Johnson has only ever driven the No. At his home track Auto Club, he qualified second, losing the pole position to Clint Bowyer by 0.007 seconds. Through the first six races of the season, Johnson only scored one Top 10 finish. It fired off OK with a lot of grip. At Kentucky, Johnson started third. Hired to drive the team's second Chevrolet, Neil Bonnett went winless in 1984. Entering the doubleheader at Johnson's strongest track Dover, Johnson was 25 points behind his teammate. Subsequent victories in the Coca-Cola 600, the Pocono 500, and the Pennsylvania 500 came in the middle of the season, seeing Johnson sweep the Pocono races. 1 (lap 2628): Speeding through pit road) Johnson rallied to finish 10th. He charged through the field and finished seventh (1st car a lap down) and moved to the "Round of 12" of the Chase. He initially had a test scheduled in March with Arrow McLaren SP at Barber Motorsports Park before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[156] a second attempt with Chip Ganassi Racing on the Indianapolis road course in July was postponed when he tested positive for the virus. [212][213], In 2016, Johnson appeared in Blaze and the Monster Machines with fellow NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne and Danica Patrick. He was able to redeem himself for this mistake the following week at Pocono by earning the pole position, leading the most laps, and winning his third race of the season, which increased his point lead to 51 points over Edwards. At that point, I thought, I dont care if I win or finish. The start of the season didn't go as smoothly as the end of last season, however. [168] On September 26, 2022, Johnson announced that he would be stepping back from racing full-time. In winning the race, Johnson became the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to sweep both Daytona races in a season. At Talladega, Johnson started second and led a high of 84 laps. In addition, he announced his return to the Cup Series on a part-time basis in 2023, starting with an attempt to make the 2023 Daytona 500. In his 13th career start, Johnson scored his first career win in the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at Auto Club Speedway. Hill passed Chandler Smith for the lead with one lap remaining Saturday and won the 300-mile Xfinity race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the 2007 event, Johnson was eliminated before the quarter-finals by Formula One driver Sbastien Bourdais of France.[171][172]. He became the 12th driver to win 50+ NASCAR races when he won at Bristol in March and went up to 10th on the all-time wins list. Fresh off his second Daytona 500 victory, Johnson challenged host Ellen DeGeneres to a go-kart race. At Bristol, he was running on the lead lap until a spin late-race forced him back to a 22nd-place finish. The deal left open the possibility of running select NASCAR Cup Series events in conjunction, as Ganassi fielded two cars in NASCAR and could've added a part-time car for Johnson, staying under the four-car maximum for Cup teams. Ol' seven-time has returned to NASCAR after a humbling two years in IndyCar as part owner and sometimes driver at what's called Legacy Motor Club. Later that day, he entered the 2020 Busch Clash as the defending champion. Johnson won his first Cup Series championship in 2006 and with further wins in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, he became the first and only driver in NASCAR history[1] to win five consecutive championships. "Junior was wide open every lap," Richard Petty, Lee's son and NASCAR's first seven-time champion, says. In 2007, Johnson opened Jimmie Johnson's Victory Lanes in Randleman, North Carolina, which is a four-lane bowling alley for campers at Pattie and Kyle Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp. | NASCAR.com", "Jimmie Johnson advances to Round of 8 | NASCAR.com", "NASCAR Playoffs: Jimmie Johnson fades at Texas | NASCAR.com", "Jimmie Johnson in 'must-win' situation at Phoenix | NASCAR.com", "Jimmie Johnson crashes at Phoenix, ending his chase for record eighth NASCAR title", "Iconic moment as Johnson pushes Elliott to Victory Lane | Hendrick Motorsports", "Chase Elliott on Jimmie Johnson's 'awesome' sportsmanship after first win", "Jimmie Johnson finds new sponsor in Ally Financial for 2019 season", "Jimmie Johnson wins rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash", "Hendrick Motorsports names Cliff Daniels as No. [89] Johnson's streak of misfortune continued the next several weeks, finishing 42nd for the second week in a row at New Hampshire. [79] In the Daytona 500, Johnson started well, assuming the lead from Jeff Gordon on lap 32 and leading a handful of laps before falling back to the middle of the pack. In 2009, he became the first racing driver to win the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award in the United States. However, his momentum returned at Texas when he held off Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win. He eventually climbed out of the car unscathed and raised his fists in the air like he had won the race. At Kentucky, Johnson started sixth and ran inside the Top 10 for most of the night, finishing ninth. Johnson won his first pole position of the season at Martinsville and had the dominant car, leading 