Updated

Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson never had the chance to race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Until Thursday.

And while he didn't get to take a fast lap at the long-closed 0.625-mile short track in his more familiar No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Johnson obviously was pretty pleased with what he was able while pedaling on two wheels instead of four.

North Wilkesboro hosted 93 NASCAR Premier Series races from 1949 to 1996, when Jeff Gordon won the last such event held there. Johnson did not start driving in NASCAR at all until 1998, when he made his debut in what is now the XFINITY Series -- and he didn't begin driving in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series until 2001.

A post shared by Jimmie Johnson (@jimmiejohnson) on Mar 2, 2017 at 11:24am PST