Who knew that the man who cannot make free throws would finally be able to make one and that too at the most important juncture? While it was an online clash between Jimmie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal that started the fire, it seems that the consequences might be far-reaching for Johnson. While a venture with Shaq has added a new look to his car, there’s more at stake than ever.

It’s why the NASCAR community might wonder, has Jimmie Johnson bit off more than he can chew?

The pressure to perform at the Daytona 500 is real for Jimmie Johnson

With Shaq coming on board, Dollar Tree stepping in as sponsors for the team, and becoming a majority team owner, one could easily think Jimmie Johnson has it all this season. Yet, it might just be the start of his troubles. To begin with, a recent restructuring put Knighthead in control of a significant minority share, reducing Maury Gallagher’s ownership share. Due to the change, Jimmie Johnson turned into the majority owner, taking over a major chunk of the operations this year.

While he has brought in big boosts to the team by partnering with Shaq for his Daytona car and getting Dollar Tree to sponsor the team across all 38 races, the gravy train might just run out at Daytona. That’s because while the business side of things looks on track, it’s up to Johnson to keep it going based on his performance at Daytona. After all, the Great American Race kicks off the NASCAR season and it usually gives sponsors and fans an idea of how things can shape up for a team.

The trouble for Johnson is performing in a Next-Gen car. His performance with the Next Gen cars has been far from stellar. The seven-time champion had an average finish of 31.8 across two partial seasons in the No. 84 car. His 26th-place effort at Phoenix last season was his best finish since his final full-time race with Hendrick Motorsports in 2020. Speaking of the challenges that he has faced due to lack of preparation as a part-time driver, Johnson mentioned, “One, the sport is different. Two, it’s not my full-time job. I walked into these gates for decades knowing I had my stuff in order and was brought up in a system where preparation equals confidence. I can’t prep today like I used to prep when I was a full-time driver. Plus, not being a full-time driver, there are a lot of unknowns and details to get these cars around track.”

Johnson is undeniably a NASCAR legend, being one of the few drivers in history to claim seven Cup Series championships. However, ironically, he has not reaped any benefits from NASCAR’s new Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) policy. The rule allows select drivers to qualify for the Daytona 500 main event even if they fail to make it on speed during the qualifiers. Johnson’s car is not among those granted exemption. For this season, it will be Helio Castroneves who will be enjoying the benefit and starting from the 41st position. This adds another layer of pressure for Jimmie Johnson despite his accolades.

With fans being notoriously unforgiving, even the massive sponsorship deal and high-profile partnership with Shaq won’t shield him from criticism if he fails to deliver on the track. If results don’t improve, the backlash could be swift and brutal.

Jimmie Johnson shares his take on the waiver policy by NASCAR 

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According to the changes, any driver who misses a race due to conditions that are not covered under the waiver (medical emergency, childbirth, and family emergency) will end up losing all the playoff points that they have secured till that race. This would include the races that a driver misses due to suspension as well. 

Last season, Kyle Larson found himself in a tough position where he was unable to reach Charlotte on time after he was stuck at Indianapolis due to weather issues. Speaking of the same, Jimmie Johnson said, “I think everyone at the end of the day was so happy that Kyle and Hendrick and Arrow McLaren did what they did to give Kyle every opportunity at Indy, but it did compromise some elements on the NASCAR side, and there were some exceptions made due to the totality of the moment that’s probably not right.” Under the updated guidelines, if an incident of this nature occurs again this season, the driver would have to face the specified consequences. 

Further adding to how the change in rules is now more clear for any driver who is willing to attempt the Indy 500/NASCAR double, Johnson said, “I think they’re just better defining the rules. There is enough time there. But if there is rain like they had last year at Indy, a driver trying the double is going to have to then jump on the helicopter, then to the plane, then to the next helicopter to commit to NASCAR.”

The updated waiver policy clarifies the policy. However, it raises concerns about fairness and flexibility in unforeseen situations. With NASCAR tightening its rules, drivers attempting the double will have to gamble on perfect conditions or risk losing everything.