A J.J. sighting

 So they turned 'em loose on the big track yesterday in Indianapolis, and guess who was quickest on the first day of practice for the Indianapolis 500?

No, not Scott Dixon, you fool!

He was second.

First was two-time 500 winner Takuma Sato, who ran a twitch under 229 with a tow late in the day to knock Dixon off the top of the pylon. But you know who was third-fastest on the day?

Jimmie Johnson.

And now this gets interesting, because Johnson knows this ancient pile like the back of his hand, having won four times at Indy while becoming one of the two or three greatest drivers in NASCAR history. Indy cars, of course, are yea different, and J.J. has struggled with that difference so far on the road courses.

But ovals?

Ovals he knows.

And so when he finally decided to dip his toe in those waters at Texas a couple of months ago, he became, well, Jimmie Johnson again. He finished sixth, by far his best IndyCar finish so far, and now you've got to figure he's in the mix for the Big 500, along with ... oh, hell, half the field probably in IndyCar's hyper-competitive new reality.

Josef Newgarden comes to the Speedway as a well-duh favorite, having won twice already this season and who seems a lock to wind up on the Borg-Warner Trophy eventually. He's 32, he's Penske's top guy, he's won two IndyCar titles. Of course he'll add the 500 to his haul, and probably sooner than later.

But look who's right there with him: Sato, Dixon, Pato O'Ward, Alex Palou, Rinus VeeKay, Colton Herta, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power. Marcus Ericsson ...

Jimmie Johnson. Apparently.

"We have a really good race car," he told Paul Kelly from IndyCar. "It's just trying to work through extremes for me. What is a low trim setting? What's a high trim setting? What's mechanically tight? What's mechanically free?"

So much learning curve, so little time. But at least J.J.'s familiar with the schoolhouse.

Gonna be a hell of a two weeks.