346 of 500 laps on the way to his eighth Martinsville race win. A two-time Daytona 500 champion, Johnson is one of only three drivers to win seven NASCAR Cup championships in the sport's history, along with the late Dale Earnhardt and stock-car. Johnson had a chance to win the championship coming into the November 20 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but finished fifth in points after crashing at the midway point of the event with a tire problem. In his last Daytona 500, he started sixth and finished 35th after Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski triggered "The Big One". [25] He scored 13 Top 5's, 22 Top 10 finishes, and one pole position. At Dover, Johnson led 143 laps but finished 17th when he jumped Juan Pablo Montoya on the last restart causing NASCAR to issue him a penalty. [147], During the fall Texas race, Johnson would gain publicity by running a special scheme created by designer Noah Sweet, otherwise known as Lefty or Lefty Designs. Although his team was able to salvage the car to meet the minimum speed and finish 17th, DiBenedetto beat him for the last playoff seed by six points. He also was able to win the All-Star race for the first time, as well as finishing second with just 90 points behind Matt Kenseth and 207 ahead of his future teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.[22], In 2004, Johnson started slowly at Rockingham Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway with results of 41st and 16th, after a Top 10 finish in the Daytona 500. My fans are always extremely loyal. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson has weighed in after making his return to the NASCAR Cup Series. At Martinsville, he struggled to a 35th-place finish. Sweet, whose favorite driver throughout his life had been Johnson, said Im going to remember it for the rest of my life. [5] He also won the season's third event at Antigo before finishing second to Gaughan at Antigo's second race. Johnson said, Kurt knocked me out of the way. Through Johnson's 19 full-time season at NASCAR's highest level, he racked up 83 wins in 686 starts, including two Daytona 500 wins (2006, 2013), in addition to his record-tying seven . He followed up that performance with a ninth-place finish. It helps fund basic needs, such as technology, outdoor classrooms, playground construction, and reading programs. Tyler Reddicks car had engine issues, and he missed the qualifying session. Austin Hill took the lead with one lap to go and won Saturdays 300-mile Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Throughout this season, he won seven races (including a third consecutive Checker Auto Parts 500 and both Dover races), four poles, 16 Top 5's, and 24 Top 10 finishes. He won three races (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and both New Hampshire races), two poles (at Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway),[18] 14 Top 10's, and 20 Top 10 finishes, including a second-place finish at Rockingham after leading 78 laps. That had to be a plus-plus.. Smith was third, Kyle Busch fourth and Josh Berry fifth. 48 Cadillac DPi-V.R for Action Express Racing alongside Simon Pagenaud, Kamui Kobayashi, and Mike Rockenfeller. [4] He battled Scott Taylor and Brendan Gaughan for the championship. He moved to the national American Speed Association (ASA) series for late model touring cars, and won another rookie of the year title. Later during a caution on lap 362, he lost fuel pressure but was able to get the car refired and stayed on the lead lap again. This is a life-changing opportunity for me, and one I had to take, Johnson, 47, said. In a few weeks, Ally president Andreas Brimmer and Jimmie Johnson would tell Sweet on a video call that he would have his chance to get his design on Johnson's car. His second victory of the season came in the fifth race, the Auto Club 400, where Johnson passed Harvick in an overtime finish. And, about 150 years later, Junior's family kept the tradition going in order to survive. That was followed by . (Darron Cummings/AP) Article. [182][183] He has two younger brothers, Jarit and Jessie. He also has the most consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships with 5. Jimmie Johnson's age is 47 years old as of today's date 1st March 2023 having been born on 17 September 1975. [12] One year later, he had two wins and finished third in the standings. Running moonshine wasn't always easy, or legal . The first was the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, where Johnson started on the outside pole and tandem-drafted with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the entire race. At the Advance Auto Parts Clash, he was wrecked on the last lap by Kyle Larson; this was the seventh year in a row he failed to finish the Clash. Jimmie Johnson's Cup return provides special thrill to younger drivers. It worked out.. Johnson learned from some of the best and found an early mentor in motocross and supercross champion Rick Johnson (the two men are not related). [153] On February 14, Johnson made the Daytona 500 entry field by scoring the fastest lap among the non-chartered teams. He slid into the outside wall, causing major damage to the No. At the end of the season, Johnson finished second in the point standings. Jimmie