Johnson wishes for more oval races

There are just two races left in the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, both on permanent road courses in Portland, Ore., and Monterey, Calif.

In his first full season as an INDYCAR competitor, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson hit his stride in the five races on ovals. That form of driving suited his racing style from his legendary career in NASCAR that included 83 wins and more season championships than any driver, tying the great Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

Johnson started last Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis in 21st position. His No 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda came to life in the final half of the race.

Although his goal was a top-five finish, Johnson’s 14th-place finish in a race that had just two caution periods gave him more confidence that he can be competitive in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

His best races in 2022 came on oval tracks. It started with a dramatic XPEL 375 at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway on March 20 when Johnson started 18th in the 27-car field. He used the treacherous high line to race his way into the top five before getting passed late in the race by teammate Scott Dixon and finishing fifth.

Johnson’s next oval was in the biggest race of the year, the 106th Indianapolis 500. He was among the fastest drivers in nearly every practice session, ran the fastest laps he has ever turned in any race car in his career, and made the “Fast 12” drivers that would contend for the pole.

Johnson bobbled on his final qualification run, and that was just enough to keep him from a run at the pole. He started the race 12th, and after falling back in the field, discovered it was difficult to pass on the high-speed, narrow Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval from so deep in the field.

He crashed in the Turn 2 wall with two laps to go.

Johnson said the Indianapolis 500 was an incredible experience, even if he finished 28th out of 33 cars.

“I think when I look at my oval performances, if there are multiple lanes, I seem to run well,” Johnson said. “Indy is a single-file track, I wasn't able to pass and use my experience like I had hoped to.”

For Johnson, however, the best was yet to come.

It happened at the seven-eighths of a mile Iowa Speedway in the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend. In the first race of a doubleheader, Johnson started 15th and once again used the highest line on the race track to pass his way to the front. He led 19 laps in the race before fading to an 11th-place finish in the July 23 Hy-VeeDeals.com 250.

That performance gave him confidence for the following day when he started 13th and once again took the high line to the front. He passed Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and this year’s Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson for fifth place late in the race.

That is where Johnson finished, for the highest finish in his brief, two-year INDYCAR career.

He was hopeful of another top-five finish at Gateway, but instead drove back to the pits 14th after the race.

“I was excited about my first race here in St. Louis in an Indy car,” Johnson said. “Of all of the ovals we have raced on this year, we did not have a chance to come here and test. It just takes some time to get up to speed and get going.

“About midway through the race, it finally clicked for me, and I felt really competitive and was able to move forward. After the rain delay, I was able to get a couple more spots and felt pretty racey. It was just about comfort. I had a car capable of running in the top-five or top-10.

“It was a matter of me understanding how to drive around this track, and I finally got there at the end.”

Once Johnson’s No. 48 Honda came to life, he displayed his oval expertise.

“The car is really tough to feel the load in the car here,” Johnson explained. “I didn’t want to overstep the grip of the car and make a mistake. I got trapped behind Ed Carpenter’s car early in the race that held us up, then the leaders got to us. I was racing against Will Power, and he ran me up into the marbles and I fell back.

“It was really after the first pit stop that I understood the senses in the car and was able to go.”

Johnson also had to fight off the “marbles” – the little pellets of tire rubber that wear off in the race and end up on the high side of the race track.

“Marbles are really bad here,” Johnson said. “What’s tough here is Iowa was easy because you could see where the marbles are because of the color of the surface. Here, the color of the surface is so dark, you can’t tell where you are.

“Once you get into them, you are in trouble.

“The pit cycles and cautions get people a lap down, that’s the tricky part. I unfortunately was stuck behind Ed and didn’t have the confidence to run the outside lane to get by him. I got down a lap and stayed a lap down the rest of the race.”

Although he was 14th, Johnson felt some satisfaction because he fought back in the race.

“Definitely, because of the way my confidence behind the wheel started on Lap 1 when I rolled out on the track to where I finished shows the importance of a test session and really how specialized these cars are on every track,” Johnson said. “I’m sad this is the last oval of the season.

“I wish there were a few more.”