Jimmie Johnson has ensured his new IndyCar ride has a personalized look -- with a paint scheme the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion helped design.
Carvana, the primary sponsor, unveiled the livery Monday for the No. 48 Dallara-Honda that Johnson will drive on 13 street and road courses for Chip Ganassi Racing this season in the NT IndyCar Series.
The car will sport the online auto retailer’s halo and signature blue when Johnson makes his debut April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park (he was testing at Laguna Seca Raceway two weeks ago as he begins “a very steep learning curve” in IndyCar).
Johnson, who will be splitting the season with Tony Kanaan (the No. 48 driver for oval races), said he took the initiative after getting more involved with paint schemes toward the end of his 19 full-time seasons in NASCAR’s premier series.
“I’m really excited about this paint scheme and over the last few years of my career I’ve found myself
much more involved with the look of the cars that I drive,” Johnson, 45, said in a release. “I was very thankful Carvana gave me the opportunity to be involved in the design process of my very first Indy car.
“The collaboration between myself, Chip Ganassi Racing, Carvana and the design group was a lot of fun. We came up with many, many good ideas. So I’m very excited about our primary paint scheme and also
excited about some opportunities we might have in the future to mix things up and keep things fresh.”
“We have great partners in Chip Ganassi Racing and Jimmie Johnson,” Carvana Chief Brand Officer
Ryan Keeton said in a release. “Jimmie had ideas we implemented into the final paint scheme, and it’s something we’re really proud of, not only for the aesthetics but also the collaborative approach to design.”
The Jimmie Johnson-designed IndyCar paint scheme was showcased Monday morning in videos and images on Carvana Racing’s YouTube and social media channels.
