Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR team involved in Indy 500 | Sports News

NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club team has partnered with Arrow McLaren for the 2026 Indianapolis 500, with former winner Ryan Hunter-Reay behind the wheel of the No. 31. The partnership brings Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan back along with Johnson, his former Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, and follows the two-year collaboration between Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports that noticed defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson compete in the Indy 500 in 2024 and 2025.

Johnson and LMC may also carry in an skilled team, together with 2015 Indy 500-winning race engineer Brian Campe, who labored on Larson’s Indy 500 makes an attempt. Campe will assist the Hunter-Reay entry as each race strategist and car communicator. Several Legacy NASCAR pit crew members have additionally begun working with Arrow McLaren’s over-the-wall crew to help the No. 31’s efforts.

Olivier Boisson, who joined Arrow McLaren in the final offseason, will function Hunter-Reay’s race engineer. Meanwhile, Indy 500-winning crew chief Didier Francesia will oversee the car’s operations.

Larson’s Indy 500 goals to finish “The Double” by racing each the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the identical day, which drew widespread curiosity. Eyes had been on Larson, who is taken into account one of essentially the most versatile drivers in motorsport, even being in comparison with F1’s Max Verstappen.

However, Hunter-Reay’s program will see the 2012 IndyAutomotive Series champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner assemble a well-rounded, deeply skilled lineup. Johnson will return to IndyAutomotive, the place he raced from 2021 to 2022, and has massive ambitions for one of motorsport’s most historic races.

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Campe, who was drafted in by Johnson, shared an insight into what the collaboration is hoping to realize. “Jimmie has a bit of a saying: ‘Let’s go do cool stuff,’” Campe informed RACER.

“What’s the cool stuff that we’re all passionate about? And then let’s do the things that we’re passionate about. I went with Jimmie and did the Mint 400, just as a fan more than anything, and got to see that off-road world.

“And what are the other things that we can do like that? NASCAR is our main thing, but when these opportunities make sense, let’s go do them, and to do them with McLaren and Hunter-Reay and Zak and Tony and Moyer and all the people there, it’s just a really cool opportunity.”

Campe additionally stated: “We’re going to win. That’s the point. Why would you go to Indianapolis without a plan to go win the thing, especially if you’ve done it before? You go there to win, and then you start stacking the people that are going with you. And it’s building a dream team.

“It’s like the NBA; you’re calling up all the best players you can put together to go take on the world’s best. And I’m taking that approach and try to play my part and prepare as if it was my full-time job.

“And just to work with that group of people at Arrow McLaren. And then you add in leaders there like Kyle Moyer and Eric Cowden and we got to work with in the Larson program, and there’s a familiarity there. And it all started with Tony reaching out to Jimmie and seeing if we could do something together.”