The NTT IndyCar Series raced last weekend without Jimmie Johnson for the first time in 2021, but the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion still was racing - and with family. After running up to the lead through pit stop strategy, Johnson lost an engine on lap 55, relegating him to a 40th-place finish. John Hunter Nemechek won the first stage, leading 24 of the 45 laps. [187] Johnson lives in Charlotte, North Carolina[3] like many other NASCAR drivers. I am. The car eventually ran in the 2020 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500, finishing 36th due to engine issues. Without much space into the corner, and with the obvious mechanical failure, the car broke sideways and impacted the outside retaining wall hard. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series, driving the No. At Martinsville, he overcame a start at 21st[126] and finished third in the first stage,[127] and scored his first stage win of the year and the third of his career in the second segment,[128] but dropped back in the third stage and finished tenth. In 2000, he switched to the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Series). Cup Series invader Kyle Busch, winner of Fridays Truck race, lost a shot at the Las Vegas triple but had a strong top-five run. At Bristol, he avoided tight trouble early in the race and came home second to polesitter Matt Kenseth. By Cindy Boren. During the season, he moved up one spot up to second on the active winners' list and went to 13th on the all-time wins list. Jimmie Johnson is returning to NASCAR on a part-time basis, including in this weekend's Daytona 500. 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. One highlight of the season was when he saved the car from slamming into the wall when he spun out during qualifications at the first Dover race. He became NASCARs third seven-time Cup Series champion in 2016, joining Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt. Johnson starred in an episode of the television series Las Vegas in 2005. [122] The 2020 season started with the Daytona 500 qualifying, he finished fourth for a second year in a row. That goal faded as he became one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time,. "Junior Johnson truly was the 'Last American Hero,'" NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said after Johnson's death, according to NASCAR.com. And is now a NASCAR team owner. Next: The Xfinity Series rolls on to Phoenix Raceway for a March 11 race. [83] This was a significant improvement in Johnson's runs on the restrictor plate tracks, as he had been crashed out of the running at both Daytona races in 2012, had an engine failure early while leading at Talladega in the spring and was part of a crash on the last lap in the fall. [225], Johnson was also featured in Ally Racer, a mobile game created to honor his final season by Ally Financial. Jimmie Johnson and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB are ready to take command on the track, like @jamindavis25 does on the field. Jimmie Johnson eager to rekindle past NASCAR glory in Daytona 500 - Los [99], Johnson suffered a big slump during the summer part of the season, failing to earn a Top 5 finish, and only netting three Top 10 finishes. "It was one of those deals. At Bristol, he was running on the lead lap until a spin late-race forced him back to a 22nd-place finish. [212][213], In 2016, Johnson appeared in Blaze and the Monster Machines with fellow NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne and Danica Patrick. 1 (lap 2628): Speeding through pit road) Johnson rallied to finish 10th. The second stage saw him pit early to avoid having to save fuel, and he took advantage of the drivers pitting later in the stage, for another fifth-place finish. [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. His second victory of the season came in the fifth race, the Auto Club 400, where Johnson passed Harvick in an overtime finish. [155], In 2020, Johnson participated in a test with IndyCar Series team Chip Ganassi Racing. That was the mindset, and Paul (crew chief Paul Wolfe) gave me a car that could do that. One year later, he returned with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing for his fifth Rolex 24 appearance. Johnson now became the only driver to win at least three races in each of his first eight seasons, as well as the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the Championship every year since 2004. That had to be a plus-plus.. A few days later in the Toyota 500 at the same track, Johnson bounced back with an eighth-place finish in the same track. Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) / Twitter Austin Hill has started the 2023 Xfinity Series season as a hard charger. I know I speak for all the Petty GMS team members, including Richard Petty, in welcoming Jimmie to the team. The following week, he won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta.