Jimmie Johnson cleared to return to NASCAR competition
Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday morning that seven-time Jimmie Johnson has been cleared to return to NASCAR Cup Series competition.
Johnson will drive his no. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in this weekend’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET; TV: Fox Sports 1), just one week after sitting out at Indianapolis, which was the first instance of him missing a race in his Cup career that began in 2002.
Johnson did not race at Indianapolis after testing positive for COVID-19 Friday afternoon. However, he tested negative twice this week – on Monday and Tuesday – and was cleared by his physician Tuesday evening in accordance with NASCAR guidelines. Th
“My family is so grateful for the incredible love and support we’ve received over the last several days,” Johnson said. “I especially want to thank Justin Allgaier for stepping in for me at Indy and being a true pro. I’m excited about getting back to business with my team this weekend.”
Following Johnson’s diagnosis, four Hendrick Motorsports crew members were tested for COVID-19 with all four receiving negative results. The No. 48 team will have its regular personnel roster for Sunday’s event at Kentucky.
Johnson, 44, is currently 15th in the driver standings, 46 points ahead of 17th place Erik Jones who is currently the first driver below the cutoff for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
SOURCES:
Hendrick Motorsports
NASCAR
Racing-Reference.Info
Categories
Discover more from The Racing Experts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com