NASCAR Champions Johnson, Elliott Set for Rolex 24 Effort – Sportscar365

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, along with new 2020 Series champion Chase Elliott, are set to compete in the January Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Rick Hendrick, team owner of NASCAR’s Best Series Two Drivers, revealed during Sunday’s post-race press conference at Phoenix International Raceway that Johnson and Elliott will be competing in the season opener. of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year.

Elliott won the 500 season final, which was enough for him to claim his first Cup Series title, while Johnson, in his last full season in top-tier NASCAR competition, finished fifth in the race.

“Our two guys, Chase and Jimmie, will participate in the 24 hour race. [at Daytona], so I can’t wait to be there, ”Hendrick told reporters.

While Hendrick later admitted that he may have ‘jumped the gun’ on the news, it is understood that an effort was underway to field an all-star DPi entry, with Indianapolis winner Simon Pagenaud. 500 2019, rumored to be the third driver in the effort.

All three drivers are Chevrolet-backed drivers, with Pagenaud driving for Team Penske in the NTT IndyCar Series as well as the Michelin Endurance Cup races in Penske’s Acura ARX-05 program, which ends next weekend at Sebring.

Elliott, meanwhile, confirmed to reporters that he is committed to piloting the Rolex 24 but has not yet signed a contract.

While the 24-year-old second-generation driver, son of two-time Daytona 500 winner and former NASCAR champion Bill, would make his sports car racing debut, Johnson has already competed in the Florida Endurance Classic five times. , the most recent. coming in 2011 in a GAINSCO / Bob Stallings Racing Riley-Chevrolet DP.

His best result came in 2008 with a second place overall alongside co-drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser.

Sportscar365 understands that the planned ‘all-star’ effort would be in a Cadillac DPi-VR lined up by Action Express Racing.

It would come alongside the full season Cadillac DPi returning the team of Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr in the top prototype class.

AXR team manager Gary Nelson told Sportscar365 in September he had not ruled out running a second participation next year after leading a single-car operation for the first time in the team history this year.

It’s unclear when an official announcement could be made on the likely effort.