“I’d be drunk and mad,” he said of his experience on the links, proving he understands the essence of the maddening sport.

“Why not just kick back, play a lot of golf and enjoy early retirement?” I wondered. Johnson clearly doesn’t need to be doing this, whizzing around the Brickyard at 230 mph, risking life and limb after a remarkable NASCAR career in which he established himself as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ever to drive a Cup car. “My career clearly took a different path and I ended up in NASCAR, and I’m thankful for that, but my early years were very Ind圜ar focused.” “To utter those names as a kid and wanting to be like them, everything was Indy-focused,” Johnson said. The boy was in love with the idea of driving fast cars, and when he heard his family talking about the legends, Foyt and Andretti and Parnelli Jones, he knew he needed to be part of that conversation. The Indy dream began when he was a young child, maybe 5 or 6 years old, watching the Indianapolis 500 with his father and grandfather from their family home in El Cajon, Calif. I hope to ring the bell a few more times.” I’m more surprised than anybody that I’ve had the success I’ve had in my career and I hope it’s not over. I started racing because I grew up around it and it’s something I’m passionate about, something I’d do if I had to pay to do it. “I know from my past in NASCAR, a few different moments I’ve had to join the greats, you know, it just means so much. I have no idea what that moment would be like, but it would be a huge honor.

“I’ve not been one to think about what (winning the Indy 500) might feel like or might possibly do for my career or legacy, but it would be so amazing to join those guys if I could. “I’ve heard the stat I’d love to be one of the three,” the 46-year-old Johnson said Thursday. Foyt and Mario Andretti, have accomplished: win the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. If Johnson can pull this off, he would do something only two other drivers, A.J. Jimmie Johnson crosses the line of bricks during practice after qualifying for the 106th Indianapolis 500.

Download mario andretti indycar