Jimmie Johnson open to running Indy 500 in 2022

Retired NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson has said for years that the Indianapolis 500 is off the table – in part because his wife doesn’t approve of the dangers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – but that stance seems to be softening.

He recently said he was impressed with the aeroscreen, the cockpit safety device introduced last season by IndyCar.

He’s a no for the race next month but told AP that 2022 is no longer off the table.

“I need to test on an oval, that’s the first step, and I’ve let the team know that’s certainly the first step I need to do to work through this process,” Johnson said.

“I think a year in this sport certainly is going to help myself in understanding the risks. Chani [his wife] really looks to me to where my gut is on these things and the journey where I’ve taken her on how safe Indy cars are… we’re both tracking in the same direction and she’s like, `Go try one on an oval, go see what you think.’ ”