[90]. Johnson's streak of misfortune continued through the next several months, crashing out at Dover, Pocono, Daytona, Kentucky and at Watkins Glen, where he finished last for the first time in his career. [10] Johnson finished second in the two races at Fairgrounds Speedway he participated in over those two years. However, finishes of 37th and 32nd at Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas moved him toward the bottom of the point standings. The next week at Texas, Johnson was again one of the fastest cars, putting up a Top 10 lap before getting loose and hitting the wall in stage 2. [58] Afterward, he finished fourth and second in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 and Kobalt Tools 400. [210], On November 19, 2013, Johnson became the first professional athlete to co-host ESPN's flagship news show, SportsCenter. Johnson,. In the finale, Johnson raced conservatively to a ninth-place finish to secure his sixth title. Johnson said that driving an IndyCar was a "childhood dream" of his. Jimmie Johnson tops Daytona 500 practice in return to NASCAR 7-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson acquires ownership stake in Petty In the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Johnson recorded a ninth-place finish after moving through the field after qualifying 24th. At the second stop in Pocono, Johnson, along with two of his Hendrick teammates, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr, took advantage of several cars running out of fuel to finish in the Top 6 (Gordon finished third, Dale Jr. took fourth, Johnson grabbed sixth). [53], After returning to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. ran together for most of the race, like at Talladega, until Johnson pitted under a caution flag. In the 2013 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Johnson won his record fourth All-Star race after a fast pit stop allowed him to start the final 10-lap sprint in second, and later passed Kasey Kahne for the victory. Johnson claimed his seventh championship by winning at Homestead on November 20. This marked Johnson's first appearance in the "Round of 8" under the current Chase system. A fourth-place finish the following week at Darlington allowed Johnson to further solidify his point lead over Edwards. Jimmie Johnson details what went wrong with Chad Knaus Allgaier also passed Smith to finish second. Johnson scored only one more top-ten finish afterward and wound up a then career-worst 14th in the final point standings since running full-time in 2002, winless for the first time in his career along with equaling a career-low 11 Top 10 finishes for the second season in a row. After finishing in the top ten at Sonoma and Kentucky, Johnson was collected in an early wreck in the Coke Zero 400, finishing 42nd. [57] During the Daytona 500, Johnson was involved in a crash on lap 2 when he turned into the wall after contact from Elliott Sadler, then was t-boned by David Ragan, also collecting Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch and Trevor Bayne. Jimmie Johnson. NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson says the "physicality" of IndyCar vehicles has made adjusting to the sport difficult. Johnson also had the best average finish in the Chase with 5.0. 48 for three more years through the 2023 season. Junior Johnson. [175] He returned to the Rolex 24, in 2011 where his team finished 15th. 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. JUNIOR JOHNSON WAS BORN TO RUN MOONSHINE. At Watkins Glen, despite suffering two penalties (lap 3: Overshooting the entrance to the inner loop, and caution No. At the end of the season, he had a total of 33 career wins, placing him 18th on the all-time wins list. [137] Johnson's misfortunes continued at Kansas when he was collected in a third-stage crash while running in the top ten,[137][138] followed by a first-stage spin at New Hampshire while fighting for a top-five spot. He ended up 19th. Who had a bad race: A fuel pump problem parked Joey Gase on lap 156. Johnson's Cup ride, the No. 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. Jimmie Johnson on NASCAR retirement, auto racing future - Sports Next race was the 2020 Bluegreen Vacations Duels. No one in the modern era of NASCAR has won more than Jimmie. Jimmie Johnson has an estimated net worth of $160 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Jimmie Johnson, making his return to stock car racing after a two-year dalliance in IndyCar, topped the first practice session for the Daytona 500 on Friday. From 2021 to 2022, Johnson competed in the IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing, and has competed occasionally in sports car racing throughout his career. For his successes, Johnson is often regarded as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. For Junior, that's where Jimmie Johnson came to the rescue. The contact ripped off the left rear quarter-panel. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series, driving the No. [125] He bounced back with an 11th-place run in Charlotte's next race Alsco Uniforms 500. 