NASCAR: 5 drivers who could’ve replaced Jimmie Johnson
By Asher Fair
If Kyle Larson hadn’t been fired by Chip Ganassi Racing during the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, would he still have replaced Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports?
Two years ago today, Kyle Larson was officially fired by the Chip Ganassi Racing NASCAR Cup Series team, just days after he used a racial slur during a virtual iRacing event. The Cup Series was in the middle of an unexpected 10-week hiatus, caused by COVID-19-related restrictions, at the time.
2003 Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth, who hadn’t competed in the series full-time since 2017 and hadn’t competed at all since 2018, was named Larson’s replacement behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet for the remaining 32 races on the schedule.
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Larson, who was never guaranteed another chance, ended up returning to the Cup Series in 2021, and he did so with Hendrick Motorsports. While he drives the #5 Chevrolet and not the #48 Chevrolet, he was the official replacement for seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who retired after the 2020 season.
But who might’ve replaced Johnson had the whole iRacing incident not left Larson without his Chip Ganassi Racing seat? Here are five possibilities.
Possible Jimmie Johnson replacements: No. 1 – Brad Keselowski
Whenever a seat at Hendrick Motorsports opened up, former JR Motorsports Xfinity Series driver Brad Keselowski was always a name thrown around to be a potential replacement. Keselowski entered the 2020 season, his 11th season as a full-time driver with Team Penske, without a contract to compete in 2021, and there were rumors that he was ready to move on.
Keselowski ultimately signed a one-year deal to remain with Roger Penske’s team for a 12th year in 2021, but he did end up leaving after the season. He joined Roush Fenway Racing, which have since been renamed RFK Racing, as not only a driver but a co-owner. He replaced Ryan Newman, also a former Penske driver, behind the wheel of the #6 Ford.
The main reason why he left Team Penske is because they couldn’t offer him an ownership stake in the team. So it likely wouldn’t have worked out with Rick Hendrick’s team anyway. To this day, the lone partner in Hendrick Motorsports remains Jeff Gordon, and Gordon spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the organization.