shown on NBC since the regular-season finale at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
The race garnered 2.827 million viewers and a 1.64 rating.
The 2021 edition of the race was held on a Monday due to rain (0.77 rating, 1.16 million viewers), while the 2020 race earned a 1.92 rating and 3.1 million viewers.