Photo by Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images

A NASCAR great is bringing a new, and different, driving craze to sport


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As someone that began his racing career on two wheels it should come as no surprise that Jimmie Johnson is enjoying cycling as much as he is.

It's a long way from his BMX racing days in Southern California, but his passion for two wheels has reemerged. His love for cycling apparently is spreading through NASCAR as other drivers have joined in on the riding festivities in recent years, according to Athlon Sports & Life.

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Johnson, along with a handful of other drivers, have been riding around the mostly rural areas near the NASCAR tracks nearly each week.

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"Cycling provides the most fun and the most social experiences, and you can go places and talk to people and do things," Johnson said. "It's really a lot of fun for me. It's something I do often."

Apparently there had been a group within Joe Gibbs Racing that had been riding for years, which Johnson found out upon bringing a bike to the track. He said there were guys that had maps and routes all planned out so they could ride from the tracks to their hotels.

"They had all these great routes mapped out from the track back to their hotels, being able to kind of take those routes and twist them around, make them come back to the track so I don't have to worry about getting picked up at a hotel," Johnson said.

"Now, from Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., Tony Stewart, multiple crew guys, you go down through the list, there's a lot of guys riding bikes," Johnson added.

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When asked various things about him and his fellow NASCAR drivers, turned cyclists, Johnson had no shortage of tidbits to share about the NASCAR cycling trend.

He was asked who is most likely to change a flat and also who is least likely to do so.

"I find myself changing flats for everybody, so I'm the guy changing flats," Johnson said. "Dale just stood there and watched me change his flat once, so I'll go with Dale."

While Dale Jr. just retired and Johnson isn't probably too far off it's nice to see NASCAR drivers have something they can do as they begin to step away from the track.

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