Jimmie Johnson and the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series lineup will return to on-track action in less than 10 days, as the 2020 season is set to resume at Darlington Raceway for a unique, socially distanced event on May 17th.
NASCAR will become one of the first major sports leagues, along with the UFC, to resume activities this month, and the Cup Series schedule will be unusually hectic with four races in the span of 11 days at two iconic tracks, Darlington and Charlotte.
In order to minimize the time crews need to spend at the track, NASCAR will run its first race back at Darlington with zero practice or qualifying sessions, meaning the drivers won’t see the track at full speed until the green flag drops. As a result, practicing beforehand on simulators such as iRacing – which NASCAR drivers have flocked to during coronavirus shutdowns – will be crucial.
In an interview on ESPN’s Marty & McGee show, Johnson said he’s logged hundreds of laps on his sim setup at Darlington in preparation for the return to racing. Johnson also said that the time away from his real-life car has given him a preview of what his life will be like after stepping away from the full-time grind.
More than a month ago, Johnson told FTW’s Michelle Martinelli that while he hadn’t thought about delaying his retirement, “the opportunity could be there” with his main sponsor, Ally, signed on to Hendrick Motorsports through 2023. As of now, Johnson’s certain he’ll be stepping away after 2020, telling ESPN that while he’s going to explore his options racing in other series, he’s definitely going ahead with his retirement from the Cup Series.
Via ESPN:
“At times I feel the fans, my fans specifically, are missing out on something, you know? Sure, we’re going back racing, but we probably aren’t hitting all the tracks we intended to … but for my own accord, and for my family, it’s been a nice window into what the future will be like, and what 2021 will be like. And it’s been nice. I really have enjoyed being around.
…. It’s only cemented my decision in making 2020 my last full-time year in Cup. But I still have some plans to race, and hopefully I’m going to have some time to gear up to make some decisions soon on what I can do in ’21 and beyond.”