Johnson said a few prayers when he wrecked late in his Indianapolis 500 debut with his teammate in the lead. [105] Entering the final race in the round at Phoenix, Johnson was 51 points behind the Playoff cutoff, and in a near must-win situation. I just knew I had to not abuse the tires and try to methodically work our way through traffic, Hill told Fox Sports. He followed up by finishing 19th. Following in the top five were Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs and Kyle Busch. Afterward, he was able to win the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Every year, it holds a golf tournament in San Diego,[193] which raises money for K-12 public education. On lap 59 of the Daytona 500, he got caught up in a wreck started by Ryan Blaney, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., which also involved his teammate William Byron, Erik Jones, Daniel Surez, Trevor Bayne, and Ty Dillon and ended up 38th. On March 14, 2018, Lowe's announced they would no longer sponsor the No. After winning in 2013 and 2016, he became the third driver to become a seven-time champion. [155], In 2020, Johnson participated in a test with IndyCar Series team Chip Ganassi Racing. Driving will never be away from me - I can't just give it up. Johnson also assumed the point lead as well, which he held for the remainder of the regular season. [65], Johnson won his first race of the season one week later in the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington. After spending the last two seasons in IndyCar, formerly retired seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is returning to the Cup Series this year with a new team. 43) and Joey (Cohen, Director of Competition and Engineering), I realized this was something I wanted to be involved with from both the business perspective and on the competition side. Damage to the car was severe, prompting him to retire and finish 42nd. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson returned to the NASCAR world after retiring from the sport in 2020. Geir Johnson (1953-2021), Norwegian composer, writer and initiator of culture projects. [132] His first race back was the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky, a track at which he had never won before. But he is set to drive the No. One year later, he returned with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing for his fifth Rolex 24 appearance. This would eventually be Johnson's final NASCAR Cup Series win. [75] Johnson was able to hold off Keselowski's hard racing, which even prompted Tony Stewart to say that he was driving with a "death wish". After the race, he congratulated teammate Elliott on his maiden championship and performed a Polish victory lap.[149][150]. Driving full-time in the Xfinity Series for the first time, he was fourth in last weeks Xfinity race at Auto Club Speedway. Johnson was ranked No. Johnson began the 2016 season with a 16th-place finish at the Daytona 500. [8], In SCORE, he won races and had a few memorable finishes, like that in the 1995 Baja 1000, after leading over 900 miles, he fell asleep behind the wheel and woke up to find himself going off course. Where else will Johnson compete in 2023? Johnson was born in El Cajon, California, and began racing motorcycles at the age of four. His Top 10 finishes during the period came only in the Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400, where he finished third in both races. Jimmie Johnson Is Back: The Racing Legend Discusses His Return to NASCAR Ahead of the Daytona 500 While preparing for Sunday's storied contest, the racing great gave us insight on his career's. Seeing Jimmie in a firesuit with his name on the roof of a Chevrolet at the DAYTONA 500 is going to be very special for a lot of people. Unfortunately, Johnson's performance slipped in the third round. During a news conference Friday, Johnson said he initially planned to run eight to 10 races in the NTT IndyCar Series next year, as well as sports car races, in 2023. Jimmie Johnson, in full Jimmie Kenneth Johnson, (born September 17, 1975, El Cajon, California, U.S.), American race-car driver who won seven National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) championships and was the first driver to win the title in five consecutive years (2006-10). Three years later, he won the 60cc class championship, despite having an injured knee. He tells David Malsher-Lopez why, while Ganassi managing director Mike . In the race, his wife and children waved the green flag at the start of the race. Harrison Burton crashed in practice after debris apparently punctured his radiator. After finishing in the top ten at Sonoma and Kentucky, Johnson was collected in an early wreck in the Coke Zero 400, finishing 42nd. He made . Hill, 28, took the races second stage, leading Brandon Jones, Kyle Busch, Sam Mayer and Sammy Smith to the finish line. [103] Johnson scored a seventh-place finish at Charlotte to open the second round, but the following week was involved in "The Big One" at Talladega. Legacy Motor Club replaces Petty GMS, the name the two . No Purchase Necessary, U.S. res 18+, Ends 1/23/23. Elliott suffered a leg injury in a Friday snowboarding accident and is expected to miss several races. ", "Gordon, Johnson finish in top ten at Sonoma", "Earnhardt, Johnson: