Jimmie Johnson recently made a request to NASCAR for additional practice time. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, who is now a co-owner/driver at Legacy Motor Club, has been facing difficulties in achieving satisfactory results with the Next-Gen car. The racing style that Johnson has employed throughout his career does not align well with the 7th Gen 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 for certain weekends. Johnson is advocating for an increase in this time to 40-45 minutes, as he believes that 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, holds a different opinion on the matter.
During a media interaction at Texas, Elliott expressed his belief that drivers already have sufficient 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 implied that Johnson does not have enough opportunities to familiarize himself with the car, leading to his request for more practice time.
Prior to the Texas Cup race, Johnson revealed the reasons behind his struggles with the Cup series. He highlighted that the current cars no longer allow him to effectively utilize the right rear, which was his signature racing style. Due to changes in aerodynamics and tires, Johnson now needs to rely on the right front for driving.
Fortunately, Johnson’s new approach to racing the Next-Gen cars showed promising results. He achieved his best finish 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 would provide part-time drivers with more practice time.
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