Jimmie Johnson Sends a Clear Message to Critics After IndyCar Heroics in Texas; Ex-NASCAR Boss Rick Hendrick Reacts

They say age is just a number. If that is true, then Jimmie Johnson is the living personification of that saying. The former NASCAR driver who has the joint-most Cup championships in history is now beginning to weave his magic into the single-seaters of IndyCar.

Johnson almost cracked the top five at Texas Motor Speedway, a track where he holds the record for most wins in a stock car, but only came short and finished sixth.

Nevertheless, finishing sixth is still an impressive result for the former Hendrick driver who has proved his passion and hunger for racing, and racing for the wins isn’t going away anytime soon.

But one thing Johnson doesn’t feel like he has to prove is his racing abilities, his talent, or simply his critics.

“I honestly don’t have anything to prove to anybody,” Johnson said post-race in Texas. “I want to race Indy cars. I don’t have an axe to grind. I’m just going racing.”

Mr. H is proud of Jimmie Johnson

Rick Hendrick, the former boss of Jimmie Johnson, for which the former No.48 driver won seven Cup championships and 83 Cup wins, spoke about his sixth-place finish in Texas.

Hendrick, who was himself celebrating yet another Hendrick Motorsports win after William Byron took the checkered flag in Atlanta, said he is “proud” of his former driver.

“I’m really proud of Jimmie for jumping in” and trying to learn a new sport.”

Apart from simply doing it for his passion, and as he described before, “for the purest of reasons,” Jimmie Johnson also hopes to have one positive outcome of his IndyCar stint.

“I certainly hope that my journey will give others the confidence to try whatever car they’re thinking about trying,” he said. “I hope we can get back to a point where drivers can take their helmets anywhere and race anything.”

“That’s the environment I grew up watching.”

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