MARTINSVILLE, Va. – He may be wrapping up his NASCAR Cup Series career, but that doesn’t mean Jimmie Johnson plans to have a lot of down time.
Johnson, who has already agreed to compete in the road and street events on the NTT IndyCar Series calendar next year with Chip Ganassi Racing, admitted Sunday prior to the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway that he’d like to add the Rolex 24 to his schedule next year.
“I hope to get something kind of moving on the Rolex 24,” Johnson said. “That’s certainly high on my list for next year. But again, with my plate being so full wrapping up (2020) and then just trying to get started on the IndyCar side, I haven’t had a chance to work on much of that.”
Johnson is no stranger to the Rolex 24, having competed in the event seven times between 2004 and 2011. He’s earned two overall runner-up finishes in the annual endurance classic, once in 2005 while driving for Howard Boss Motorsports and again in 2008 while apart of the Bob Stallings Racing squad.
Those runner-up results have the 45-year-old Johnson anxious to get another shot at the event, which Johnson considers one of the marquee events in all of motorsport.
“The fact that I’ve been second twice fuels that fire a bit more,” Johnson said with a laugh. “These bucket list items involve marquee events and Le Mans and the Rolex 24, those are on the top of any auto racer’s list. They’re still on mine although I’ve been in the Rolex 24 quite a few times. I just want to go back and do it. These marquee events and unique opportunities like this really sound fun and exciting to me moving forward.”