no hard feelings after Daytona", "Gordon finishes second, teammates in top 19 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway", "Busch stands his ground and grabs third at Pocono", "Jimmie Johnson 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results", "2012 Official Driver Standings: Food City 500", "Johnson ninth, Earnhardt 15th at Bristol", "Jimmie Johnson gets big break with California rain", "Newman wins at Martinsville after leaders crash", "CUP: Biffle Makes Late Charge To Victory", "At long last! The results were mixed. Returning to Texas, Johnson had the dominant car, leading 255 laps to his sixth win of the season. But Petty GMS is a Chevrolet team, and Ganassi runs Hondas, casting doubt on whether the manufacturer conflict would preclude Johnson from returning to the team at the Brickyard. 48 team guided Johnson to five consecutive championships between 2016-2010. Next race was the 2020 Bluegreen Vacations Duels. Jeffrey Earnhardt finished three laps down in 29th. After retiring from full-time NASCAR competition, Johnson spent the past two season racing in IndyCar, including a full-time season last year that included his Indy 500 debut. In 2008 Jimmie Johnson also raced in his first-ever truck series race, the O'Reilly 200 at Bristol, where he led 28 laps before spinning out on lap 101. During the season, he won seven races (including a sweep at Phoenix), a career-high of six poles, 15 Top 5's, and 22 Top 10's. Johnson led the most laps and almost won, but a slow final pit stop cost him the race to Newman. Afterward, he won his second consecutive championship title and was named the 2007 Driver of the Year. The seven-time Cup Series champion will retire at the end of the 2020 season when his contract with Hendrick Motorsports is up. He started the Chase with a fifth-place finish at Chicago, followed by a fourth-place finish at New Hampshire. He earned his first career pole position for the Daytona 500, becoming the third rookie to do so (the first were Loy Allen Jr. in 1994 and Mike Skinner in 1997). With the retirement of his teammate and mentor, Jeff Gordon, Johnson assumed the active wins record with 75. John Raoux/Associated Press. Instead, the wreck only spoiled Johnson's race Ericsson . In 1997, he began racing on asphalt ovals when he ran three races in the American Speed Association (ASA), making his debut at Hawkeye Downs Speedway. 51 Copy quote. At Dover, Johnson led 90 laps but once again received a pit road penalty with 105 laps to go, costing him a win. He was starting over at 44 when he made his first IndyCar debut in April 2021 at Barber Motorsports Park. During his break, encouragement came from most in the NASCAR community (with the hashtag #WeLoveLefty created and spread), including Johnson himself. $70.00 + $11.45 shipping. But now he has formally announced a second. He led 43 of the first 80 laps before he cut a right-front tire that knocked a spark plug loose and affected the handling of the car. Browse more videos Playing next 2:28 Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana WILL RACE in the 2023 Daytona 500 _ NASCAR Sports Collection 5:59 This also snapped a nine-year winless streak for Johnson at Pocono since sweeping both of the track's 2004 NASCAR Cup Series races. Johnson entered the 2006 Race of Champions but did not start due to injury received just days before the race. Three years later, Johnson drove for Herzog Motorsports in the off-road truck series in 1996. [26][27] He finished second in the next race at California Speedway and won the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas by passing Matt Kenseth on the last lap. Jimmie Johnson has confirmed a second race as a part of his plans for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season with Legacy Motor Club. [49] Two weeks later, Johnson found himself finishing 19th during the Brickyard 400 after coming to pit road with 30 laps remaining in the event. He ended his final season with 10 Top 10 finishes, the lowest of his career. The following week at Talladega, Johnson spearheaded a pre-race ceremony in support of Bubba Wallace after it was falsely reported a noose was in his garage; before the race, Johnson texted his peers that he intended to stand with Wallace during the national anthem, with the drivers also pushing his car to the front of pit road. A few weeks later, Johnson recorded his first win at Michigan, after several years of being deprived of a shot at victory as the result of running out of gas or blowing an engine. However, Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600, his first win in the race since 2005. Johnson Brothers is dedicated to promoting a more open and diverse industry and broader Wine & Spirits professions. At the end of the season, he had a total of 33 career wins, placing him 18th on the all-time wins list. (I thought) Ive got to hit him harder. During 2009 and 2010, the foundation awarded $1.5million for the Education Champions Grants program. He called me one day and said, Ive been talking to Jimmie Johnson, and I said youve got to be kidding. He finished fifth in the final point standings. "Junior Johnson truly was the 'Last American Hero,'" NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said after Johnson's death, according to NASCAR.com.