Since stepping away from NASCAR, the seven-time Cup Series champion has raced full-time in IndyCar, earned podiums in some of the most prestigious endurance races on the IMSA schedule, and even took part in the Goodwood Festival of Speed. One could hardly call it a retirement.
He's no doubt been busy, and the 47-year-old has no plans of slowing down next year. He joins Petty GMS Motorsports as a co-owner of the No. 42 and No. 43 Chevrolet Camaros for the 2023 season. He will drive a third car in a handful of races too, including the season-opening Daytona 500. If he makes the show, it will be Johnson's 20th appearance in NASCAR's biggest race.
"When I left here, I really had no idea what was in store for me," said Johnson on Friday. "I knew I wanted to try IndyCar, and an amazing experience there, and stepping away from full-time IndyCar, I wanted to create, get an eight to ten race schedule, just really fun races, and certainly coming back to NASCAR.
"As this conversation started, it's one that I really had to pay close attention to, an offer, an opportunity that's just a life-changing opportunity for me and one that I had to take. So I'm very excited about this."
Earlier this year, Johnson made his Indianapolis 500 debut, starting 12th and finishing 28th after a late-race incident.
Looking forward, he still wants to run a handful of IndyCar and sports car races ... and that's not all.
"Still interested in the sports car, IndyCar," he said on Friday. "I've got an awesome opportunity to race an off-road truck if I want. Alex Bowman has offered me a Chili Bowl ride. The invites keep coming in.
"I have been solely focused on this and don't know the impact of this commitment and relationship and how that plays out. But once the dust settles from here, I'll get deeper into those other conversations and try to build out the best race schedule I can have that does fit with the new commitment and obligation that I have here. That's something that will certainly play into all that."
However, returning full-time to the NASCAR Cup Series is not something he's looking to do.
He also said that the 24 Hours of Le Mans (likely with the Garage 56 entry) is "still on the table. I've made sure that my calendar is nice and open in June, and hopefully it can stay that way."
A lot has changed in NASCAR since Johnson left just two years ago. New owners, new tracks, new challengers at the front, and a completely new race car.
So why did Johnson want to take yet another new journey, this time into NASCAR team ownership? His decision to rejoin the sport in this way really came down to a 'gut feeling.'
"My 2023 plans started very traditional, the fact of trying to drive for people," said Johnson. "Then when the idea was presented to me by Michael Bill, knowing where Maury's (Gallagher) commitment is, and he's only been in the Cup business for 11 months, they've won a race, the pathway forward, and really learning and understanding about where he wants to take the company, it just started to feel right, and it's really a gut feel.
"I think that gut feel supersedes any logical thought of what other stories I've heard about being a team owner and jokes that I've heard Mr. Hendrick make over the years. It got to a point where this was a gut feel that I wanted to be a part of it, and I want to do this."
Johnson joins a growing list of new owners in the top level of the sport, which includes fellow racers Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Justin Marks, and Matt Tifft. Kaulig Racing and GMS themselves recently moved up into the Cup Series. Then there's famous names like Michael Jordan and Pitbull as well.
"I don't know where my strengths will play out at this point in time, but again, the last two years in the IndyCar space and how my office has managed our partners, our relationship, the relationship I've had with Chip (Ganassi), Chip's willingness to show me more of how a car owner acts, leads, decisions they make. I've had a better understanding of it all," he explained.
"I've been intrigued by it. I've been interested in it. I've gained some experience in it. I think I'm in an environment here where I can learn from two of the best and grow.
"Again, there's some low-hanging fruit with the competition side and participating in events, driving in cars, helping build culture in the shop, working with our young drivers. So that stuff is kind of a standard, but the bigger picture is an opportunity to learn, and I've enjoyed the experience I've had over the last two seasons."
