But the NASCAR Hall of Famer once was close to doing what Kyle Larson will in attempting to become the fifth driver to race the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day.
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During the latest episode of “Hauler Talk,” Johnson revealed he was close to competing in the Indy 500 during his run of five consecutive championships in the No. 48 Chevrolet.
“I pushed hard for The Double back at the peak of my NASCAR days, and I had a situation develop or scenario develop to drive a Penske car,” Johnson said. “And at the time, Honda was the only engine supplier in the sport. And as we got closer to making a decision, I could sense (car owner) Rick (Hendrick) wasn’t really a fan of it. I still had the home hurdle to clear and then from a manufacturer standpoint, it just didn’t seem possible. So I kind of unwound it, but that has been a childhood dream for me.”
After making his debut in the 2022 Indy 500 during his only full-time IndyCar season, Johnson said he still was mulling a “Double” attempt but then decided to shift into part-time driving and NASCAR team ownership with the rebranded Legacy Motor Club.
“When I left the 500, I felt like there was unfinished business and that I wanted to go back,” he said. “But as that year wore on and really looking myself in the mirror about what’s required of a driver and as I knew I was moving into this ownership stage at Legacy, I knew that I just had to start spending less time in the race car if I really wanted to take this next step. The phone‘s rang a few times to go back and drive at the 500 with some decent opportunities. But I just think that door is shut for me and my time needs to be spent elsewhere.”
Johnson is pulling hard for Larson to win one or both races this Sunday.
“It does so much for motorsports, especially racing here in the U.S., to have a headline like that in a historic moment, the recognition it would garner,” Johnson said. “We should all be rooting for that, even if you’re not a Larson fan. I would love to see him win at Indy and then finish second in one of our cars in the 600, and that would be like the perfect day for me, selfishly. But the better he runs, the better it is for racing in the U.S., period.”
Johnson’s path might cross with Larson’s this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After Coke 600 qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway (where he will make his 700th career start in Cup), Johnson will head to Indianapolis to hang out with six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon (who attended the Daytona 500 weekend in February as Johnson‘s guest).
Before returning to Charlotte, Johnson will give Brady a ride in a two-seater IndyCar during the parade laps of the 109th Indianapolis 500. Johnson has gotten to know Brady through Knighthead Capital Management, the investment firm that has joined with Legacy Motor Club.
“I‘m a sucker for interesting opportunities,” Johnson said with a laugh. “I’ve been able to get closer to Tom Brady over the last year. I think he’s a little nervous about the opportunity. He’s worried about getting carsick, and so I have been leaning into that and trying to make him more nervous and look forward to scaring him out there.”
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Johnson wrecked in a 28th-place finish at the 2022 Indy 500, which has sparked some playful jousting with Brady.
“There’s a text thread we’re on, and people started sending him, ‘The last time that he was at the 500, this happened,‘ ” Johnson laughed. “And then I followed up with Tom, one of the best things to do is to crash a car. Like, you can’t believe how exhilarating it is to crash a car. He was like, ‘Wait a second, what did I get myself into?‘ ”
During the interview, Johnson also discussed his new podcast (“Never Settle” with co-host Marty Smith), the challenges of becoming the owner of Legacy Motor Club, making his 700th start in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his appearance at the NASCAR Hall of Fame vote and his relationship to late seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt.
Other topics covered during the 15th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— Ryan Preece‘s penalty in the All-Star Open for running over the “Choose V” commitment box and how it was addressed.
— The future of the “Promoter‘s Caution.”
— The prospects of North Wilkesboro Speedway playing host to a Cup points race and the timing of the 2026 schedule.
Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the new “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.