Jimmie Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmie Johnson
Johnson at Sonoma Raceway in 2025
Born	Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (1975-09-17) September 17, 1975 (age 49) El Cajon, California, U.S.
Achievements	7× NASCAR Cup Series Champion (2006–2010, 2013, 2016) Tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most NASCAR Cup Series Championships (7) 4× NASCAR All-Star Race Winner (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013) 2× Busch Clash Winner (2005, 2019) 2× Daytona 500 Winner (2006, 2013) 4× Coca-Cola 600 Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014) 4× Brickyard 400 Winner (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012) 2× Southern 500 Winner (2004, 2012) 11 wins at Dover International Speedway (including 2 sweeps in 2002 and 2009) 9 wins at Martinsville Speedway (including a sweep in 2007, and 2006–2008, 2012, 2016 Chase race wins) 8 wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway (including sweeps in 2004 and 2005, and Chase race wins in 2004–2005, 2009, and 2016) 7 wins at Texas Motor Speedway (including a sweep in 2015, and 5 Chase race wins) 2010 Prelude to the Dream Winner Six off-road racing championships Most consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Championships (5)
Awards	1998 ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year 2009 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 5× Driver of the Year (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013) 2020 Bill France Award of Excellence recipient 2022 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2024) Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2024)
NASCAR Cup Series career
700 races run over 22 years
Car no., team	No. 84 (Legacy Motor Club)
2024 position	37th
Best finish	1st (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016)
First race	2001 UAW-GM Quality 500 (Charlotte)
Last race	2025 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
First win	2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500 (Fontana)
Last win	2017 AAA 400 Drive for Autism (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles 83 375 36
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
93 races run over 11 years
2013 position	111th
Best finish	8th (2001)
First race	1998 Kroger 200 (IRP)
Last race	2013 Dollar General 200 (Phoenix)
First win	2001 Sam's Club Presents the Hills Bros. Coffee 300 (Chicago)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 24 2
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2008 position	104th
Best finish	104th (2008)
First race	2008 O'Reilly 200 (Bristol)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
IndyCar Series career
29 races run over 2 years
Best finish	21st (2022)
First race	2021 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (Birmingham)
Last race	2022 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (Laguna Seca)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Signature
Statistics current as of November 10, 2024.

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional race car driver. He currently races part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup championships, including five titles in a row. This ties him with racing legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most championships ever. Many people consider him one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Johnson was born in El Cajon, California. He started racing motorcycles when he was just four years old. After finishing high school at Granite Hills High School, he competed in off-road races. He raced in different series like Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) and SCORE International, winning "Rookie of the Year" in each. In 1998, Johnson and his team, Herzog Motorsports, began racing stock cars. He then moved to the national American Speed Association (ASA) series for late model cars and won another "Rookie of the Year" award. In 2000, he switched to the NASCAR Busch Series (now called the Xfinity Series).

His amazing talent caught the eye of Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon. Gordon convinced team owner Rick Hendrick to sign Johnson to race full-time in the Winston Cup Series starting in 2002. Gordon even became a part-owner of Johnson's car. After finishing fifth in points in his first full season, Johnson placed second in 2003 and 2004, and fifth in 2005. Johnson won his first Cup Series championship in 2006. With more wins in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, he became the first and only driver in NASCAR history to win five championships in a row. Johnson finished sixth in points in 2011 and third in 2012 before winning his sixth championship in 2013. In 2016, Johnson won his seventh championship, matching Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series championships of all time. Johnson also won the Daytona 500 twice, in 2006 and 2013. Between 2002 and 2017, Johnson earned seven championships, 83 career race wins, 222 top-five finishes, 341 top-ten finishes, and 35 pole positions (starting first). From 2021 to 2022, Johnson competed in the IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing. He has also raced in sports car racing sometimes throughout his career.

Jimmie Johnson's Racing Journey

Early Racing Days

Off-Road Adventures

Johnson started racing motorcycles in 1980 when he was four years old. Three years later, he won the 60cc class championship, even after hurting his knee. After that, he moved to the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) Stadium Racing Series, where he won many more awards. In 1993, Johnson had a chance to drive for Herb Fishel, but he decided to keep racing buggies and trucks in off-road stadium and desert races. He also reported for ESPN in the Short-course Off-road Drivers Association (SODA).

Three years later, Johnson drove for Herzog Motorsports in the off-road truck series in 1996. By 1997, Johnson had moved up to SODA's Class 8. These are powerful two-wheel-drive Trophy Trucks that have about 800 horsepower. He competed against Scott Taylor and Brendan Gaughan for the championship. That year, Johnson won both races at Lake Geneva Raceway in May. He also won the third event of the season at Antigo. Johnson finished third in the championship that year.

