CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson would not intend to let a fractured proper hand maintain him off the observe.

On Tuesday, the seven-time NASCAR champion, who has turn out to be an IndyCar Collection common, introduced on Twitter he had surgical procedure Monday night time in Charlotte, North Carolina, to restore the damage he suffered in a observe crash final weekend.

“From Lengthy Seaside to the working room,” Johnson wrote earlier than citing his plan to check subsequent week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Excellent news is I plan to be prepared for the IMS check in 9 days and Barber on Could 1st. Thanks to all of the medical employees concerned.”

Testing is to be held on the Brickyard’s historic 2.5-mile oval subsequent Wednesday and Thursday. The collection will not race once more till stopping at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

Then once more, Johnson by no means has allowed a lot to get in the best way of racing.

He made 663 consecutive begins in Cup Collection vehicles, the fifth-longest streak in NASCAR historical past. It ended with a constructive COVID-19 check that stored him out of the 2020 Brickyard 400. Johnson returned the following week following two unfavorable assessments and began each different race of his last season.

It was the one begin he missed as a full-time Cup driver.

Final yr, Johnson switched to IndyCar however raced solely on road and street programs. This yr, he is added ovals to an expanded schedule.

After he was injured Friday, few have been stunned when he confirmed up on the observe Saturday with a carbon-fiber splint to guard his hand. He nonetheless managed to signal autographs and check the splint throughout observe and qualifying.

On Sunday, the 46-year-old Johnson accomplished 73 of 85 laps within the No. 48 Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing. He completed twentieth on the road course.

“Wanting ahead to the check in Indy,” Ganassi’s group wrote on Twitter because it retweeted Johnson’s announcement.

Johnson has made 15 IndyCar begins over the previous two seasons, ending a career-best sixth at Texas on March 20.