Six time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon has tipped his veteran team-mate Jimmie Johnson to really show his talent in this season’s oval races.
Johnson moved over to IndyCar last season following a Hall of Fame-worthy career in NASCAR, but opted to only run the season’s road and street courses in his rookie year.
Following a change of heart, and boosted confidence levels, the 46-year-old will put his oval experience to the test this year by running the entire 2022 season.
Johnson will have every advantage at his disposal as well, since his Chip Ganassi team-mates are piled high with skill and championships, and have been more than willing to help him adapt to open wheel racing.
Dixon, for one, is excited to see how much of Johnson’s oval skills translate to the new discipline once he gets into the frantic scenarios that racing on banking can bring.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Jimmie’s progression,” said Dixon. “And man, on the ovals we know he’s going to be stronger.
“I think our cars have been very good, especially at the [Indy] 500, and hopefully that propels him throughout the rest of the season, as well.
“[Chip Ganassi Racing is bringing] five cars, a lot of cars. I think when you understand the process and how many times you’ve been there before, it can be tricky, and you’ve definitely seen other teams kind of step on their toes in their scenarios.
“I think the way it’s done and who’s involved, hopefully it should go pretty smoothly. The 500 is such a mixed bag anyway. We’ve been fortunate, I think, as a team and as a group to have great natural speed.
“We’ll work hard, as usual, but I think the group that we’ve got and the process that the team has already got in place I think is going to be strong as ever.”
Johnson has tested previously at both Texas Motor Speedway and on the Indianapolis oval, and only needs to run a few more high speed laps to complete the Rookie Orientation Program that is mandatory of all drivers before taking part in their first Indy 500.
The first oval race of the 2022 IndyCar season takes place on March 20 from the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.
