• Hindi
  • Heritage Edge
  • Sports Edge
  • Wildlife Edge
SHARP. BITTER. NEUTRAL.
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
The Edge Media
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
  • Home
  • National Edge
  • State Edge
  • Political Edge
  • World Edge
  • Entertainment Edge
  • Business Edge
  • Sports Edge
  • Home
  • National Edge
  • State Edge
  • Political Edge
  • World Edge
  • Entertainment Edge
  • Business Edge
  • Sports Edge
No Result
View All Result
The Edge Media
No Result
View All Result
Home Main Story

Jimmie Johnson 1st NASCAR driver to test positive for virus

The Edge Media by The Edge Media
5 years ago
in Main Story, Sports Edge
Reading Time: 6 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare via TelegramSend To WhatsApp

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 44-year-old Johnson is the first driver in any NASCAR series to test positive and the news Friday evening cast a shadow over the historic NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader races coming up Saturday and Sunday. There was no indication any races would be affected.

Hendrick Motorsports said Johnson will not return until he is cleared by a physician. He was tested earlier Friday after his wife, Chani, tested positive after experiencing allergy-like symptoms.

Johnson is asymptomatic.

“My first priority is the health and safety of my loved ones and my teammates,” Johnson said.

“I’ve never missed a race in my Cup career, but I know it’s going to be very hard to watch from the sidelines when I’m supposed to be out there competing. Although this situation is extremely disappointing, I’m going to come back ready to win races and put ourselves in playoff contention.”

Johnson earlier Friday held a Zoom session with reporters to discuss Sunday’s race and an upcoming test of an Indy car on the road course at the fabled venue. He will now miss that test, as well as what was supposed to be his final Brickyard 400. Justin Allgaier will replace him in the No. 48 Chevrolet.

“Jimmie has handled this situation like the champion he is,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports.

“We’re relieved he isn’t showing symptoms and that Chani is doing great, and we know he’ll be back and ready to go very soon. It’s going to be difficult for him to be out of the car and away from his team, but it’s the right thing to do for Jimmie and everyone involved.”

Hendrick Motorsports said it has implemented detailed procedures to protect the health of its team members. They include daily COVID-19 screenings at the team facilities; the separation of facility operations and traveling personnel; split work schedules; stringent face covering and social distancing requirements; and an increased level of disinfecting and sanitization of all work areas.

Johnson is scheduled to retire from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the season and was trying to tie Jeff Gordon and Michael Schumacher as the only five-time winners at Indianapolis.

Johnson has made 663 conscutive Cup Series starts the longest streak among active drivers and is currently 12th in the standings, 63 points inside the playoff picture. NASCAR’s rules state a driver must be symptom free and have two negative coronavirus tests in a 24-hour span to return.

NASCAR said it has granted Johnson a playoff waiver.

“Jimmie is a true battle-tested champion, and we wish him well in his recovery,” the series said.

Johnson could potentially also miss the Cup race at Kentucky and the All-Star race at Bristol. Next week’s test of the road course at Indy in Scott Dixon’s car has also been scrapped.

NASCAR was one of the first sports to resume competition from the pandemic shutdown and has completed 11 Cup races since its May 17 return. The sanctioning body does not test for coronavirus but participants are required to do a temperature check as they enter the facility.

Drivers have been told to isolate at the track and there is very little interaction beyond radio conversation between the competitor and his crew.

Although Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske both said they’ve had positive tests from shop-based team members, Johnson is the first driver. Earlier Friday, Brazilian sports car driver Felipe Nasr said he had tested positive and will miss Saturday’s IMSA event at Daytona International Speedway.

Johnson earlier Friday discussed the Indy car test scheduled with Chip Ganassi Racing, which he said was the first step in determine if actual races are in his future. If he’s any good, he said, he would be open to racing all 12 street and road course events on the IndyCar schedule.

Johnson has long said safety concerns would keep him from racing on IndyCar oval tracks, but Friday he offered a surprisingly softer stance about the Indy 500.

IndyCar this year unveiled its aeroscreen windshield designed to protect the drivers from debris as they sit in the open-air cockpits. Saturday will mark just the second race with the device, but it appeared problem-free last month on the oval at high-speed Texas Motor Speedway.

“Their safety on ovals has dramatically increased this year with the windscreen. So, I’ll keep a close eye on things there and see how the safety level looks,” Johnson said.

“I’ve always wanted to race the Indy 500. I’d have to do a lot of selling to my wife to get that pass, but my true desire right now is to just run the road courses.”

Johnson has his eye on the street course race in Long Beach, California, a race that was canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic but is one of the most storied events on the IndyCar calendar at a track just a couple hours from his native El Cajon.

