Reflections on Jimmie Johnson's First Season in IndyCar

Like a duck out of water.

 

he did about as well in Indycar as Franchitti did in NASCAR (better, maybe, since Franchitti didn't finish the season)

but...JJ brought far more *to* IndyCar, in sponsorship, and visibility.

there are a few guys who are wasting seats in IndyCar (Jones, Chilton, Kellett, Ferruci when he runs), I don't think JJ is wasting that seat, even if he's not as competitive as he should be in a Ganassi car.

 

I read an interview with JJ where he said in Indycar, braking, especially late in the braking zone is all important. That's where time is found. That's because Indycars have so much drag they reach terminal velocity quickly, so getting on the gas as quick as possible isn't as important as in NASCAR; their weight means a speed advantage coming out of a corner helps all the way down the straight. That's the 'classic' apparently old school thinking.
So, different disciplines need opposite driving styles. I guess it speaks to the competitive parity at the sharp end of all racing.

 

I expected him to do better than he did.

 

I think he also helped to show just how good the regular Indycar drivers are. I think it would have been worse for the sport if he would have immediately been up to speed and fighting for wins.

Start of the year he was a moving chicane. You could see his improvement throughout the year.

 

he went from spinning multiple times a weekend and being 3-4 seconds off pace to having fewer unforced errors and being 1-2 seconds off (and in some cases, faster than other guys at the back of the field). so, progress.