Johnson Looks to Join Elite Fraternity Should He Capture Indy 500 Win – Motorsports Tribune

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

INDIANAPOLIS – Jimmie Johnson is already part of an exclusive club with a membership of three, having won seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, but if all goes to plan on Sunday, he could be joining another elite fraternity of drivers – those that have won both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.

Currently, only two legendary drivers, Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt, have accomplished the feat of winning the biggest race in open wheel and the biggest race in stock cars. Johnson will be looking to become the third.

“I’ve heard the stat. Would love to be one of three,” Johnson said. That’s kind of where it’s at. I’ve just not been one to think about what it might feel like or what it might possibly do for my career legacy or, you know, those types of questions, but I know it would be so, so amazing to join those guys if I could.

“I have no idea what that moment would be like, but it’d be a huge honor to join them. And I know from my past in NASCAR, a few different moments that I’ve had to join the greats, it just means so much.”

To get there, he will have the monumental task of tackling one of the biggest – if not the biggest – races of his career when he straps into the No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to take the green flag for the 106^th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Building on his success earlier in the year at Texas, Johnson has shown speed throughout his time during the Month of May, learning both on and off track how to navigate the 2.5-mile Indianapolis oval with hands on experience in the various practice sessions that have taken place leading up to the main event.

Based on the results thus far, Johnson is optimistic he can be in the hunt on Sunday.

“I think my laps on track and practice, racing around the other cars, making quality passes on drivers I think that’ll be favorites for the race is helping my confidence,” Johnson said. “I’d say the thing…