The seven-time NASCAR Cup champion took part in only road and street courses in his rookie season with Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda last year, and so far his best qualifying position is 21st – on his debut at Barber Motorsports Park – and his best finishes have been 17ths at the last two races of 2021, at Laguna Seca and Long Beach.
Johnson believes he can improve on those stats at TMS, although he’s still never run in traffic on an oval, so he has much to learn in the two practice sessions on Saturday. Indeed, with Ganassi pulling out of last week’s Texas test after it was postponed by three days due to excessively cold weather, Johnson has run only one test at Texas – for his oval rookie orientation last August – and one at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, when he embarked on his IMS-specific Rookie Orientation Program.
“I really feel like I need to be further up in the field… or would like to be further up in the field,” said Johnson. “I certainly feel like…
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