Jimmie Johnson already is getting on well with his soon-to-be Hendrick Motorsports teammates, William Byron and Alex Bowman.
Byron and Bowman are slated to join Hendrick’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series roster in 2018, replacing Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and slotting in alongside Johnson and Chase Elliott. The two incoming young drivers, with a combined age of 33, are quite a bit younger than the 42-year-old Johnson, but that seemingly doesn’t bother him.
The seven-time Cup champion posted a picture Wednesday, revealing that he’s fully embracing his new role as HMS’s honorary team dad.
Since Elliott’s actual father, NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, frequents races, he’s apparently taken to referring to Johnson as “Uncle Jimmy” to avoid confusion.
Perhaps team owner Rick Hendrick will invest in n team minivan for 2018 so the HMS gang can have some family road trips.
