Nascar Champion Jimmie Johnson, Chip Ganassi Racing Announce Sponsor For 2021 IndyCar Season

When Nascar champion Jimmie Johnson announced he had entered into a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing to explore the possibility of racing a full road and street course calendar in the NTT IndyCar Series for the 2021 and 2022 racing seasons last month, one question remained: Where would the sponsorship come from?

That question was answered Saturday when online auto retailer Carvana announced it will be the primary partner for Johnson and Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) for the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season. The newly formed team will be known as Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing.

“Jimmie Johnson has already made his mark as one of the best NASCAR drivers in history, yet he’s continuing to push himself with a new challenge,” said Carvana Chief Brand Officer Ryan Keeton. “He’s not resting, but raising the bar, and that’s a mindset we can very much relate to. We’re looking forward to that shared challenger mindset, teamed up with Chip Ganassi Racing, for what is sure to be a fun, exciting racing season.”

Johnson co-holds the NASCAR Cup Series record with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for most premier series championships and is the only driver to win five consecutive titles (2006-2010). Johnson’s 83 career wins is tied with Cale Yarborough for sixth all-time and is tops among active drivers. He is currently racing in his final races as a fulltime Nascar driver. When he announced his retirement late last year, one of his stated goals was to get behind the wheel of an IndyCar.

In late July that goal was met as Johnson tested with CGR on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

In Saturday’s press release, it was also announced that Johnson will take part in tests with CGR in the No. 48 Carvana Honda at Barber Motorsports Park and Laguna Seca in November. Johnson’s new paint scheme will be unveiled prior to the start of the 2021 NTT IndyCar season where he is scheduled to compete the full road and street course calendar.

“Carvana is a young, tech-forward, smart and aggressive company and is the perfect partner for this next challenge in my career,” said Johnson, who will be competing for 2021 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year. “I’ve dreamed of racing in INDYCAR since I was a little kid. Going from one championship organization to another with CGR, you know the resources, including great people, are going to be there. To have friends like Scott (Dixon), Dario (Franchitti) and Doug (Duchardt) there to lean on and learn from just makes this transition so much better. 2021 is going to be a lot of fun!”

“I think this is a perfect fit for our organization – Carvana is a very exciting technology company that is always continuing to challenge themselves to be the best they can be,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. “Like us, they value innovation – and when you add it all up, we seem to have a lot in common, which is why I think this relationship can really grow and be successful. You all know Jimmie and his accomplishments. Jimmie is a champion and a winner and will bring tremendous value to our organization. I think we’re going to learn as much from him and his approach as he is going to learn about IndyCar racing. It will only move the team in a positive direction.”