Jimmie Johnson May Join Petty GMS NASCAR Program, Add Ownership Stake
When seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmy Johnson retired from full-time stock car racing to compete in IndyCar in 2020,
he left the door open for part-time racing in the series, where he won 83 times. before this. He retired from racing full-time in September,
but that announcement gave him more time to potentially return to stock cars. Now, Johnson has a unique way of doing it.
Johnson is getting an ownership stake with the two-car Petty GMS team, joining a program that already
includes seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty in his ownership group, The Athletic reports. Jordan Bianchi is also expected to drive.
In "select races" for the team, opening the door for the NASCAR legend to drive whenever and wherever he wants.
It may also include a possible "one-two" with Johnson's favorite track, a one-time appearance at high-profile races,
or a round of the Indianapolis 500 in which Johnson competes in the morning 500 before taking off from
a return flight. . Charlotte for the NASCAR 600. Run miles later that day.
The Petty GMS is technically an amalgamation of the former Xfinity Series program,
Gallagher Motorsports and the former Richard Petty Motorsports, but is best understood as a fusion between Gallagher Motorsports' ambitions and existing RPM assets.
Team lead driver Eric Jones won a race in the team's first season, while current driver Ty Dillon would be replaced by Xfinity Series driver
Noah Gragson in the team's second car the following year. Johnson's racing is likely to take place in a non-chartered third car.
In addition to his racing with the Petty GMS, Jimmy Johnson is expected to participate in the Garage56 stock car event at Le Mans in 2023.
Johnson has spent the last two years racing a prototype part-time in IMSA endurance events and may eventually return to prototype racing. , ,
but the move to a new higher class based on LMDH has restricted the availability of those cars in 2023.
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