Seven-time NASCAR Cup champ will be reevaluated Saturday after injuring his right hand.
IndyCar
Jimmie Johnson was so looking forward to Sunday’s IndyCar Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
But after a crash during practice on Friday Johnson may be watching from the sidelines during Sunday’s event at his “home track.”
Johnson, who injured his right hand, will be reevaluated Saturday, according to Chip Ganassi Racing team officials. The injury occurred when his No. 48 Dallara-Honda slammed head-on into a tire barrier during Friday’s practice session.
In laymen’s terms, Johnson’s hand snapped back on impact. Upon being treated, he was fitted with a splint on the hand that extended all the way to his right elbow.
It’s unclear the extent of his injuries, such as whether he broke any fingers or if he just suffered a severe sprain. Johnson or the team will hopefully further clarify what happened after Saturday’s examination by IndyCar medical personnel.
Indycar driver Jimmie Johnson drives through the hairpin onto Shoreline Drive during the first practice session at the 47th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday, April 8, 2022.
IndyCar
A surprisingly chipper Johnson addressed his fans about the injury on social media, including apologizing for having to miss an autograph session because, well, he writes with his right hand and he was unable to grip a pen with the splint on his hand and arm:
“Hey everybody, as you can see, I’m a little banged up here and have a splint on,” Johnson said. “First and foremost, apologies to the fans at the autograph session I wasn’t able to attend. Clearly, I’ve got something else going on here.
“I’m on my way to be further evaluated just to get a good honest look and understand what my options are. I really don’t have any clarity at this point. And I look forward to updating you all very soon.”
Update from Long Beach pic.twitter.com/pRGO2jPLmm
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) April 9, 2022
Indy cars are scheduled to be on-track for much of five different sessions on Saturday, with a practice at 11:45 am to 12:45 pm ET, followed by four qualifying sessions, including eliminations and setting the front of the field with the Firestone Fast Six.
The first round of qualifying is from 3:05 pm to 3:15 pm ET, followed by the second round from 3:25 pm to 3:35 pm ET, eliminations from 3:45 pm to 3:55 pm ET, and finally, the Fast Six round from 4:05 pm to 4:20 pm ET.
Sunday’s race will include a warm-up round from Noon to 12:30 pm ET, followed by the race from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm ET, televised on NBC.
Autoweek will provide updates on Johnson’s condition as they become available on Saturday.
Keyword: Jimmie Johnson Injured in Crash at Long Beach IndyCar Practice