When Jimmie Johnson shared his prediction for the future of IndyCar

Motorsports icon Jimmie Johnson once shared his prediction about the future of IndyCar during his active years of racing in the series. The 49-year-old competed in the open-wheel series for two years, in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, in an interview in 2022, offered a compelling prediction about the series, detailing his optimistic thoughts about its management by the Penske Entertainment Group. Jimmie Johnson, who made a transition to IndyCar in 2021, spoke candidly about how he saw the sport benefiting domestically from the growth of Formula 1 in the United States.

Sharing his thoughts with The Athletic, he stated:

“I don’t think I really have any worries. I feel like the series is in great hands with Roger Penske and the group he has running it. I’m excited to see all the excitement around motorsports in the U.S. There’s been a lot of discussion around the F1 growth, but I still feel like it is nationally where all forms of motorsport in the U.S. have more interest.”

The former Chip Ganassi Racing driver also pointed to increased fan engagement as another reason for his optimism and added:

“Viewership numbers are up, attendance numbers are up. So I think motorsports is on an incline, and I’m really happy for that and hope that each series is prepared and ready to really ride that wave and continue to grow.”

The IndyCar racing series has indeed witnessed its popularity grow since Jimmie Johnson’s remarks. Although it still races solely in the United States, the series has attracted growing international interest, evident in the arrival of new entrant Prema from Italy and a steady influx of drivers from beyond the shores of the Americas.

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When Josef Newgarden lauded Jimmie Johnson’s IndyCar switch

Jimmie Johnson during the IndyCar race at the World Wide Technology Raceway - Source: Getty

Josef Newgarden was one of several individuals who lauded Jimmie Johnson’s bold switch from stock car racing to IndyCar. The former NASCAR Cup Series icon made the bold transition to open-wheel racing ahead of the 2021 season.

Newgarden, who himself continues to etch his name into IndyCar history, praised Johnson’s willingness and resilience to challenge himself despite already boasting a decorated career in stock and drag racing. In an interview in 2021, the Team Penske driver detailed how impressive it was for a driver to leave his comfort zone for a new, highly demanding challenge.

“I definitely envy the work ethic side of a lot of guys. Someone like Jimmie is a great example. Right now he’s having to put a tremendous amount of work into IndyCar and understand what it takes to be skillful at this specific type of racing…” Newgarden said in an interview with The Athletic.

“You can generally see that from the guys that are really successful. They have a very strong work ethic about them. The true professionals work with the team, they push the team, and they push themselves—they don’t leave anything on the table. And I love that. So I admire that about guys like Jimmie. Scott Dixon is another great example of that. Any strong champion within a sport has that quality,” he added.

While Jimmie Johnson’s two-year stint in IndyCar did not mirror his years in NASCAR in terms of success, he did deliver some noteworthy performances. Among his highlights in the open-wheel racing series was being crowned Rookie of the Year in his maiden race at the iconic Indy 500 event in 2022.