Carvana Agrees To Return With Jimmie Johnson In 2023, But For Which Series?

Despite slumping performance on the stock market, online car marketplace Carvana has agreed to return to racing with Jimmie Johnson in 2023. But Johnson said he isn’t sure what his racing schedule will look like next year or the number of IndyCar races he competes in.

Johnson was a NASCAR Cup Series legend in a career that lasted from 2002 to 2020. He joined Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the only drivers to win seven NASCAR Cup Series championships in a career that also included two Daytona 500 wins and four wins in the Brickyard 400 as part of his 83 career NASCAR Cup Series wins.

Stunningly, Johnson switched gears after the 2020 season, landed Carvana as a sponsor and joined Chip Ganassi Racing’s NTT IndyCar Series team. The El Cajon, California native has admitted he grew up a big IndyCar fans and would attend the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach as a teenager.

His career took him to stock cars, but his retirement from NASCAR allowed him to become an IndyCar rookie on street and road courses in 2021.

Johnson started out his 12-race schedule slowly, but halfway through the season, started to make measurable progress.

He became a full-time IndyCar driver in 2022, adding ovals to his schedule, and appeared to hit his groove. He drove a thrilling race at Texas Motor Speedway in the March 20 XPEL 375, racing his way to a sixth-place finish.

Johnson was among the fastest drivers during the Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 106^th Indianapolis 500 and made the “Fast 12” that would determine the front four rows.

On Johnson’s qualification attempt, he momentarily bobbled on his first lap and despite three very fast laps afterwards, it was enough to keep him from contending for the pole.

On race day, Johnson started 12^th, fell back in the field and struggled with turbulence running so far back on the one-groove 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. He ultimately crashed near the end of the race and finished 28^th.

Despite that, he was named 2022 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.

He continued his oval expertise in the Hy-Vee IndyCar Weekend at Iowa Speedway. He led 19 laps in the July 23 Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 and raced to a career-best fifth place finish in the July 24 Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300.

Showing tremendous progress on the ovals, Johnson admitted he has not measured up to his expectations on the street and road courses.

Despite that, he continued to tell the media that he wanted to remain as a full-time IndyCar driver in 2023 but was waiting to hear from Carvana if they would return to support his efforts.

Johnson got that answer earlier this week and revealed it to a group of media members Friday at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca, site of Sunday’s 2022 NTT IndyCar Series Championship final, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

“I actually do have an update for you guys,” Johnson said. “Great news. Carvana is behind me in whatever I choose to do in 2023. To have their support, their desire to be with me in whatever plans I decide to take in 2023, this is exciting news.

“They see such a high value in being a part of the IndyCar Series, the cars that I’m driving, the series I’m involved with that ultimately whatever path I choose to have in 2023, they will support it.

“I wish I had more news to share. I don’t. I do have this news in September versus December of last year. My typical journey in IndyCar is the season finishes, I take some time to figure out what I really want to do, explore the options in front of me and then make a decision.

“I feel very good to have this news and know what I provide, what Chip Ganassi Racing provides, what this series is about, Carvana wants to be back and are willing to support a full IndyCar schedule if that is what I decide to do.”

Johnson has been saying for months that he definitely wants to continue fulltime in IndyCar. On Friday, however, he chose his words carefully.

“It’s time to go home, look inside myself and what my goals are professionally and personally, spend some time talking to girls about it and make some decisions,” Johnson said. “I honestly think I’m not doing anything different this year than I did last, let the dust settle from the season and evaluate my options.

“I can go on record to say this year has been more of a time commitment on a full-time schedule basis than I expected. I don’t know where my IMSA plans sit. I don’t know where my IndyCar plans sit. I want to get to Le Mans. There are other things I want to do personally and professionally as well and see what works.

“I’m going to go through my normal process. Take a bit of time, digest it, think about it, meeting with Team Johnson and see what works. But the good thing is Carvana sees how important this is all about and wants to support me in whatever way they do.”

Johnson enters Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey with one top-five finish in 28 career IndyCar starts including a partial season in 2021 and a full season in 2022.

He is 21^st in NTT IndyCar Series points.

However, Johnson has made dramatic improvement in terms of lap times and race craft to the IndyCar but continues to struggle on the street and road courses while showing increased competitiveness on the ovals.

“It’s all to be determined,” Johnson said. “I love being here. I want to be here. I do feel like the other piece to this puzzle is Chip Ganassi Racing. The support I have from Chip and everybody in the organization.

“This is more about me wanting to figure out what I want to do in 2023. Chip is in the loop on all of these conversations and has been a great friend in all of this process. He is on board with whatever I want to do.

“This all happened last year after the season concluded. This is no different than what I’ve done in year’s past, it’s just we found out about it in September.”

Johnson wants to be part of the Garage 56 entry in next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, a NASCAR effort in the famed endurance contest.

Johnson, however, is waiting on the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series schedule so he can determine his racing schedule.

Johnson’s major associate sponsor is The American Legion, but he indicated it’s a Chip Ganassi Racing sponsor. He believes The Legion would want to be on board with whatever decision he makes.

Johnson was asked point-blank if he would definitely do the Indianapolis 500 in 2023?

“It’s all part of the process,” Johnson said. “I feel like I just need to let the dust settle on the season and figure out what my personal and professional goals are.

“I also feel like professionally, there are new options developing for me that I’ve got to take a hard look at as well. Good options. In motorsports. They’re all motorsports.

“Chani (his wife) is looking to expand her gallery but just life. We have some personal goals, too. We would love to live abroad for a year. There’s just a lot of elements that play into this.

“I feel very fortunate that I had my serious car racing career, and this is really about the experience. Equal the professional opportunities I have in ’23, I want to look at the personal opportunities for me and my family, and just need some to get that organized.”