"She turned around and ran" - Jimmie Johnson recalls wife Chandra Janway’s uneasy moment during his IndyCar stint

Jimmie Johnson recalled the moment his wife Chandra Janway witnessed him running in an IndyCar session as he flew by her while she was in the stands. His accomplices revealed that she turned around and went away as she was likely too afraid to watch him go so fast.

A father to two, Jimmie Johnson debuted in the IndyCar series in 2021 at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama with Chip Ganassi Racing. He continued in the following season as well, witnessing a horrific crash during the final stages of the Indianapolis 500 as he went straight into the wall.

It is apparent that going at such high speeds is a potential risk for the drivers. Johnson has revealed that he had to turn into a "salesman" to convince his wife for him to continue racing after the crash.

"At Indy I had a pretty good shunt at the end of the race and that's the speed you're running there, it is a risk and ultimately I did my best salesman job ever to convince my wife to let me go IndyCar racing," Jimmie Johnson said on the High Performance podcast. (at 54:07)

He then mentioned that she eventually supported him to race in the open-wheel series, however, he did not let her come to any of the oval tracks' test sessions. However, Johnson recalled the one time she joined him in Texas and witnessed him flying past at speeds well above 240 mph.

"It was a long slow process but she eventually is like, 'look if this is what you want to do and you're going to fully commit to it then you have my support.' I was very smart though and I wouldn't let her come to any of the oval test sessions. The first time she saw a car go around or me in an Indy car going around was at Texas. I guess on the opening lap obviously I was in the car and couldn't see it but some of my friends said she turned around and ran from the grandstands because we went by it like 230 - 240 [mph] on the opening lap and she's like I can't watch this and and ran."

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Jimmie Johnson promises Legacy Motor Club crew a positive turnaround in the future

After his full-time retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson became a co-owner of the Legacy Motor Club. He also drives the #84 Toyota on a part-time basis.

The seven-time Cup Series champion addressed the crew during the team's Christmas party. He claimed that the team is working on bigger projects, and the future would be bright for them.

"I want to thank everyone for their contributions, not only the employees of Legacy Motor Club but also spouses and families," Johnson said. "We're building something, it's been a journey. It's still going to be a journey but I promise you, we have great things right ahead of us," he added.

The team is set to be led by John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones in the 2025 season as well. As mentioned, Johson will also drive on a part-time basis.