Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson announced on Wednesday that he will compete in the NTT IndyCar Series next year, signing a two-year program deal with Chip Ganassi Racing. Johnson is set to retire full-time from NASCAR competition at the conclusion of the 2020 season.
If sponsorship can be secured for Johnson, he will run both road and street circuits next year. Earlier this year, Johnson tested an IndyCar with Chip Ganassi at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Chip Ganassi Racing current drivers are Scott Dixon, who not long ago won his 50th career race in IndyCar, Felix Rosenqvist, and Marcus Ericsson. Ganassi runs Honda in the NTT IndyCar Series and Chevrolet in NASCAR.
This would end Johnson’s full-time relationship with Chevrolet, but could also benefit him if Honda gives permission for him to run the NASCAR races at Daytona 500 and Southern 500.
Johnson told the Associated Press, “I did have to make that call to my friends at Chevrolet, and they completely get it. Chip runs a Chevy NASCAR program and has won a championship for them in IndyCar, and you know, it’s not ideal, but they understand the opportunity, and hopefully, there are ways we can still race together.”
Chip Ganassi, on the partnership with Johnson, said, “To pair Jimmie with the likes of Scott Dixon is quite an opportunity. They are truly in rarified air, and I think everyone knows by now that I like winners. The goal right now is for us to run Jimmie in an Indy car for at least the next couple of seasons, and we want to show people we’re serious about the program. We felt it was important to get the partnership done and start putting the financial building blocks in place to make this a reality.”
This is not the first time that Ganassi has brought another big-name driver to another series. In 2006, Ganassi brought over Juan Pablo Montoya from Formula 1. Montoya won Rookie of the Year in 2007 to go along with two wins, 24 top-five finishes, 59 top-ten finishes, and nine poles in the Cup Series. In 2008, he brought over Dario Franchitti from his IndyCar team to NASCAR. Franchitti only spent one season in NASCAR before returning to IndyCar.
This isn’t the first time Johnson has left one motorsport for another. Johnson started his racing career at four years old racing motorcycles. He then raced off-road trucks in the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group, Short-course Off-Road Drivers Association, and SCORE International. He won Rookie of the Year in all three off-road racing series. In 1998, he started racing stock cars in the American Speed Association in late model touring cars and won Rookie of the Year before making his way into NASCAR that same year.
Johnson has spent twenty years in NASCAR Cup racing, all with Hendrick Motorsports. He currently has 83 career wins, which is tied for fifth along with Cale Yarborough. If he can get his 84th win by the end of the season, he will move into a three-way tie for fourth all-time with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison.
