NASCAR ace wants WRC drive

Ikari · Dec 10, 2004

NASCAR Nextel Cup runner-up Jimmie Johnson has revealed an ambition to contest a World Rally Championship round. Johnson was speaking while competing at the Race of Champions in Paris.

http://www.wrc.com/News.aspx?PO_ID=5521&flash=False&lang=en_GB

Gordonfan24 · Dec 13, 2004

Ikari
NASCAR Nextel Cup runner-up Jimmie Johnson has revealed an ambition to contest a World Rally Championship round. Johnson was speaking while competing at the Race of Champions in Paris.

http://www.wrc.com/News.aspx?PO_ID=5521&flash=False&lang=en_GB

I, as a Nascar fan and a WRC fan, would love to see him in the Rally cars. (event though I did about 35 minutes ago in the RoC coverage) I'd like to see him or Tony Kanaan. Kanaan is a great driver too.
What do you think about Jimmie racing in WRC?

BTW, did you catch the Race of Champions? Great races, and the last one... :lol:

Alesi and Kovalainen! I'll wait to see if you saw it before I spoil it.

Omnis · Dec 13, 2004

jimmie johnson needs to practice his rally skills though.

lol...poor guy.

Ev0 · Dec 13, 2004

I think he's getting bored of making left turns :lol:

But seriously, he's a great driver so with a bit of practice I would believe he would become very competitive, and I think it would also help spark some interest in the WRC in America.

ND4SPD · Dec 13, 2004

Well, I believe he can make it, if you watched last years ROC they were on the dirt, and Johnson aswell as the other american drivers did very well, didn't they even win? Next, imagine Jeff Gordon in an F1 car. I believe he has the skills, after what we've seen.

CDailey · Dec 13, 2004

I remember seeing Jeff Gordon and (I think) Michael Schumaker switch cars for a day. They were at Indianapolis Speedway using the road track. MS did fairly well in the stock car, but locked the brake a few times because he is so used to braking late and having ABS. Jeff Gordon did fairly well with the F1 car as well. He pulled some really good times for a first timer.

Gordonfan24 · Dec 13, 2004

Integra Type R
I remember seeing Jeff Gordon and (I think) Michael Schumaker switch cars for a day. They were at Indianapolis Speedway using the road track. MS did fairly well in the stock car, but locked the brake a few times because he is so used to braking late and having ABS. Jeff Gordon did fairly well with the F1 car as well. He pulled some really good times for a first timer.

It was actually Juan Pablo Montoya, but yeah, I'd love to see both of them get into both previously mentioned sancioning bodies (Johnson-WRC;Gordon-F1) but I seriously doubt it. Maybe if Johnson stops finishing second for once (

), and wins, he might venture out. But until then, I really think their minds are focused on what they are doing in Nascar.

CDailey · Dec 13, 2004

Aha! I didn't really think it was MS. Thanks for clarifying. 👍

Schumy · Dec 14, 2004

Integra Type R
Aha! I didn't really think it was MS. Thanks for clarifying. 👍

yes, MS usually drives a Ferrari not a Williams.

also, Montoya was just being polite when he had to comment on the performance of the nascar afterwards. by continuously locking up the brakes into the corners without losing control he was just demonstrating that he wasn't the limiting factor on how quick he could get around the track.

what's that, a nascar driver in racing in WRC? that would make for some good comedy :sly:

CDailey · Dec 14, 2004

I know MS drives for Ferrari. I just didn't rememeber exactly which driver it was that Jeff Gordon switched with.

RallyF1 · Dec 14, 2004

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!
the painnnnnnnnnn
as a nascar hater, i would strongly oppose such a stupid comment. i guess nobody told him that in rallying there is right hand turns and right hand 180 hair pins. but then again what do you expect from the south, huhhh boyyyy.
the only driver in nascar that i have respect for, with some reservations, is Jeff Gordon. i'm telling ya that boyy can drive, i was impressed. a lefty tackling multiple corners. but then again why not, let them rednecks drive rally cars then we would have more coverage of the WRC. any kind of racing is still better than ASSCAR :crazy:

Ikari · Dec 15, 2004

Jimmie Johnson is hardly one who can be defined as a redneck. Oo;

(G) · Dec 24, 2004

What's this? Nascar racers who want to race in other racing series?
Nascar I personally don't like, as it's boring to watch cars go in circles, and the drivers are over-qualified for the job. It's good to see them venture into actual racing.

ExigeEvan · Dec 24, 2004

God forbid he goes off on a right hander in his first rally...
He'll never be able to show his face again.

