Racing legend Jimmie Johnson may have retired from NASCAR but the 45-year-old's days of speeding are far from over as he gears up to take his talents to IndyCar. With the coronavirus pandemic having delayed the 2020 NASCAR season, Johnson called it quits, so he could prepare to mash the pedals in a vehicle that he'd actually envisioned himself driving many years earlier.
"As a kid, IndyCar was really the dream for me. My opportunities took me to NASCAR and clearly I'm so thankful for the journey I've been on, but in 2018 I had a chance to drive a Formula One (F1) car and that experience was so intense and so cool that I needed more of it in my life and was able to put this opportunity together with Carvana and Chip Ganassi Racing for this season and for next," Johnson told Cheddar.
Like F1 race cars, IndyCar uses an open-wheel design.
While the racing legend spent nearly two decades behind the wheel of a stock car, he's only had "a handful" of test sessions before his IndyCar debut. If you thought that might impact Johnson's psyche and make for a nervous debut, he said it "totally does." For the most part, it will be a learn-as-you-go type of experience for the veteran racer.
"For me, really everything's different. I mean, not only the car, which you can visually see and the performance side to it, but the tracks are all new and different, and I've never been to them," Johnson said. "Some are temporary street circuits in downtown districts that are just there for four or five days and they're gone."
As Johnson prepares to make his first appearance at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday, he is also touting a partnership with Alcon, a Swiss-based eyecare company. Johnson who suffers from seasonal allergies, with itchy eyes being a major symptom, said the partnership was the perfect match.
We're a week into the Olympics and by now most viewers have noticed that Ralph Lauren, Nike and Under Armour are the official sponsors of Team USA gear. Joining The Long and The Short to discuss the benefits of outfitting Team USA is Nick Martell and Jack Kramer, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs of MarketSnacks.
Dwyane Wade made headlines for his recent trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers back to the Miami Heat, but the NBA star is also busy with a film that hits close to home. Alyssa Julya Smith caught up with the basketball player at a screening of his new film "Shot in the Dark," which he acted as executive producer alongside fellow Chicago-born star Chance the Rapper.
Billionaire Tom Steyer is putting his personal fortune behind an effort to get President Trump out of office. Special counsel Robert Mueller has indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities for allegedly meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Coinbase users took to social media and Reddit to complain about glitches on the platform. Coinbase says the root of the problem is credit card processing managed by Visa. But, Visa says they didn't cause the problem.
The NBA star says, "Anytime I can give any word of advice, anytime I can be a role model to anybody, I try to be there because I know who I was, and I know what it took and how many people it took to help me get to the point of success."
Your Future Home: Housing trends and tips with Quicken Loans. On Between Bells: "Black Panther" finally hits theaters. plus, a night of near misses for Team USA at the Winter Olympics. We're joined by FHM, Citi, LiveScience, and more.
At this year's Winter Olympics, young stars are making big statements across a number of events. Mikaela Shiffrin, 22, took home gold in the giant slalom last night - setting up a big showdown between Shiffrin and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn in the downhill race later this week.
NBA All-Star Weekend is here. The League's best will go head to head in a number of contests, but with injuries plaguing many of the NBA's top players, will people still tune in?
Angela Ruggiero, Olympic gold medalist and CEO and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, joins Cheddar live from PyeongChang, South Korea to share her thoughts on the first week of the Olympics. She also discusses the technology she's been seeing at the games.
Amazon surpassed Microsoft in market cap. McDonald's is making its Happy Meals healthier. Washington D.C. reacts to the Florida high school massacre. Plus, we hear from an entrepreneur who started the first studio of its kind in the fitness industry.
The boxing trend is sweeping through the fitness industry. Box + Flow founder Liv Young joins Cheddar to discuss how she's breaking through the cluttered landscape by combining the sport with another popular workout: yoga.
