Which is why some observers have taken a more cynical eye to Johnson’s road and street course struggles and his underwhelming performance in his first Indianapolis 500 which ended in a late crash that could have cost Ericsson victory.
Indianapolis left Johnson “scratching my head”But by way of NASCAR’s popularity in the American motor racing landscape surpassing Ind圜ar’s – even as NASCAR’s popularity has plummeted in recent years – Johnson’s Ind圜ar adventure has been significantly hyped in a way that few other drivers in the series, even proven Ind圜ar champions, have been afforded in the same timeframe.
In a vacuum, that a driver of Johnson’s advanced age and his total lack of previous single-seater experience is doing more than just making up the numbers on a grid every weekend in Ind圜ar is a remarkable feat. “So here, this is the closest experience that I would say crosses over to NASCAR that I’ve had.” You’re going so fast, timing your run was more important than kind of stalking someone and working different lines.” You kind of build a cadence and rhythm of who you’re stalking. “On an oval you have that repetition, you get into a cadence of watching the driver in front of you, understanding if they’re inconsistent or if their car is inconsistent, what circumstances that puts them in, how you might be able to take advantage of it.
Indy, I’m still scratching my head over the race at Indy, how to pass there. “At Texas I felt like I understood the timing of a run, I had the courage to try the second lane where others didn’t. Reminds me of maybe Darlington in a Cup car, which both are two of my favourite tracks to drive.” “You just drive above and beyond what your brain tells you the car can do. And if you’re willing to get up that extra six or eight inches, it would pay off,” he said. Sixth place in Texas was previously Johnson’s best“It honestly reminded me a lot of running at Bristol, the way you just got to run right at the edge of the marbles, tip-toeing around that. Specifically, he likened the experience of racing at Iowa to two revered ovals exclusive to NASCAR: Bristol Motor Speedway, the rapid half-mile bullring with its high-banked corners and historic Darlington Raceway, with its abrasive surface that creates intense tyre degradation similar to what Ind圜ar drivers experienced this weekend at Iowa. Johnson also explained that the experience of racing around the 1.4 kilometre (seven-eighths of a mile) short oval – a circuit he’d never raced on prior to this weekend – was also the closest he’d felt to an experience similar to what he experienced at the height of his NASCAR success, where he could set up multiple corners and use multiple lanes to his advantage.Īdvert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Unfortunately they’re not as obvious as what you can see here on the ovals. “ the street and road courses, I’m making gains. “The ovals feel more natural to me, and I’m able to find my confidence, push the car, and have the downforce and the tyres work for me.” I just think I’ve been on the soft side of this since I’ve ever sat in a car.” It takes a lot of energy to turn these tyres on, and make them perform like they need to. “The faster you go, the more downforce these cars create. Johnson prevailed in fight with team mate Ericsson“I’m understanding how these cars reward aggression,” Johnson said. In his words, he’s “just enjoying driving these little rocket ships around.” His sixth-place finish at the first of those – Texas Motor Speedway – was evidence that simply being back in a more familiar element would benefit the 47-year-old sophomore.īut this weekend was the first where Johnson felt truly in his element, understanding how to get the most out of his Honda-powered Dallara IR-18.
Part of the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion’s progression this season has simply been down to the fact that, unlike his partial rookie campaign, he is running the full season including all of the oval races. “I’m so happy to finally have some experience transfer from stock cars to Ind圜ars,” Johnson remarked afterwards It rewarded him with a career-best fifth place finish at the Iowa 300 on Sunday, sealed by a firm-but-fair pass on his Ganassi team mate, and championship leader, Marcus Ericsson.