Jimmie Johnson: “I didn’t think it would be this tough”

Less than two years after stepping away from full-time racing and now fully re-engaged in the NASCAR world following his IndyCar stint, Jimmie Johnson is still adjusting to the shift in expectations and the patience required to build his own team.

This transition comes after a remarkable career that includes 83 NASCAR Cup wins, seven championships, and 12 ‘crown jewel’ victories over 19 full-time seasons.

Speaking to the IndyStar, Johnson said “I didn’t think it would be this tough. It’s a tough sport, and we have a great vision and have made a massive commitment to that long-term vision, so we’re on the journey.”

“But I thought last year, we were kinda at the bottom — and then we went down a little lower and found a lower bottom. I do think we’re climbing our way out now, but there’s just so much that goes into it, and we’re getting the pieces in place and moving it along.”

“I want to race, but I don’t want the third car to be a detriment to the other two. The revenue we generate can help us use the third car to develop new talent and can help us develop new setup ideas, but when you run nine races, you need a pretty robust crew to run that car, and that’s inefficient for only nine races.”

“If you take it down to 3-5 races, you don’t need that crew, but then you’re pulling against the Nos. 42 and 43 cars, so we’re trying to find that balance.”