INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
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FILE – In this May 16, 2019, file photo, NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, center, talks to Will Power, left, of Australia, and Josef Newgarden during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race. IndyCar at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson will test an Indy car next week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit. For a long time he said that he is open to compete in the series, but that he did not want to compete in ovals for security reasons. On Friday, July 3, 2020, he indicated that recent security improvements have softened his stance and that the Indianapolis 500 is not completely off the scene (AP Photo / Darron Cummings)
The 44-year-old Johnson is the first driver of any NASCAR series to test positive and news on Friday night overshadows the historic NASCAR-IndyCar double-title races to be held on Saturday and Sunday. There was no indication that any race would be affected.
Hendrick Motorsports said Johnson will not return until cleared by a doctor. He was screened earlier on Friday after his wife, Chani, tested positive after experiencing allergy-like symptoms.
Johnson is asymptomatic.
“My first priority is the health and safety of my loved ones and my teammates,” said Johnson. “I’ve never missed a race in my Cup career, but I know it’s going to be very difficult to see from the side when I’m supposed to be competing. Although this situation is extremely disappointing, I’m going to come back ready to win races and get me into the fight for the playoffs. ”
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FILE – In this Feb. 16, 2020, file photo, Jimmie Johnson gets in his car before the NASCAR Daytona 500 race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson will test an Indy car next week on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For a long time he said that he is open to compete in the series, but that he did not want to compete in ovals for security reasons. On Friday, July 3, 2020, he indicated that recent security improvements have softened his stance and that the Indianapolis 500 is not completely off the scene (AP Photo / John Raoux, File)
Johnson last Friday held a Zoom session with reporters to discuss Sunday’s race and an upcoming test of an Indy car on the circuit at the legendary venue. Now he will miss that test, as well as what was supposed to be his last Brickyard 400. Justin Allgaier will replace him in the No. 48 Chevrolet.
“Jimmie has handled this situation like the champion he is,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “We are relieved that he shows no symptoms and that Chani is doing very well, and we know he will return and be ready to leave very soon.” It’s going to be difficult for him to be out of the car and away from his team, but it’s the right thing for Jimmie and everyone involved. “
Hendrick Motorsports said it has implemented detailed procedures to protect the health of its team members. Include daily COVID-19 evaluations at team facilities; separation of operations from facilities and travel personnel; divided work schedules; strict requirements for facial coverage and social distancing; and a higher level of disinfection and disinfection in all work areas.
Johnson is slated to retire from NASCAR competition full-time at the end of the season and was trying to tie Jeff Gordon and Michael Schumacher as the only five-time winners in Indianapolis.
Johnson has made 663 consecutive Cup starts, the longest streak among active drivers, and is currently 12th in the standings, 63 points in the playoff picture. NASCAR rules state that a driver must be symptom free and have two negative coronavirus tests within 24 hours to return.
NASCAR said it granted Johnson a playoff exemption.
“Jimmie is a true battle-tested champion, and we wish him the best in his recovery,” the series said.
Johnson could also miss the Cup race in Kentucky and the All-Star race in Bristol. Next week’s test at the Indy road course in Scott Dixon’s car has also been ruled out.
NASCAR was one of the first sports to resume competition since the pandemic ended and has completed 11 Cup races since its return on May 17. The sanctioning body does not perform a coronavirus detection test, but participants must carry out a temperature control when they enter the facility.
Drivers have been told to isolate themselves on the track and there is very little interaction beyond the radio conversation between the competitor and his crew.
Although Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske said they had had positive tests from team members at the store, Johnson is the first driver. Earlier on Friday, Brazilian sports car driver Felipe Nasr said he tested positive and will miss Saturday’s IMSA event at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson earlier on Friday discussed Indy’s scheduled car test with Chip Ganassi Racing, which he said was the first step in determining if real racing is in his future. If it’s good, he said, he would be open to competing in all 12 IndyCar street and road circuit events.
Johnson has long said that safety concerns would prevent him from competing on the IndyCar oval tracks, but on Friday he offered a surprisingly softer stance on the Indy 500. IndyCar this year unveiled its windshield windshield designed to protect drivers from debris while sitting outdoors. air cabins. Saturday will mark only the second race on the device, but he seemed trouble-free last month in the oval at high-speed Texas Motor Speedway.
“Your safety on the ovals has increased dramatically this year with the windshield. So I’m going to keep an eye on things there and see what the security level looks like, ”Johnson said. “I always wanted to compete in the Indy 500. I would have to sell my wife a lot to get that pass, but my real wish right now is to race the circuits.”
Johnson has his eye on the street race in Long Beach, California, a race that was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it is one of the most famous events on the IndyCar calendar on a track just a couple of hours of his birth El Cajon
“As a child, the closest IndyCar race for me was in Long Beach, so one of my hopes is to be able to compete in Long Beach,” said Johnson. “I hung a lot on the fence when I was a kid looking and dreaming … There is a lot of sentimental value with that race and I hope to run there.”
He’s stuck on a three-year losing streak, but Hendrick Motorsports has improved dramatically this season and Johnson has been competitive. He’s also been actively preparing for a whirlpool in an Indy car and was scheduled to test with McLaren’s team before the pandemic.
“It is a test, it is a test and it is a two-way street. Two-way test for the team to look at me and myself to look at a team, “he said. “If I’m about four seconds out of rhythm, then it’s probably a quick sign that I don’t need to be in one of these cars. If I’m in a certain period of time and I have a good feeling of then, for me, I feel which is an important first step that I need to know in order to be competitive.
“I don’t want to run in any series and not be competitive,” he said.
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