You keeping the remote handy Sunday?
It’s never far away. In fact, it’s right … here? Dammit, not again! It’ll turn up by Sunday, when some of us will be cutting away from NASCAR’s Richmond race to check in on Jimmie Johnson’s IndyCar debut at Barber Park in Birmingham, Ala. — even without the Jimmie angle, the Barber facility is a unique setting and always worth a look. But let’s not tune in with overly high hopes for the seven-time champ.
Jimmie Was Different: Like Earnhardt and Petty, Jimmie Johnson leaves with 7 championships — end of comparison
Why the buzz-kill?
Remember, we’re talking about a 45-year-old racer, who hadn’t exactly been blowing anyone’s doors off the past few years, switching to a very different racing discipline and jumping into the deep end of the pool. There’s no doubt you have to applaud Jimmie’s enthusiasm and willingness to take this risk, but you can’t be blind to the level of difficulty he faces. His best chances for winning this year will likely be in the No. 48 Cadillac prototype at IMSA’s endurance races — his next race there is late June at Watkins Glen.
— Ken Willis