
Sunday’s XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway was Jimmie Johnson’s best finish of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career.
Jimmie Johnson of The American Legion INDYCAR program delivered a “Texas-sized” result in Sunday’s XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway – the best finish of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career.
Johnson’s sixth-place finish on the 1.5-mile high-banked oval gave Johnson and his team partners something to celebrate. It was a tangible sign of major improvement.
“That was as good as a win,” team owner Chip Ganassi told Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who is in his second year in INDYCAR, on pit lane after the race. “That was a huge day. It will help you when you get to Indy. It was absolutely huge.
“You did a great job today. It was really great.”
Johnson said he had to remind himself in the race that he wanted to go a little harder, but it was vitally important for him to finish the race at Texas Motor Speedway as high as possible as the team prepares for the 106th Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
The 46-year-old Johnson was competing in an INDYCAR race on an oval for the first time in his career at one of his most successful tracks during his NASCAR Cup Series career. By returning to his racing roots, Johnson rediscovered success behind the wheel of a race car on an oval.
Johnson raced as high as fifth place when he passed his six-time INDYCAR SERIES champion teammate, Scott Dixon, on Lap 236. Dixon was able to pass him back for fifth place on Lap 246, two laps from the finish.
Johnson started 18th in his first IndyCar Series oval race. Fortunately, he came on a track where he experienced more success than any driver in NASCAR history – the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval.
Johnson used the first 124 laps of the race to build confidence and develop a rhythm. Once he felt confident, he used his years of oval racing expertise and was able to adapt that to the No. 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda at Chip Ganassi Racing.
On Lap 169, he passed defending NTT IndyCar Series champion and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Alex Palou for 10th place. Three laps later, Johnson passed Santino Ferrucci for ninth.
After the final round of pit stops, Johnson really asserted himself. He passed both Dixon and Palou in a straight-up battle on the track. He was up to seventh on Lap 203.
Johnson was up to sixth on Lap 226 and passed Dixon for fifth on Lap 236.
“Because that last portion was so crazy, I nearly ran into the back of the 77 because he was going so slow, and that’s where I got trained by another three cars and Jimmie was one of them,” Dixon said. “I was going down here and looked at the pylon and said ‘Man, he’s ahead of us!
“We’re just happy he did such a tremendous job. You can see when he got out of the car, he was like ‘Man, that was so much fun.’ I wish the race was just a bit longer, so that was cool to see, and obviously I think it’s totally what we expect, so hopefully this gives him confident in the oval races but also on the road courses.”
Dixon was able to pass him back for fifth place on Lap 246, two laps from the finish.
But Johnson’s sixth-place finish was by far the best effort of his brief IndyCar career.
Johnson passed 21 cars on track, 17 for position, seven of those passes were in the top 10 and two were in the top-five.
He also had the fifth-fastest lap in the race.
“What a great experience,” Johnson said. “I’m so thankful for the support I’ve had from Chip Ganassi Racing, from my teammates, the folks at Carvana, The American Legion and Honda. I really felt like when I got a chance to run on the ovals, I would improve my competitiveness.
“I took my time today to make sure I got every lap that I could. I grew confident with the car in traffic, the tools, how to use them, when to use them and the pieces to have a really nice day.
“It’s just me trying to figure it out. I just felt like when I got back on the ovals, it would come to me. By mid-race today, I really felt connected to the car, with what we had and off we went.”
After that, Johnson was congratulated on pit lane by Team Penske driver Will Power, who had a big smile on his face.
“Oh man, back in your wheelhouse,” Power said. “Was it similar?”
“Once I understood the car, and what was too much, then I knew what to do. But working up to that edge, I was so worried in practice. At the end of the runs is when I was most competitive.”
Power said, “Oh yeah, I could see you coming, and my hands were numb.”
Johnson predicted before the race that he would make a big move up through the ranks from his previous races on the street and road courses.
He delivered in the race.
“After the first green-flag pit stop, my confidence level came up,” Johnson said. “I had a good sequence and made up a spot or two on the track, came out behind some competitive cars and fell right in line and was fine. That helped my confidence at that point.
“It took 124 laps before I got into my comfort zone. Will Power mentioned once the tires got old, I could feel them slip and slide and I could understand what the cues were from the car. These cars are so flat and stable, I was afraid to find the edge and make a mistake. Once I worked through a set of old tires, things really came to life for me and off I went.”
Johnson won a NASCAR-record seven races at Texas Motor Speedway in a career that began in 2002 and ended at the end of the 2021 season. His track-record seven wins rank fourth among his career victories at a single track (Dover-11, Martinsville-9, Charlotte-8) and no other Cup driver has won more than four at Texas.
Johnson also owns the track’s series records for consecutive wins (3), laps led (1,152) and top-five finishes (16) in 35 career starts.
Did Johnson make a statement with his race at Texas?
“I feel like in my head, I did,” Johnson said. “This is the world I came from. I just can’t express how different this world is from the one I came from. I wish I could have fought for that top five, but what a special day. I’m very thankful for my family and my fan base. What a special day.
“This is a huge step for having a successful month of May at the Indianapolis 500. All of the laps I ran today are really go help me when I get to the Indy 500.
Now that Johnson has showed his oval prowess can translate to an Indy car, he can be considered a legitimate challenger in the Indianapolis 500.
Was this the start of “Jimmie Mania” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
“I'm not against that,” he said. “Let's go.
“I think today just showed what the 48 car is capable of. We all know what the Chip Ganassi cars are capable of. I just haven't been fast enough on the street and road courses to put the car in that window and get results.
“To be here on a track I know, an environment that I know, I was able to provide and do that for the team. I feel very excited about it, very encouraged about the remaining oval races that are on the books.
“I know I'm going to have a great car. We'll see how it goes.”
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