Jimmie Johnson Survives Thunderbird Experience; Prepares For ..
Jimmie Johnson’s return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing at the Daytona 500 has included many highlights.
On Friday, before taking his No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet onto the Daytona International Speedway oval for practice, Johnson got to achieve a long-time dream of flying with the famed United States Air Force Thunderbirds.
Jimmie Johnson Survives Thunderbird Experience; Prepares For ..
“That’s probably near the top,” Johnson said. “I’ve never felt anything like that, the adrenaline, the acceleration.
“The first thing we did is we got off the runway and picked up the gear and did a performance turn to 10,000 feet. Instantly, I had to practice the heavy-G breathing that they talk to you about. It’s just wild. Just the weight of your body and the experience of pointing that thing in the sky; they roll it over and turn and all kinds of stuff.
“It was great.”
Johnson’s greatest concern before flying with the Thunderbirds was getting sick. He admits that he gets motion sickness easily, which is strange considering he has driven an Indy car at over 230 miles per hour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has driven NASCAR Cup Series cars near 200 miles an hour on the high banks of Daytona and Talladega.
“I was really worried about getting sick and I’m happy to report that my ‘get sick’ bag was empty,” Johnson said proudly. “I did not get sick during the ride, so that was super good. But I did take a little nap.
READ MORE:Jimmie Johnson tops Daytona 500 practice in return to NASCAR created a…
And then I could hear somebody say ‘Jimmie. Jimmie. Jimmie’, and then it got loud and I’m like ‘yeah!’. They were like, ‘Hey, you’re back. I think you took a nap’. I said, ‘I believe I did. I have no clue where I am or what I’m doing right now’. That was wild.”
There are more wild times in store for Johnson. He makes his first NASCAR Cup Series start since the final race of the 2020 season at Phoenix Raceway in Sunday’s 65th Daytona 500.
Johnson starts the No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet for the Legacy Motor Club in 39thposition in the 40-car field. Johnson and Travis Pastrana are the two drivers that were added to the lineup based on qualification speed.
Jimmie Johnson Survives Thunderbird Experience; Prepares For ..
Jimmie Johnson’s return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing at the Daytona 500 has included many highlights.
On Friday, before taking his No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet onto the Daytona International Speedway oval for practice, Johnson got to achieve a long-time dream of flying with the famed United States Air Force Thunderbirds.
Jimmie Johnson Survives Thunderbird Experience; Prepares For ..
“That’s probably near the top,” Johnson said. “I’ve never felt anything like that, the adrenaline, the acceleration.
“The first thing we did is we got off the runway and picked up the gear and did a performance turn to 10,000 feet. Instantly, I had to practice the heavy-G breathing that they talk to you about. It’s just wild. Just the weight of your body and the experience of pointing that thing in the sky; they roll it over and turn and all kinds of stuff.
“It was great.”
Johnson’s greatest concern before flying with the Thunderbirds was getting sick. He admits that he gets motion sickness easily, which is strange considering he has driven an Indy car at over 230 miles per hour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has driven NASCAR Cup Series cars near 200 miles an hour on the high banks of Daytona and Talladega.
“I was really worried about getting sick and I’m happy to report that my ‘get sick’ bag was empty,” Johnson said proudly. “I did not get sick during the ride, so that was super good. But I did take a little nap.
READ MORE:Jimmie Johnson tops Daytona 500 practice in return to NASCAR created a…
And then I could hear somebody say ‘Jimmie. Jimmie. Jimmie’, and then it got loud and I’m like ‘yeah!’. They were like, ‘Hey, you’re back. I think you took a nap’. I said, ‘I believe I did. I have no clue where I am or what I’m doing right now’. That was wild.”
There are more wild times in store for Johnson. He makes his first NASCAR Cup Series start since the final race of the 2020 season at Phoenix Raceway in Sunday’s 65th Daytona 500.
Johnson starts the No. 84 Carvana Chevrolet for the Legacy Motor Club in 39thposition in the 40-car field. Johnson and Travis Pastrana are the two drivers that were added to the lineup based on qualification speed.
