A Lifetime in NASCAR Highlights

A LIFETIME IN NASCAR

“A Lifetime in NASCAR” recalls memorable moments from NASCAR’s incredible history. Hosted by NASCAR historians Ben White and Aaron Burns, here are some snippets from a recent episode of the podcast:

BY AARON BURNS

BURNS: One of the coolest there in the pits, just me and Jimthings about NASCAR’s Media mie and Jimmie’s manager. I was Tour happened in 2018. I was like, “What would it take for you to standing out in this expansive try one of those things?” Jimmie area for drivers where they relax says, “If it was a road course, yeah, – Ben, you were at that Media I’d try it.” Tour weren’t you? I’m thinking, in what world is

WHITE: I was, yeah. Jimmie Johnson going to race an

BURNS: In this area, if you Indy car? He might talk about it, so remember those “This is I was like, “Yeah, man,” but he’s not SportsCenter” commercials going to do it. But now, in 2021, Jimwhere somebody’s wearing their mie Johnson is an IndyCar Series uniform and they’re just doing driver for Chip Ganassi Racing. stuff in an office atmosphere, Ben, if you’d have placed that well, I lived that. I was in the bet with me, you would have colbathroom, washing my hands lected big bucks. and there’s Chase Elliott in his WHITE: I’m with you on that, beNAPA fire suit, washing his cause I didn’t see that one coming. hands beside me. It’s not terribly A lot of times, I can, but I did not uncommon if you were at Media see that train coming down the Tour and you had that access. • Jimmie Johnson’s interest in open-wheel racing became more evident as tracks. I just didn’t think that was

But I walk out and Jimmie his NASCAR career reached its end. going to happen. It was kind of a Johnson and (Formula One bucket list thing for Jimmie. He champion) Fernando Alonso, (IMSA champion) Scott and I have talked about that. He’s told me before, “I always thought I was going to Pruett and (Formula One driver) Lando Norris are all go Indy car racing,” and the same (was true) for Jeff Gordon. Jeff Gordon was a big talking. It was this meeting of the minds that was Rick Mears fan growing up. just incredible to watch. When Johnson and Alonso BURNS: Really? were talking, they were talking about trading cars. WHITE: Jeff lived in Pittsboro, Indiana. Everybody in the Midwest – in Indiana None of us knew this at the time, but Fernando especially – is all about going to the Indianapolis 500. As fate would have it, Jeff Alonso used to play NASCAR video games and he’d ended up going to NASCAR, and of course, the rest is history. It was kind of the always drive Jimmie Johnson’s car. same with Jimmie. He was into off-road racing and stock cars weren’t on his

WHITE: Really? Wow. radar, but Chevrolet put Jimmie in a stock car and the rest is history there, too. I

BURNS: This meeting was what set off in late 2018, admire the fact that he can go and say, “These are the things I want to do in my life Jimmie Johnson and some of the Hendrick guys before I say ‘I’m done,’” and he’s still young enough to try his IndyCar hand. Hey, take the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to the Bahrain Inter- kudos to him for doing that. It’s interesting. I just did not see him doing it. national Circuit. Fernando Alonso climbs behind the Speaking of Media Tour, it was so cool to be in the same room with all those wheel of the Lowe’s Chevrolet and Jimmie Johnson guys, just kicking back, having a soft drink and talking about things. It was like, gets behind the wheel of a papaya McLaren Formula 450 wins sitting there. You pinch yourself a little bit. One car. I always thought it was so cool that Jimmie BURNS: For all the Media Tours I’d done, the most incredible moment for had this passion for running an open-wheel car, but me was Scott Pruett talking to Fernando Alonso, talking to Jimmie Johnson. everyone thought, OK, he’d crossed that off his list. That’s like LeBron James talking to Derek Jeter, talking to Tom Brady. That just

So, about a year and a half ago, during qualifying doesn’t happen. for the second ROVAL race, Jimmie is standing there watching Josef Newgarden test his Indy car. They Part of the Out of the Groove Podcast Network, “A Lifetime in NASCAR” did a little exhibition with an Indy car running the is available on platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I was standing