JR Motorsports announced Tuesday that Jimmie Johnson will drive its No. 7 Chevrolet in the Aug. 13 Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International, in a deal to promote his soon-to-be-launched video game, Jimmie Johnson's Anything With An Engine, scheduled for an October 2011 release on all three major home consoles.
A five-time champion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Johnson's entry at Watkins Glen will mark his first Nationwide Series race since competing in four events for JR Motorsports in 2008. Johnson – JR co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports – has one win in Nationwide competition, in 91 starts.
“This is a unique opportunity to not only run in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports, but a fun way to remind fans that our new video game will be released in a few months,” Johnson said. “We had a lot of fun creating this game, and I think the fans will appreciate the imagination we put into it. Being able to race a JR Motorsports car and promote my game at the same time is a great opportunity. [Crew chief] Tony Eury Jr. and Ron Fellows nearly won at Road America in June, so maybe we can do one better.”
Five different drivers have drive the No. 7 Chevrolet in Nationwide this year – Fellows, Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Josh Wise and Kasey Kahne – and all five have scored top-10 finishes.