Jimmie Johnson Survives Thunderbird Experience; Prepares For 24-Hour Test After Daytona 500

Jimmie Johnson’s return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing at the Daytona 500 has included many highlights.

On Friday, before taking his No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet onto the Daytona International Speedway oval for practice, Johnson got to achieve a long-time dream of flying with the famed United States Air Force Thunderbirds.

“That’s probably near the top,” Johnson said. “I’ve never felt anything like that, the adrenaline, the acceleration.

“The first thing we did is we got off the runway and picked up the gear and did a performance turn to 10,000 feet. Instantly, I had to practice the heavy-G breathing that they talk to you about. It’s just wild. Just the weight of your body and the experience of pointing that thing in the sky; they roll it over and turn and all kinds of stuff.

“It was great.”

Johnson’s greatest concern before flying with the Thunderbirds was getting sick. He admits that he gets motion sickness easily, which is strange considering he has driven an Indy car at over 230 miles per hour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has driven NASCAR Cup Series cars near 200 miles an hour on the high banks of Daytona and Talladega.

“I was really worried about getting sick and I’m happy to report that my ‘get sick’ bag was empty,” Johnson said proudly. “I did not get sick during the ride, so that was super good. But I did take a little nap.

“We pulled 9.1G’s and I blacked out. I came to sitting in the back wondering where I was, what was going on. It was wild because I couldn’t hear anything and I’m looking around like – what am I doing in an airplane?

“And then I could hear somebody say ‘Jimmie. Jimmie. Jimmie’, and then it got loud and I’m like ‘yeah!’. They were like, ‘Hey, you’re back. I think you took a nap’. I said, ‘I believe I did. I have no clue where I am or what I’m doing right now’. That was wild.”

There are more wild times in store for Johnson. He makes his first NASCAR Cup Series start since the final race of the 2020 season at Phoenix Raceway in Sunday’s 65^th Daytona 500.

Johnson starts the No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet for the Legacy Motor Club in 39^thposition in the 40-car field. Johnson and Travis Pastrana are the two drivers that were added to the lineup based on qualification speed.

With the exception of a test at Phoenix Raceway in January, this week is the first time the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has driven the NASCAR Next Gen car.

“It drives like a stock car,” he said. “It doesn’t drive like an Indy car, Thank God.

“We know how that went.”

For the past two years, Johnson has competed in the No. 48 Carvana/Honda Indy car for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series.

Johnson admittedly struggled on the road and street courses, but he did achieve career-high finishes on the ovals including a fifth place at Iowa Speedway and a sixth place at Texas Motor Speedway last year.

Johnson was the fastest driver in Friday’s practice session at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway with a fast lap of 194.225 miles per hour.

He ran 34 laps and found some similarities with the car he previously drove in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“It’s just like riding a bicycle,” Johnson quipped. “I would say 70 or 80 percent of it is still a stock car and still the draft here. So, the large majority of it is familiar, the large majority of the experience. I’m remembering little details as I make laps and get into the zone that – yeah this works or doesn’t work.

“Turn four is always tricky. Pit lane entry, pit lane exit, blend line, all the details are coming back and it’s still really there. That will help you run in the middle of the pack. But to win the race, you have to be on your game. That’s the part I’m still trying to refine and why I ran every lap I could just now. And I plan to again tomorrow and then still a ton of learning to come in the race itself.”

Johnson doesn’t want to get carried away with his fast speed on Friday, but he does feel confident that he can have a good race in NASCAR Cup Series return in the Daytona 500.

He knows what it takes to win on a restrictor-plate track, where anything can happen, including an unlikely winner.

“I don’t think anybody is visualizing the win just yet,” Johnson said. “I think you’re still trying to figure out who you’re going to work with, who can receive a push, who can push well, who has speed. I certainly helped myself today by being in that fast Chevy pack and working with my old teammates.

“But when it comes to the last lap, it’s every man for himself. I don’t expect anyone to cut me any slack.”

With seven NASCAR Cup Series championships and two Daytona 500 victories, Johnson made the No. 48 one of the most famous numbers in NASCAR history.

That number belongs to Daytona 500 pole winner Bowman.

Ironically, Johnson’s No. 84 Chevrolet ran a few laps side-by-side with Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet on Friday.

“Seeing him wasn’t weird, but having my spotter say the No. 48 car was outside of me was really weird,” Johnson recalled. “Two or three times, I had to remind myself because I really thought it was me when I’m hearing the No. 48. I’m like – yeah, I’m here. Why are you telling me the No. 48 is next to me.’

“I have not driven the No. 48 car since I left that No. 48 car, so that part was different. But from a visual standpoint, I’m used to seeing Alex (Bowman) in the car and that part was fine. But through my ears, hearing about the No. 48, threw me off.”

Earlier on Friday, the Chevrolet Camaro that NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports has entered as the Garage 56 entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Sports Car race was unveiled at Daytona. Johnson will co-drive that car along with German Sports Car ace Mike Rockenfeller and former Formula One star Jenson Button at Le Mans in June.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of it and what a fun car,” Johnson said. “I’m sure you saw some of the specs for it – how much lighter the race car is, the downforce that’s on it, the carbon brakes, paddle shifting – it really is fun to drive. I’m so thankful to be part of the program.

“I literally leave here Sunday; drive in a rental car over to Sebring to do a 24-hour endurance test with the guys. It’s going to be a busy couple of days of driving.”

A 24-hour test at Sebring Raceway the day after running the Daytona 500 will certain be Johnson’s “Longest Day.”

But it’s also a very important test for the ambitious race driver who has plenty of laps to complete, even at the age of 47.

“Obviously, the testing that we’re doing is one piece of it,” Johnson said. “But the

rules, flags, there’s a lot of things that are different in the way they officiate for that particular event. I have to go over before the race and spend a day in the simulator to learn where their flagman stations are, what their flags mean. There are some pit road procedures that I need to be aware of and pay attention to. So, I’ll head over a few days early to go into their simulator to drive that.

“And then at home, I’ve just been using my sim rig and doing a bunch on iRacing. I’ve been out in the Corvette GTGT
car, and I’ve put only prototypes out that are faster than me. I’ll put as many as they’ll give me. it’s usually around 60-70 cars on track, just so they’re chasing me and overtaking me. Every time I’ve been in a sportscar race, I’ve been in the fastest division and have not had to worry about my mirrors, and I’m really concerned about that. I want to make sure I’m leaving a lane when I need to and know what’s coming behind me, and I’m using iRacing to do that.”