NASCAR drivers seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately to discuss their failed attempts at the Coca-Cola 600/Indianapolis 500 Double. This growing list now includes seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, who opened up about this on the latest episode of NASCAR’s Hauler Talk Podcast.
The “Double” is a hot topic of conversation in NASCAR, with Kyle Larson’s upcoming attempt at 1100 miles of racing in a single day. He will first race in the Indianapolis 500 before heading to Concord, North Carolina, for the Coca-Cola 600.
Though he has never attempted the double, NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson is on a shortlist of drivers who will enter both races during their careers. On the latest episode of NASCAR’s Hauler Talk Podcast, Johnson not only spoke about “unfinished business” in the 500 but also about an attempt that never happened.
Though Johnson never attempted the double, he told the hosts of Hauler Talk that major plans with Team Penske fell through during his “NASCAR peak.” Though he is unclear about what year this happened, Johnson stated that too many things, including manufacturer support and support from his then-car-owner, Rick Hendrick.
“I had a scenario develop to drive a Penske car. At the time, Honda was the only engine supplier in the sport. And as we got closer to making a decision, I could sense Rick wasn’t really a fan of it. I still had the home hurdle to clear. And then, from a manufacturers standpoint, it just didn’t seem possible.” — Jimmie Johnson
Prior to using Chevrolet engines, Team Penske, at least on the IndyCar side, ran Honda Engines from 2006 to 2011. During this time, Johnson won a championship in five of these six seasons, meaning this truly would have been during the peak of the No. 48 team.
Johnson would not attempt the Indianapolis 500 until 2022, two years after his NASCAR retirement, and ironically, he did so in a Chip Ganassi Honda.
After retiring from NASCAR racing after 2020, Johnson entered a road course-only schedule for CGR in the 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series season. In 2022, Johnson went full-time, making his oval debut at Texas, finishing a career-high sixth.
His Indianapolis 500 debut did not go as smoothly. The former seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion started 12th and finished seven laps down in 28th after an accident on lap 195. On Hauler Talk, Johnson expressed that he felt he had “unfinished business” in the 500, saying he wanted to go back for at least 2023.
But despite his interest, his role as a NASCAR team owner told him it was time to step back.
“As that year [2023] wore on, really looking myself in the mirror about what’s required of a driver and as I knew I was moving into this ownership stake at Legacy [Motor Club], I knew that I just had to start spending less time in the race car if I really wanted to take this next step.” — Jimmie Johnson
Though he has had the chance to go back with “decent” INDYCAR teams, Johnson said that the door for the 500 has shut. “The phones ring a few times to go back and drive at the 500 with some decent opportunities, but I just think that door is shut for me,” Johnson said.
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