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IndyCar: Jimmie Johnson’s Arrow McLaren SP test date confirmed

By Asher Fair

AVONDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 06: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 06, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 06: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 06, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Jimmie Johnson is scheduled to test an IndyCar for Arrow McLaren SP at Barber Motorsports Park on Monday, April 6, the day after the IndyCar race at the track.

Last week, it was confirmed that seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is slated to test an IndyCar for the first time with Arrow McLaren SP at Barber Motorsports Park sometime next month.

Now it has been confirmed that Johnson is set to drive a Chevrolet-powered car for the team around the 17-turn, 2.38-mile (3.83-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Birmingham, Alabama on Monday, April 6, the day after the 90-lap Honda Indy Alabama IndyCar race at the track. This race is the second of 17 races on the 2020 schedule.

Johnson is not slated to be on hand for the race itself since the Cup Series is set to compete at Bristol Motor Speedway for their eighth race of the 36-race season on Sunday, April 5 as well.

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This test came about after Johnson attended IndyCar Spring Training at Circuit of the Americas as a guest of McLaren last month. He is also a close friend of McLaren CEO Zak Brown, and he did a Formula 1 ride swap with two-time champion Fernando Alonso, then a McLaren driver, back in November of 2018 at Bahrain International Circuit.

There is mounting speculation that Johnson, who has stated multiple times over the years that he would like to compete in a few IndyCar road and street course races, will make his IndyCar debut in 2021, as he is slated to retire from full-time Cup Series competition after the 2020 season, his 19th season as the full-time driver of the #48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

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This test naturally has only added to that speculation, and the fact that the team acquired the number 48 from Dreyer & Reinbold Racing certainly didn’t do anything to calm down those rumors.