Can Jimmie Johnson win the Indy 500? Two-time winner Juan Pablo Montoya thinks so
INDIANAPOLIS -- Perhaps no driver at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has received more attention from the media this month than Jimmie Johnson.
A seven-time champion in NASCAR Cup Series competition, Johnson is a stock car racing legend.
However, this foray into open-wheel racing has not been even close to as successful as his NASCAR career. But that’s okay, Johnson has said, as he’s living out a childhood dream of racing Indy cars.
Given Johnson’s lack of success so far on the IndyCar circuit, it may come as a surprise to some that he’s been viewed as one of the underdog favorites to win this year’s Indianapolis 500.
However, Johnson is racing the full IndyCar schedule this season as opposed to only the road and street circuits like he did in his rookie season last year. With ovals now in play, Johnson is racing in more familiar territory.
The 46-year-old El Cajon, California native finished sixth in his first IndyCar oval race at Texas in March. He has also been fast all May at the Brickyard, and qualified 12th for Sunday’s big race.
While he still is likely a long-shot, one former Indy winner thinks Johnson can win. And that man is none other than Juan Pablo Montoya.
When asked who he thought had a legitimate shot at winning during a media event Thursday, Montoya listed defending winner and four-time 500 champ Helio Castroneves, pole-sitter Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, and himself, naturally.
Juan Pablo Montoya makes Jimmie Johnson one of his picks to potentially win Sunday's Indy 500. Photo: Matt Fraver / IndyCar.
But Montoya also said he seriously believes Johnson could be drinking milk come Sunday.
So why does Montoya think Johnson can win?
“He’s very good on ovals,” Montoya said. “I think he surprised himself in Texas with how good he could run.”
Montoya also cited his past experience racing against Johnson in NASCAR as proof that he knows what he’s talking about. NASCAR’s schedule heavily consists of oval races and 500-mile races, which Montoya believes will help Johnson.
“When he came to IndyCar, I told him ‘I don’t understand. You’re doing the hard thing [racing road and street courses] where you would struggle and you’re skipping the good thing [racing ovals], where you’d click’,” Montoya said. “But I do genuinely think he has a legitimate shot at winning.
"He’s got so much experience on ovals and in long races. He knows how to go through the good and the bad in the race. Other people don’t.”
Perhaps Montoya is correct when it comes to Johnson’s prowess on ovals versus road/street courses. One sixth-place finish is not at all a good sample size, but it should be remembered that only one of Johnson’s 83 Cup Series wins came at a road course.
Montoya also said he's “so happy” Johnson is racing the Indy 500 - but “to a point”, jokingly insinuating that while he’s happy to race against Johnson, he doesn’t want to get beat by him.
However, that might just happen.
“I know Jimmie,” Montoya said. “And I’m pretty sure he’s gonna be there [at the end].”