Jimmie Johnson’s latest side quest took him to Lake St. Moritz in Switzerland and placed him behind the wheel of an iconic coupe. Over the weekend, he is taking part in the International Concours of Elegance (ICE), a classic car show that is held on the frozen lakebed.

Johnson is driving a Porsche 904, a coupe produced from 1964 to 1965 for competition in the World Sportscar Championship. While the 904 is best associated with road racing, enjoying victories at events like the Targa Florio and 24 Hours of Le Mans, it also has a history in rallying by finishing second overall at the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally. 904s are also seen today in historic car meets like Goodwood and ICE.

He was among the opening cars to turn laps on the lakebed during the first day on Saturday, with his Lydia riding by his side.

“What an experience,” he said of the drive. “We called at the Daytona 500, we said we’d go to the beach so I literally went to the beach and now I’m on the ice within a matter of six to seven days and just truly enjoying this experience.”

“Just a great family event. We’ve been on the mountain the last couple of days skiing and here on the ice today in a car.”

The NASCAR legend was only six days removed from finishing third in the Daytona 500. While he has achieved plenty in pavement racing as evidenced by his seven Cup Series championships and portfolio of starts that includes Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500, and Rolex 24, he had started his career in off-road.

Driving on snow and ice isn’t a foreign concept to him either as he had done the 2022 Race of Champions in Sweden. Another off-road foray would have taken place in 2024 when his NASCAR team Legacy Motor Club expanded into Extreme E and Johnson had plans of driving part-time, but the rest of the season was canceled before he could make any starts.

Of course, the 904 is a bit of a different beast than the machines he’s used to. In fact, he quipped he received a warning from a track marshal to slow down at one point.

“I’ve never driven a 904 before and I understand they’re quite expensive, so to be drifting one sideways on the ice is a great first way to meet this car,” Johnson continued.

ICE St. Moritz, like most events of its kind, is typically associated with class and—as the name suggests—elegance. Those might not be terms that come to mind when thinking of stock cars, but Johnson feels taking part is a great way to showcase the sport on a global stage.

“I feel like I have more of an opportunity to represent my industry and my sport,” he said. “We’re kind of known very well in the US but maybe not worldwide, so to be in Switzerland on the ice in a 904, I think it just helps expand our fan base. Surprisingly yesterday, I met quite a few NASCAR fans here on the ice. Just a great experience.”

Besides his limited NASCAR slate as an owner/driver for Legacy MC, Johnson occasionally dabbles in other events when he can. Last September, he and Dario Franchitti shared a Aston Martin DB4 GT and won the Goodwood Revival’s Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy, ovecoming a crash in practice to lead every lap in the rain.

Featured image credit: via Jimmie Johnson