Johnson ready to head to France, but first there’s Charlotte

Throughout his NASCAR Cup Series career, Jimmie Johnson expected to win. He did so 83 times and accumulated a record-tying seven championships in the process.

After his retirement from full-time Cup racing in 2020, Johnson spent two years in the IndyCar Series without threatening to win a race.

Now he’s back in the NASCAR garage as co-owner of Legacy Motor Club and an occasional driver in the Cup Series’ marquee events.

At the same time, Johnson is busy checking off bucket-list items in other forms of racing. Next up is the June 10-11 Centennial edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Johnson will team with Mike Rockenfeller, Jenson Button and reserve driver Jordan Taylor in the No. 24 Garage 56 entry, a collaborative effort between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, Goodyear and IMSA.

But first things first. Johnson is slated to drive in the Coca-Cola 600, and with practice and qualifying canceled, he’ll take to the track with no seat time in the Next Gen Cup at 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“For me, it’s really been about identifying marquee races around the world and trying to figure out how to run in them,” Johnson said. “Le Mans is a great example of that. Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600—these are the marquee events. I’m very thankful for the opportunity I have to race this weekend.

“I feel about as ill-prepared for a race than I ever have in my life, though, with the threat of rain and not getting any seat time in a Next Gen car at this particular track. I ran a couple of hours out in Phoenix before the season started to get a feel for things, and that’s about the only oval experience, comparable oval experience, although it’s still pretty different.”

With the starting lineup set by metrics, Johnson was scheduled to start last (37th) in the Coke 600, a race he has won four times.