Ovals should be natural for Jimmie Johnson as new full-time IndyCar driver hunts speed

Year 2 of the NTT IndyCar Series will be both easier and harder for new full-time driver Jimmie Johnson.

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion already overcame the major hurdles of getting acclimated as an open-wheel rookie in 2021 — the lack of power steering, the commitment required to trust the downforce in high-speed corners, the mind-blowing acceleration.

Johnson mastered the weekly basics last year – everything from cockpit technology and tire behavior to “knowing where to park and where the rental car place was” — while improving from being off as much as 4 seconds on some street courses to finishing on the lead lap in three of his final four starts. During a recent test at Sebring International Raceway, he was nearly a second faster than a year ago and much closer to keeping pace with his Chip Ganassi Racing teammates.

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But the toughest improvements will come at the sharp end of the IndyCar grid, which will feature a record-tying 26 cars Sunday at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

“Everything I’ve raced in my lifetime, taking the big chunks out has been the easy part,” Johnson, 46, told NBC Sports. “Once you get to get to near the front of the field, a tenth of a second moves you up five, six, seven positions. In Year 2, I still have a decent gap to close, and I think I’ll be able to get into some of that. But as the year wears on, I suspect it’s just going to get harder and harder to close that last little bit.”

#FullTime vibes pic.twitter.com/03T4wrdcZc

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) February 17, 2022

That certainly will apply on the road and street courses, which Johnson ran