Six-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is set to begin another title defense this Sunday at the Daytona 500.
But in the lead-up to the big race, he’s also been watching as much of the Sochi Olympics as he can when not inside his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
As a regular viewer, Johnson says he’s been captivated by what he calls “the speed stuff” in this year’s Winter Games.
“The downhill, snowboarding, bobsled, the guys on the skeleton - and the girls too - they’re crazy and they’re fun to watch,” Johnson told NASCAR on NBC reporter Marty Snider.
He also noted the similarities between what bobsledders like Steven Holcomb and Elana Meyers do and what he and his own peers do at Daytona.
MORE: Humphries/Moyse defend Olympic women’s bobsled title
“That’s probably the most similar discipline [to NASCAR],” Johnson said. “It’s propelled by them so they need to get off the start fine, but controlling the sled down the - I don’t know what they call it, the road, the track, whatever it is - it’s pretty nuts.
“They have the big banked turns like we do in NASCAR and they can touch the wall a little bit more than we can and redirect themselves, but it just looks like such a cool rush and there’s so many great stories that come from it.”
You can hear more of Johnson’s thoughts on the Olympics and on Sunday’s “Great American Race” in the video above.
And don’t forget to watch the debut episode of NASCAR AMERICA - this Monday at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
