Jimmie Johnson recently made a request to NASCAR for more practice time. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, who is now a co-owner/driver at Legacy Motor Club, has been struggling to achieve satisfactory results with the Next-Gen car. The racing style Johnson has employed throughout his career does not align well with the 7th Generation car, leading him to approach NASCAR and ask for an extension of practice sessions.
Currently, NASCAR races provide 20 minutes of practice time for Cup drivers before qualifying, except on certain weekends. Johnson is advocating for an increase in this time to 40-45 minutes, as he believes it will allow drivers to develop a better understanding of the car and enable their teams to make necessary adjustments. However, his former teammate Chase Elliott has a different opinion on the matter.
During a media interaction in Texas, Elliott expressed his belief that drivers already have enough practice time. He suggested that Johnson’s desire for additional practice stems from his limited race appearances this season, similar to other part-time drivers. Elliott hinted that Johnson does not have enough opportunities to familiarize himself with the car, leading to his request for more practice time.
Prior to the Cup race in Texas, Johnson revealed the reasons behind his struggles in the Cup series. He highlighted that the current cars no longer allow him to effectively use the right rear wheel, which was his characteristic racing style. Due to changes in aerodynamics and tires, Johnson now needs to rely on the right front wheel to steer.
Fortunately, Johnson’s new approach to driving Next-Gen cars has shown promising results. He achieved his best position since joining Legacy Motor Club and was able to complete the race on the lead lap for the first time in this era. Johnson hopes to maintain this positive momentum and potentially convince NASCAR to implement changes that provide part-time drivers with more practice time.
