A NASCAR legend is calling it a career. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson recently told the Associated Press that he is retiring from full-time racing and will spend more time with his family. He recently competed in IndyCar after retiring from NASCAR full-time in 2020. 2022 was the first season Johnson competed in IndyCar full-time.
“It’s been an interesting process to feel so fulfilled with the experience and then also try to make a decision,” Johnson said. “In the big scheme of things, there is so much life planning going on with the kids. We’ve always had an idea of trying to live abroad for a year or two. We love Colorado and want to spend more time there, and there’s just so much swirling personally and professionally that I just wanted to take some time and make the decision not on the back of a positive or negative experience on the racetrack.”
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Johnson told the Associated Press that he would like to compete in no more than 10 bucket-list events down the road. He is currently scheduled to compete in the Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday. Johnson also revealed that he wants to race in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
“You know me and endurance sports, and the double sounds awesome,” Johnson told the AP. “I’ve always had this respect for the guys who have done the double. I would say it is more of a respect thing than a bucket-list item, and I’d love to put some energy into that idea and see if I can pull it off.”
Johnson competed full-time in NASCAR from 2002 to 2020. His seven Cup Series championships are tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the most all-time. Johnson won the Daytona 500 twice, won the Coca-Cola 600 four times and won the All-Star race four times. He’s a four-time winner of Driver of the Year and he most recently won 2022 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after finishing 28th in his first time racing the event. In his NASCAR career, Johnson won 83 races and finished in the top 10 374 times.
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