IndyCar: 3 possible oval drivers for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023

Possible Chip Ganassi Racing drivers: No. 3 – Jimmie Johnson

While Jimmie Johnson won’t be back competing full-time during the 2023 IndyCar season, it’s not out of the question that he could return as a part-time driver for only the five oval races on the schedule.

Johnson only made his oval debut in 2022, yet during his two-year stint including the 2021 and 2022 seasons, which included 24 road and street course starts and just five oval starts, his top four results all came in oval races.

He finished in a career-high fifth place at Iowa Speedway, sixth at Texas Motor Speedway, 11th in the other race at Iowa Speedway, and 14th at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

Despite crashing out of his Indy 500 debut, he still finished in 10th place in the 2022 oval standings. By comparison, he finished in 24th out of 25 full-time drivers in the road and street course standings.

However, it does appear likely that any Johnson return to America’s top open-wheel series for the 2023 season would likely only be for the Indy 500, and if he does run that race, his return would probably come in a fifth Indy 500 entry for Chip Ganassi Racing. He has said before that he has backing from Carvana for whatever races he can line up for himself in 2023.

Tony Kanaan drove a fifth entry for the team in the 2022 Indy 500, but he is set to join Arrow McLaren SP for the 107th running of the race in May 2023.