CONCORD, N.C. -- Set your DVRs, America. Jimmie Johnson is about to ask someone to cluck like a chicken.
Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, Johnson will make an appearance on "Repeat After Me."
The show, with Ellen DeGeneres as an executive producer, is hosted by Wendi McLendon-Covey -- think "Bridesmaids," "The Goldbergs" and "Reno 911!" -- with the premise that celebrities will interact with everyday people in high-energy, comedic hidden-camera situations using a remote ear piece.
"It was so tough to do the Repeat After Me bit," Johnson recalled, smiling. "In my ear, I could hear the host of the show, Wendi, and then the audience in the background. The girl, I would say something way awkward, she would react, and then there was this awkward pause from when the audience would laugh, Wendi would finish her laughing, figure out the next question and send it to me."
He joked that it felt like an eternity between questions, making it that much harder to keep from breaking.
"To stand face-to-face with someone and try to keep this prank alive, trying to make eye contact and trying to sound authentic, it was tough," he said. "Because, I mean, I want to die laughing. Then I'm like, 'Man, I'm torturing this poor girl!'"
The driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS gave a bit of a preview of the setup for his segment on the show. It sounds as if Johnson will be getting a massage.
"At one point she has to cluck like a chicken and massage my back," he laughed. "She's a masseuse, and she had to peck at my back like she's a chicken, and she does it! So it was so tough to keep a straight face and kind of execute and pull this thing off."
Johnson filmed his segment for the new show during a recent trip to Los Angeles when he made a stop at Warner Brothers Studio.
His episode also features singer Josh Groban, actress Lauren Graham and TV show host Mario Lopez.
"I look forward to it being on TV," he said. "Everybody says it was great. Although I was extremely uncomfortable most of the deal, it should be great."