INDIANAPOLIS — 7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has examined good for the coronavirus and will pass up this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway,

The 44-year-aged Johnson is the to start with driver in any NASCAR sequence to take a look at optimistic and the news Friday night solid a shadow more than the historic NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader races coming up Saturday and Sunday. There was no indication any races would be influenced.

Hendrick Motorsports stated Johnson will not return right until he is cleared by a doctor. He was analyzed earlier Friday immediately after his wife, Chani, analyzed positive after enduring allergy-like signs and symptoms.

Johnson is asymptomatic.

“My initially priority is the wellness and protection of my liked ones and my teammates,” Johnson mentioned. “I’ve by no means missed a race in my Cup occupation, but I know it is heading to be quite tricky to look at from the sidelines when I’m meant to be out there competing. Even though this predicament is extremely disappointing, I’m going to occur back ready to acquire races and put ourselves in playoff competition.”

Johnson previously Friday held a Zoom session with reporters to examine Sunday’s race and an future test of an Indy automobile on the road training course at the fabled location. He will now skip that examination, as perfectly as what was intended to be his ultimate Brickyard 400. Justin Allgaier will replace him in the No. 48 Chevrolet.

“Jimmie has managed this predicament like the winner he is,” mentioned Rick Hendrick, operator of Hendrick Motorsports. “We’re relieved he is not showing indications and that Chani is carrying out wonderful, and we know he’ll be again and prepared to go very soon. It’s likely to be difficult for him to be out of the car and absent from his staff, but it’s the correct matter to do for Jimmie and anyone associated.”

Hendrick Motorsports stated it has applied in-depth methods to guard the well being of its team users. They consist of each day COVID-19 screenings at the staff amenities the separation of facility operations and traveling staff break up work schedules stringent confront masking and social distancing specifications and an elevated amount of disinfecting and sanitization of all operate areas.

Johnson is scheduled to retire from complete-time NASCAR competition at the stop of the year and was hoping to tie Jeff Gordon and Michael Schumacher as the only 5-time winners at Indianapolis.

Johnson has manufactured 663 conscutive Cup Sequence starts off — the longest streak between energetic motorists — and is presently 12th in the standings, 63 details inside of the playoff photograph. NASCAR’s procedures point out a driver will have to be symptom totally free and have two adverse coronavirus tests in a 24-hour span to return.

NASCAR mentioned it has granted Johnson a playoff waiver.

“Jimmie is a true fight-tested winner, and we would like him very well in his restoration,” the collection said.

Johnson could probably also miss out on the Cup race at Kentucky and the All-Star race at Bristol. Upcoming week’s take a look at of the street course at Indy in Scott Dixon’s automobile has also been scrapped.

NASCAR was a person of the to start with sports activities to resume competition from the pandemic shutdown and has done 11 Cup races due to the fact its May well 17 return. The sanctioning body does not take a look at for coronavirus but contributors are demanded to do a temperature look at as they enter the facility.

Drivers have been advised to isolate at the observe and there is pretty tiny conversation further than radio dialogue involving the competitor and his crew.

Though Stewart-Haas Racing and Workforce Penske each reported they’ve had good tests from store-dependent group associates, Johnson is the initially driver. Previously Friday, Brazilian sports activities auto driver Felipe Nasr mentioned he had analyzed optimistic and will miss out on Saturday’s IMSA occasion at Daytona Worldwide Speedway.

Johnson before Friday reviewed the Indy vehicle check scheduled with Chip Ganassi Racing, which hesaid was the first stage in establish if real races are in his long run. If he’s any good, he mentioned, he would be open up to racing all 12 street and street study course functions on the IndyCar program.

Johnson has lengthy reported protection concerns would hold him from racing on IndyCar oval tracks, but Friday he offered a surprisingly softer stance about the Indy 500. IndyCar this calendar year unveiled its aeroscreen windshield designed to safeguard the motorists from debris as they sit in the open up-air cockpits. Saturday will mark just the next race with the product, but it appeared problem-no cost previous thirty day period on the oval at higher-pace Texas Motor Speedway.

“Their basic safety on ovals has significantly improved this calendar year with the windscreen. So, I’ll hold a near eye on issues there and see how the security amount appears to be,” Johnson claimed. “I’ve normally desired to race the Indy 500. I’d have to do a good deal of advertising to my wife to get that go, but my true need correct now is to just operate the road classes.”

Johnson has his eye on the street training course race in Extensive Seaside, California, a race that was canceled this year mainly because of the coronavirus pandemic but is one of the most storied situations on the IndyCar calendar at a keep track of just a couple hours from his indigenous El Cajon.

“When I was a child increasing up, the closest IndyCar racing for me was at Prolonged Seashore so one of my hopes is that I am able to race at Very long Beach,” Johnson claimed. “I hung on the fence a whole lot as a kid watching and dreaming. …. There is a lot of sentimental worth with that race and I hope to race there.”

He is stuck in a three-yr dropping streak but Hendrick Motorsports has been significantly enhanced this time and Johnson has been competitive. He has also been actively prepping for a whirl in an Indy car and experienced been scheduled to exam with the McLaren workforce prior to the pandemic.

“It’s a take a look at, it is a tryout and it’s a two-way road. Two-way tryout for the crew to appear at me and for myself to search at a group,” he explained. “If I’m about 4 seconds off the rate, then that is possibly a speedy indication that I do not want to be in one of these vehicles. If I’m in just a particular volume of time and I have a fantastic feel of the car, then for me, I come to feel like which is an crucial to start with phase that I want to know that I can be aggressive.

“I do not want to go race in any collection and not be aggressive,” he said.