Jimmie Johnson reflects on 'incredible' first stint at Le Mans, looks forward to more
Those Garage 56 drivers are making laps at Le Mans. Jimmie Johnson just got finished with his first stint and he’s excited. For the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, this is a whole new ballgame, so to speak. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is really just getting underway and he’s ready to put in as many laps as he can get in the Garage 56 car.
Not even four hours into the 100th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and there has been a ton of action. The Chevy Camaro looks so badass out on the track and it is performing pretty well. So, let’s hope the good news continues.
For Jimmie Johnson, this is about putting on a show for fans there at the track and those back home in America. They aren’t competing for a podium spot. However, they are trying their best to prove that American motorsports are still on par with the rest of the world.
“It’s incredible,” Johnson said after getting out of the car. “Very interesting with the safety car, well I guess I had the slow zones that took place with two or three big crashes. Just a totally different experience to work through those areas and take back off.
“All in all, just an amazing experience. One of the slow zones, it was a very crowded area with the fans – they were waving at me so I was waving back. It was really really fun. I want every lap I can get.”
Jimmie Johnson will be back in the car soon enough. Mike Rockenfeller is getting a double shift in the car. Then, Johnson will get a double to put in a lot of laps. When the sun sets, that is when it gets really interesting.
Jimmie Johnson taking it all in at Le Mans
If you’re watching the broadcast on TV, it isn’t really focused on the Garage 56 entry. Of course, the car isn’t competing in a real category. It is kind of an independent entry there to prove itself. The big and bulky Camaro is a mean machine and has shown that it might have the endurance it needs to finish this event.
For Jimmie Johnson, it is a new experience. His teammate Rockenfeller has experience at Le Mans. But for the Cup Series champion, it is all new. You could see during that interview that Superman is having a ton of fun turning laps at this historic track.
Rain has played a factor for the Hypercars, LMP2s, and GTE AMs. However, we didn’t see the Garage 56 car spin out, yet. Whenever it appears on the screen, it is obvious what car you are looking at. Let’s hope we get some good coverage of their performance on the broadcast soon enough.
Will Jimmie Johnson and the team be able to get this car across the finish line? Will the 24 hours prove to be too much? We are not even four hours into the race and there has been a ton of action. Let’s see how that affects the Garage 56 team.