“I Got Emotional”- Hollywood Fame Terry Crews Forever Indebted to Jimmie Johnson as He Unpacks Hidden GM Family Connection

Terry Crews was only fulfilling one part of his childhood dream when he first marked his presence on the F1 grid, becoming a regular beginning with the first Las Vegas GP. However, his connection with motorsports only grew when Cadillac debuted on the grid this season, as he discussed a deep family connection with its parent brand. But things only got far more emotional for him when Jimmie Johnson took him for a special ride.

Despite all the exposure Terry Crews got through his Formula 1 presence, there was still a huge chunk of racing that he was missing out on, but thankfully, the 7x NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was there to fill up this void for him.

Just a day before the 2026 edition of the Indianapolis 500 race, Terry Crews had the opportunity to cruise around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a two-seater with Johnson.

“Jimmie Johnson, the Jimmie Johnson, the day before that race, took me around in a two-seater in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” he said. “Brother, let me tell you, I got emotional because, let me tell you, as a young boy, there are only a couple of dreams you have when you’re like 5 years old. One is a cowboy, and the other is a racecar driver. Dude, I was like, I’m living this dream right now.”

Johnson, who has some experience running the Indy 500, thanks to his attempt in 2022 when he ran the full-time IndyCar season for Chip Ganassi Racing, made the most of the opportunity he had with Crews, and safe to say, the latter enjoyed it. In fact, as he described it, there was no doubt that it was almost like a favor that Johnson did for him to fulfill his childhood dream, almost as if Crews were indebted.

Crews have been having quite some fun around motorsports lately. He also revealed that he had been hanging out with Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez, meeting drivers from all the generations at once. And yet, NASCAR and IndyCar are only the more recent additions to his portfolio, as Crews has already been making quite a strong impression on the F1 grid, especially because of a deep family connection that runs with the newest team on the grid, Cadillac.

Terry Crews’ Cadillac family connection

“When I found that Cadillac was in it, you know, I mean, that’s the American brand, my father worked for General Motors, okay? I’m from Flint, Michigan. I’m born and bred; American cars all the way. And when two of my favorite things are together, I knew I had to be involved,” he said, speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Terry Crews became a household name for Americans, especially through his portrayal of Terrance on the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine and through other notable characters throughout the years.

And so when it came for the Cadillac F1 team to have a face to lead their series, which followed the story of their journey to the Formula 1 grid, it had to be Terry. In fact, they called their series Crews Control. Crews already had a strong influence on the grid, and, giving all credit to his massive fan following, it was easy for many to resonate with him, especially with the fan-like energy he brought to the post-race Las Vegas GP interviews.

Cadillac, after much delay, finally found its spot on the Formula 1 grid this season as the 11th team. Their operation is currently led by Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, both proven race winners and highly experienced. Moreover, they seemed to be the perfect bunch to kick-start Cadillac’s journey in the sport. While the team hasn’t been performing the best in the ’26 season so far, it was largely expected, considering their lack of overall experience.

His father worked for General Motors, the parent company that also owns Cadillac, whose show Terry Crews himself fronted as its ambassador, making it a full-circle moment for him, one he cannot forget. And understandably, as a young boy who dreamed of being a racecar driver, Terry Crews is currently on quite an emotional journey. And it seems that he might enjoy it more than he did as an actor in his prime.

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