3 possible landing spots for Jimmie Johnson in 2023

Jimmie Johnson recently said his that primary sponsor Carvana will support “whatever path” for him in 2023. Where will he end up?

After wrapping up his second year in IndyCar, Jimmie Johnson remains without a contract to compete in 2023. The 47-year-old recently told Associated Press reporter Jenna Fryer that he continues to have financial backing from sponsor Carvana for next year, adding that they will be behind him in whatever he chooses to do.

In addition to IndyCar, Johnson has competed in IMSA on a part-time schedule this year and has even come forward about his desire to return to NASCAR next season, specifically in the Coca-Cola 600 as a part of a Memorial Day Double attempt with the Indy 500. Needless to say, the seven-time Cup Series champion has options.

With several possibilities and financial backing to make them happen, here are three possible landing spots for Johnson in 2023.

Jimmie Johnson landing spots: No. 1 – IndyCar

Maybe the most obvious choice for Johnson is to compete in the series he has competed in over the last two years and improve upon his first full-time season this year. During his first full-time season in the open-wheel series, he saw his best finishes come at the tracks he once balked at: ovals.

His best finishes came at Texas Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway, where he finished in sixth and fifth place, respectively. But his road and street course progress from 2021 might not have been to his liking, as he actually finished worse in some races in 2022.

Chip Ganassi Racing owner Chip Ganassi may be hesitant to re-sign Johnson, who just finished his two-year deal, given the struggles he has had. But with sponsorship from Carvana, it may be hard to walk away from that opportunity. In fact, before the Alex Palou drama unfolded, Ganassi had said that he planned to keep his team at the “status quo” for next year.

For Ganassi, it would make sense to re-sign Johnson if he’s bringing sponsorship from Carvana, and for the El Cajon, California native, he would get to continue to compete in the series he’s dreamed of since he was a kid.