15. At Kentucky, Johnson started sixth and ran inside the Top 10 for most of the night, finishing ninth. Jimmy Johnson's Net worth. The middle child of seven, Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr. was immersed in the business and lifestyle as early as 4-years-old, when federal agents raided his home and removed hundreds of gallons of illegal moonshine in 1935. The 47-year-old El Cajon, California native, who joined the team not only as a part-time driver but as a co-owner, plans to attempt to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 19. In 2018, Johnson received the fourth-annual Byrnsie Award, named after the late Fox NASCAR broadcaster Steve Byrnes, during FS1's RaceDay prior to the running of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.[205]. Jimmie Johnson @JimmieJohnson . [49] During the last race of the regular season, the Wonderful Pistachios 400, Johnson finished in the 31st position. After more than 20 years in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson has made a lot of friends. Johnson won his third race of the season in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, followed by two more victories at Indianapolis and Martinsville. At Kansas, he led nine laps and finished third behind Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne. 10 Drivers Who Won For Junior Johnson - Nascar Hall Of Fame In winning the race, Johnson became the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to sweep both Daytona races in a season. [41][42], After the 2008 season, Johnson became the second driver to win three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships, the first being Cale Yarborough. [3] By 1997, Johnson had progressed to SODA's Class 8; Class 8 is short-course off-road racing's class of two-wheel-drive Trophy Trucks which generate about 800 horsepower. For most of the event, he was in the Top 10 and led 10 laps; he finished seventh.[123]. At Richmond, he led 44 laps early in the race and finished third. This has got to be one of the biggest things that has happened to the Petty crowd and GMS. Traffic was really tough. | 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. I just knew I had to not abuse the tires and try to methodically work our way through traffic, Hill told Fox Sports. Why is Jimmie Johnson back at Daytona? He's still building his legacy Evan Malbone Johnson (1791-1865), American priest and religious writer. Hill passed Chandler Smith for the lead with one lap remaining Saturday and won the 300-mile Xfinity race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. These finishes moved him back up to fourth in the standings. Jimmie Johnson announced on Monday that he was stepping away from full-time racing. With 23 laps to go, he was coming off of the fastest three laps of the race and a strong run from ninth to third before taking the inside on a restart and being nipped by Brad Keselowski in the left rear, spinning out. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation has awarded more than $13 million since 2006, mostly to public schools in San Diego County, Muskogee, Okla., and North Carolina. His wins in 2010 included Auto Club, Las Vegas, where he passed Jeff Gordon with 16 laps to go for the lead, Bristol, Sonoma, his first and only road course win, New Hampshire, and Dover. The foundation helps children, families, and communities in need. In the elimination race at Kansas Speedway, Johnson entered with a seven-point advantage. Johnson has only ever driven the No. [73] After finishing seventh during the Lenox Industrial Tools 301,[59] Johnson recorded his third victory of the season and his fourth career win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, tying Jeff Gordon for what was the record for the most wins in the Brickyard 400.[74]. Johnson qualified third for the 2018 Daytona 500 but had to go to a backup car after wrecking in his Duel. We have been consistent since we began our Cup effort last year in wanting to be up front and have a winning program. If Jimmie comes in, does his deal. The results were mixed. Jimmie Johnson: The NASCAR legend's IndyCar challenge - Motorsport Johnson finished 11th in the rain-shortened race at Texas, and 38th at Phoenix after being penalized a lap for passing the pace car coming down to pit road and involved in a wreck on a restart. Lose with a load of whiskey, and you go to jail. Jimmie Johnson to drive No. 84 for rebranded Legacy Motor Club Those spin-outs left him with a 40th-place finish. After the restart, he took the lead from Hamlin and led the final 92 laps to win the Goody's Fast Relief 500. With this race being the 18th of 36 points races on the 2023 schedule, Johnson will likely make some starts between the Daytona 500 and this race. [25] He scored 13 Top 5's, 22 Top 10 finishes, and one pole position. [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. Johnson's consistency was enough that there were points in the summer where he was more than a full two-race wins' worth of points ahead of Carl Edwards or Clint Bowyer.