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NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson’s IndyCar debut coming sooner than expected?

By Asher Fair

AVONDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 06: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, prepares to drive during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 06, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 06: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, prepares to drive during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 06, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Like most things in the world in 2020, the plans of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson to compete in IndyCar have changed. But unlike most things, he may make his debut sooner than expected — a lot sooner.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has not been shy about expressing his desire to compete in an IndyCar road course race after he retires from full-time Cup Series competition at the end of the 2020 season.

He had a test lined up with Arrow McLaren SP for Monday, April 6 at Barber Motorsports after attending Spring Training at Circuit of the Americas as a guest of the team.

The team even went out of their way to acquire the number 48, the only number he has ever used in his 655 career Cup Series starts for Hendrick Motorsports, from Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for this test around the 17-turn, 2.38-mile (3.83-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Birmingham, Alabama, indicating that he could very well make his series debut in 2021.

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Unfortunately, that test was wiped off the calendar as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, just like most other things have been wiped off the calendar recently in the world of motorsports — and pretty much everywhere else.

Johnson has stated that it is still on his “bucket list” to test an IndyCar at some point in the future. But as strange as it sounds, despite all of the recent delays, postponements and cancellations that this pandemic has forced, he might actually get to drive one in an actual IndyCar race sooner than he otherwise would have.

So far, the Cup Series schedule has been altered in the form of seven races being postponed to undisclosed dates. There has been no new schedule released, and all we know at this point is that the goal is still to run all 36 initially planned races, likely fitting some in during scheduled off weekends, creating at least one more doubleheader and finding a number of midweek race dates.

Everything is still on the table.

As far as IndyCar is concerned, cancellations, not just postponements, have unfortunately already taken place. Three of the season’s first four races were officially canceled and the other is now slated to serve as the season finale sometime after Sunday, September 20, which is when the season was initially scheduled to end at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

But several other changes were made, including four more postponements and one race actually moving up a week, and IndyCar has since released a new schedule, one which is still obviously subject to change.

A few notable changes involved Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Since 2014, IndyCar has run a race on the track’s road course on the Saturday in May leading into Indianapolis 500 practice and qualifying week (so 15 days prior to the Indy 500 on Memorial Day Sunday).

Unfortunately, those plans were scrapped for 2020, and the Indy 500 was moved back by nearly three months to Sunday, August 23. It is still set to have its traditional practice and qualifying sessions leading up to it over a two-week period.

But the road course race is now scheduled to come during a separate trip to the Brickyard. It is now scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 4.

That happens to be during Brickyard 400 weekend. Johnson and the rest of the Cup Series field are scheduled to compete in the Brickyard 400 the following afternoon.

Thanks to the recruiting skills of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, Johnson has stated that he would like to compete in this race.

Could it happen? Here is what Johnson had to say about “doing the new double”, according to NBC Sports.

"“I think that would be an awesome opportunity. Clearly a lot of things to sort out, and I haven’t even asked permission yet to pull it off. But I love the idea and am so thankful Graham (Rahal) brought it up because I would have probably missed it and reacted too late.”“What’s funny is (Rahal) was texting me yesterday. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about, then I looked on Twitter and understood what he threw out there. I am so thankful he brought that up. I have not looked at the schedule. I know that IndyCar posted (a schedule), but with NASCAR’s schedule up in the air, my head wasn’t even around that. So if that is the case, and those weekends do line up, I’ll take a very hard look at it."

Because he is not yet a retired NASCAR driver, however, Johnson would have to seek approval to compete in an IndyCar race, most notably from Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick, who has blocked such deals in the past involving other drivers.

"“Definitely, there’s approvals on my side from my team, Mr. Hendrick, sponsors. It would be a Chevy, so that part would be pretty easy to pull off. That approval process would really be it. I’d find out pretty quickly. I’m not sure I’d ever get the answer I wanted, but I’d find out quickly.” Next: Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time"

Will Jimmie Johnson make his IndyCar debut this summer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? A lot still has to happen to put a deal together, but the recent schedule changes, assuming they aren’t changed further, could set him up for that opportunity, especially since he already has connections with Arrow McLaren SP to drive a Chevrolet-powered car — and with the number 48.