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Jimmie Johnson is going to attempt the 2022 Indianapolis 500.
The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion made his longtime Indy 500 dream official on Wednesday with an announcement that he would run full-time in the IndyCar Series in 2022. Johnson ran part-time in the IndyCar Series in 2021 but did not make a start on an oval. The Indy 500 would be his first start in an IndyCar on an oval.
The Indy 500 attempt looked possible after Johnson participated in a test at the track earlier this offseason. Johnson has long said that he wanted to attempt the race but circumstances simply hadn’t worked out. Now with IndyCar drivers having a windscreen in front of their heads and Johnson no longer having any NASCAR duties, he’s making the leap.
If and when Johnson makes the race he’ll be the first Daytona 500 winner to race in the Indianapolis 500 since Mario Andretti in 1994. Kurt Busch has also won a Daytona 500 and competed in the Indianapolis 500, but Busch raced in the 2014 Indy 500 before he won the 2017 Daytona 500.
Johnson, 45, retired from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the 2020 season after he spent 20 seasons at Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson won 83 races and tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series titles of any driver.
His first season of IndyCar was one long test session. Johnson was off the pace for much of the season, though he showed some improvement as the season went on. Johnson had an average finish of 21st in 12 starts — all non-Indy 500 races had between 24-28 cars — and his best finish was 17th. He finished 17th in each of the final two races of the season.