Didn’t think it would be this tough’: Jimmie Johnson on NASCAR ownership, IndyCar career

After winning his first Brickyard 400, Kyle Larson was asked a fairly routine question near the end of his Sunday night news conference. He responded with an unexpected and captivating response.

In your opinion, who drove the fastest automobile today? Did you?

 

The second driver he cited has only finished in the top-20 five times in 2024, and hasn’t done any better than sixth, despite the fact that he likely possessed one of the two fastest cars.

The best thing that came out of a challenging weekend for Legacy Motor Club—which at moments had so much promise but delivered two crashed cars and finishes of 28th, 29th, and 33rd—may have been that Larson mentioned John Hunter Nemechek at that very moment.

 

 

Jimmie Johnson, the driver-owner, is used to weekend events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but this one is very different. After his IndyCar stint, Johnson returned to full-time racing in less than two years, but even now, he is still adjusting to the new expectations and the amount of time it takes to establish his own reputation after 19 full-time seasons, 83 NASCAR Cup wins, seven championships, and 12 “crown jewel” victories.