NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson gives update on retirement plans
By Asher Fair
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson still plans to retire after the 2020 season after admitting there was uncertainty about his decision in March.
After the coronavirus pandemic brought the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season to a screeching halt back in March with no return date in sight, one of the biggest questions had to do with the plans of seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson announced after the 2019 season that the 2020 season would be his final season of full-time Cup Series competition.
But with the pandemic having cast a shadow of uncertainty over the season following just four of the 36 scheduled races, he admitted that he was not sure if he would, in fact, end up retiring after 2020. He stated in March that he had “no clue” whether that would actually happen.
This seems to be a popular question from my fans and the simple answer is, I have no clue. We will all be smarter in the weeks to come. Stay healthy everyone! https://t.co/RmSUGxsTWG
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) March 22, 2020
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Now NASCAR is scheduled to resume at Darlington Raceway with the first race in 10 weeks this afternoon. This race is the first of nine races scheduled over a span of 36 days from tomorrow until Sunday, June 21, and NASCAR is reportedly “close” to revealing a full schedule for the remainder of the 2020 season.
These nine races combined with the four that have already been contested are slated to bring the season race total to 13, and NASCAR’s goal is still to run a full 36-race season. This would require the addition of four races, as there are still nine races on the regular season schedule after Sunday, June 21 that haven’t been touched, and the 10 playoff races are all still on the schedule as originally planned.
Given how things stand right now, a 36-race season is looking more likely than it has at any point since this pandemic started.
But because of that, so is a post-2020 Johnson retirement.
With the 2020 season slated to feature 36 races, Johnson says he has no plans to call off his retirement, despite his previous uncertainty about the matter.
Here is what he told CBS Sports Radio’s Jim Rome earlier this week.
"“Yeah, I thought about it some. I honestly made that decision and it is still top of mind. It is still the way I feel. I do have a lot of comfort knowing that we are going back racing. That position hasn’t changed since the coronavirus kicked in, and my final year here in Cup is definitely different then I anticipated.”"
He did reiterate, however, that he will not be done racing, just done competing full-time.
"“Not done with racing. I’m [done] with full-time NASCAR racing. I know in the future; I will be back. I’m even open to being back in a Cup car.”"
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Jimmie Johnson and the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field are set to be back in action this afternoon at Darlington Raceway. Tune in to Fox at 3:30 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the The Heroes 400 from the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) oval in Darlington, South Carolina.