The359 · Dec 24, 2004

RallyF1
AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!
the painnnnnnnnnn
as a nascar hater, i would strongly oppose such a stupid comment. i guess nobody told him that in rallying there is right hand turns and right hand 180 hair pins. but then again what do you expect from the south, huhhh boyyyy.
the only driver in nascar that i have respect for, with some reservations, is Jeff Gordon. i'm telling ya that boyy can drive, i was impressed. a lefty tackling multiple corners. but then again why not, let them rednecks drive rally cars then we would have more coverage of the WRC. any kind of racing is still better than ASSCAR

You do realize NASCAR does road courses like Infineon and Watkins Glen, correct? And that Jimmie Johnson does well there, correct? And you do realize that Jimmie Johnson is from California, correct?

Get a clue 👎

Gordonfan24 · Dec 24, 2004

The359
You do realize NASCAR does road courses like Infineon and Watkins Glen, correct?

And Infineon does have a 180º hair-pin, like you said rally races have...it's turn 11.:

B.I.R.M._USA · Dec 25, 2004

Got to love morons.

Gordonfan24 · Dec 28, 2004

B.I.R.M._USA
Got to love morons.

xcsti · Jan 16, 2005

Ok this is late, but don't the majority of Nascar drivers start off racing midgets on dirt tracks(I realize the amusement one could get from visualizing a person riding height challenged person in a big oval, but I mean the cars). I think that would lend well to a transfer to WRC. One thing they would have to get used to is being conservative, not getting to ambitious in a corner and listening to a co-driver.

Chris Criswell · May 21, 2005

RallyF1:"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!
the painnnnnnnnnn
as a nascar hater, i would strongly oppose such a stupid comment. i guess nobody told him that in rallying there is right hand turns and right hand 180 hair pins. but then again what do you expect from the south, huhhh boyyyy.
the only driver in nascar that i have respect for, with some reservations, is Jeff Gordon. i'm telling ya that boyy can drive, i was impressed. a lefty tackling multiple corners. but then again why not, let them rednecks drive rally cars then we would have more coverage of the WRC. any kind of racing is still better than ASSCAR "

I'm pretty sure he knows what a right-hand turn is. "let them rednecks drive rally cars" sounds like a redneck sentence to me. Yeah Jeff Gordon can drive, which is why he holds the NASCAR record for consecutive wins at Road Courses. NASCAR isn't good TV, but it's good watching in real life. I wish Speed Channel wouldn't show so much damn NASCAR. It's on every freaking day.

Layla's Keeper · May 23, 2005

The amount of road-course qualified NASCAR drivers is actually staggeringly high.

Tony Stewart was a karting champion before going into sprints, and regularly contests the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. regularly used his Chevy connection to get into rides in the C5R Corvette in the American Le Mans Series, something he started to do with his father at the 24 Hours of Daytona (in fact, that first year at Daytona, Earnhardt & Earnhardt finished 2nd in class).

Casey Mears is oftentimes a substitute for Kenny Wilden of Michael Shank Racing in GARRA Daytona Prototype competition.

Bill Elliot and Lyn St. James were teammates for two seasons in IMSA GTO competition in the 80's.

Terry Labonte has a class win at the 24 Hours of Daytona in IMSA GTO.

Richard Petty was a dominant driver back when NASCAR raced at the old Riverside road course in the 60's and 70's.

Herschel McGriff qualified his 1976 NASCAR Dodge Charger 11th at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The list can go on and on. So how about doing something constructive like, I dunno, reading a book, before you go flapping yer yap about just who has road racing talent.

Terry Labonte's 1984 24 Hours of Daytona class winning (6th overall) Camaro.

Bill Elliot's IMSA GTO Roush Mustang (here at Watkins Glen).

Earnhardt & Earnhardt Jr.'s C5R Corvette at the 2001 24 Hours of Daytona.

Tony Stewart's Crawford SRP1 at the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona

Beelzebub · Jun 1, 2005

YEEEEHAAAAAWWWWW!!! Go Left!!!! Turn Fast!!!!! YEEEEEHHHHAAAWWWWW!!!!!!!

minengr · Jun 2, 2005

While my interest in NASCAR has disappeared over the last couple of years Ill give credit where its due. Some of those good ole boys know how to race.

The two drivers I have the most respect for in NASCAR rarely win Ken Schrader and John Andretti. I love Schrader because hell race anywhere, anytime, in anything with wheels. It is not uncommon for him to race four nights a week. A little know fact is that in 1984 he was a top rookie prospect at the Indy 500. He couldnt find a ride, chose a different path, and the rest is history.

I love Andretti for the same reasons. He has wins in NASCAR and CART. Hes been in the 24 Hours at Daytona, Baja 1000, and top fuel dragsters.

So there are a few of them that know how to turn right.

VT · Jun 2, 2005

WHAT? You mean that NASCAR drivers can actually turn right? Ho-****

I grew up around NASCAR and I'm severly disappointed that they don't run more road couses. I've since been drawn into the ALMS now that we get the Speed Channel (formerly Speedvision). ALMS rocks.