“When I was a kid growing up, the closest IndyCar racing for me was at Long Beach so one of my hopes is that I am able to race at Long Beach,” Johnson said.

“I hung on the fence a lot as a kid watching and dreaming. …. There’s a lot of sentimental value with that race and I hope to race there.”

He is stuck in a three-year losing streak but Hendrick Motorsports has been dramatically improved this season and Johnson has been competitive. He has also been actively prepping for a whirl in an Indy car and had been scheduled to test with the McLaren team before the pandemic.

“It’s a test, it’s a tryout and it’s a two-way street. Two-way tryout for the team to look at me and for myself to look at a team,” he said.

“If I’m about four seconds off the pace, then that’s probably a quick sign that I don’t need to be in one of these cars. If I’m within a certain amount of time and I have a good feel of the car, then for me, I feel like that’s an important first step that I need to know that I can be competitive.

“I do not want to go race in any series and not be competitive,” he said.

-AP

Previous Post

Virus-hammered Air France announces 7,500 job cuts

Next Post

Kanpur encounter exposes UP government: Shiv Sena

Related News

Massive Infrastructure Boost: Centre Unveils ₹2 Lakh Crore Highway Projects in Jharkhand

Massive Infrastructure Boost: Centre Unveils ₹2 Lakh Crore Highway Projects in Jharkhand

by The Edge Media
July 3, 2025
0

In a significant push to enhance connectivity and drive economic growth in Jharkhand, the Central Government has announced national highway...

Drama Unfolds: Pakistani Celebs’ Instagram Accounts Still Blocked in India After Brief Glitch Sparks Online Frenzy

Drama Unfolds: Pakistani Celebs’ Instagram Accounts Still Blocked in India After Brief Glitch Sparks Online Frenzy

by The Edge Media
July 3, 2025
0

In a digital twist that sent shockwaves across social media, Instagram accounts of top Pakistani celebrities—including actors and cricketers—remain blocked...

Devotees Critically Injured at Kumbh Mela, CM Yogi Adityanath Ensures Prompt Medical Response

Devotees Critically Injured at Kumbh Mela, CM Yogi Adityanath Ensures Prompt Medical Response

by Caru
January 29, 2025
0

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath confirmed today that several devotees were "seriously injured" in a late-night incident at the Kumbh...

Man Arrested From Gorakhpur for Threatening to Kill PM Modi and CM Adityanath

Man Arrested From Gorakhpur for Threatening to Kill PM Modi and CM Adityanath

by The Edge Media
July 11, 2023
0

Early in the morning of Monday, June 15th, an alarming scene unfolded in Gorakhpur, India. A man, identified as Shabir...

BJP Disrupts Bihar Assembly Proceedings Over Tejashwi Yadav’s Resignation

BJP Disrupts Bihar Assembly Proceedings Over Tejashwi Yadav’s Resignation

by The Edge Media
July 11, 2023
0

The Bihar Assembly was stunned into silence on Tuesday as BJP legislators disrupted proceedings and demanded the resignation of Deputy...

Delhi CM To Establish Doorstep Ration Delivery Without Center’s Approval

Delhi CM Kejriwal Links GST to ED, Warns Traders of Arrests for Tax Avoidance

by The Edge Media
July 11, 2023
0

It was a shocking announcement when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently announced that any traders caught avoiding GST payments...

Discussion about this post

Recommended

Swara Bhasker shares photos of home after makeover

Swara Bhasker shares photos of home after makeover

4 years ago
WhatsApp Launches Feature To Join Group Call

WhatsApp Launches Feature To Join Group Call

4 years ago

Popular News

  • Massive Infrastructure Boost: Centre Unveils ₹2 Lakh Crore Highway Projects in Jharkhand

    Massive Infrastructure Boost: Centre Unveils ₹2 Lakh Crore Highway Projects in Jharkhand

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Drama Unfolds: Pakistani Celebs’ Instagram Accounts Still Blocked in India After Brief Glitch Sparks Online Frenzy

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Devotees Critically Injured at Kumbh Mela, CM Yogi Adityanath Ensures Prompt Medical Response

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Man Arrested From Gorakhpur for Threatening to Kill PM Modi and CM Adityanath

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • BJP Disrupts Bihar Assembly Proceedings Over Tejashwi Yadav’s Resignation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Hindi
  • Heritage Edge
  • Sports Edge
  • Wildlife Edge
SHARP. BITTER. NEUTRAL.

© 2024 The Edge Media All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National Edge
  • State Edge
  • Political Edge
  • World Edge
  • Entertainment Edge
  • Business Edge
  • Sports Edge

© 2024 The Edge Media All Rights Reserved.