In SCORE, he won races and had some memorable finishes. For example, in the 1995 Baja 1000, he led for over 900 miles. His Trophy Truck, named Butch, crashed after he fell asleep behind the wheel.

During his time in the SODA, SCORE, and MTEG series, Johnson earned over 25 wins, more than 100 top-three finishes, six championships, and was named "Rookie of the Year" in all three leagues.

ASA and Busch Series Racing

In 1997, Johnson began racing on asphalt oval tracks. He ran three races in the American Speed Association (ASA), starting his debut at Hawkeye Downs Speedway. Driving for Herzog Motorsports' stock car team, he won the ASA Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie title in 1998. A year later, he had two wins and finished third in the overall standings.

Johnson made his NASCAR Busch Series (now NASCAR Xfinity Series) debut in 1998 at the Indianapolis Raceway Park event. He finished 25th for ST Motorsports. He continued to race a limited schedule in 1999 with Herzog Motorsports before racing full-time in 2000. At Watkins Glen International, he had a very bad crash on lap 46 when his brakes failed. He had to swerve to avoid another car, went into the grass, and then crashed head-on into the barriers at over 150 miles per hour. He climbed out of the car safely and raised his fists, happy to be okay. In a season with six top-ten finishes, he ended up tenth in the points standings.

In 2001, Johnson won one race at Chicagoland Speedway and finished eighth in the points standings. This win at Chicagoland was his only victory at that track in his career. During that year, he joined Hendrick Motorsports for four races in the Winston Cup Series. He made his first start in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. This chance came about when he connected with Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon during the 2000 Busch season. Johnson formally moved to Hendrick in 2002, driving the No. 48 Lowe's-sponsored Chevrolet.

NASCAR Cup Series Highlights

2002-2005: Early Cup Success

Johnson started racing full-time in the Winston Cup Series in 2002. He earned his first career pole position for the Daytona 500. This made him only the third rookie to do so. In his 13th career start, Johnson won his first race at the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at Auto Club Speedway. Johnson became the first rookie driver to lead the points standings and to win twice at the same track in one season, by winning both races at Dover. He earned four pole positions and three wins, which tied the rookie record set by Tony Stewart in 1999. He also had six top-five and 21 top-ten finishes. He finished fifth in the final points standings.

In 2003, Johnson won three races, including the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. He also won two pole positions and had 20 top-ten finishes. He won the All-Star race for the first time and finished second in the final standings.

In 2004, Johnson started slowly but quickly bounced back. He won the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway. He also won the Coca-Cola 600 and both races at Pocono. Johnson had a total of eight wins, 20 top-five, and 23 top-ten finishes. At the end of the season, Johnson finished second in the points standings.

In 2005, Johnson won at Las Vegas, Lowe's Motor Speedway, and Dover International Speedway. He won the Coca-Cola 600 that year, which set a record for the most caution flags in a Cup Series race. He won by a very small margin of 0.027 seconds. Johnson had a chance to win the championship in the final race but finished fifth in points after crashing due to a tire problem. He had 13 top-five and 22 top-ten finishes.

2006-2010: The Championship Streak

2006 Season

In 2006, Johnson started the season by winning the Daytona 500. He won his third race of the season at Talladega, followed by two more wins at Indianapolis and Martinsville. He became the only modern-era driver to win at least three races in each of his first five seasons. He had some bad luck early in the Chase for the championship, but he and his team worked hard. They rallied with five straight top-two finishes, including a win at Martinsville, to come back from eighth place in points and win the championship. At the end of the season, he had one pole, 13 top-five, 24 top-ten finishes, and his first championship title. In December, Johnson won the 2006 Driver of the Year Award.

2007 Season

During the 2007 season, Johnson continued his winning streak. He recorded 10 wins, four pole positions, 20 top-five, and 24 top-ten finishes. These 10 wins included winning both races at Richmond, Atlanta, and Martinsville. He also won at Las Vegas, Auto Club, Texas, and Phoenix. After this amazing season, he won his second championship in a row and was named the 2007 Driver of the Year. Johnson also had the best average finish in the Chase, with a 5.0 average. By the end of the season, he had a total of 33 career wins.

2008 Season

After the 2008 season, Johnson became the second driver to win three NASCAR Cup Series championships in a row. The first was Cale Yarborough. During the season, Johnson won seven races, including winning both races at Phoenix. He also had a career-high of six pole positions, 15 top-five, and 22 top-ten finishes. In five of those seven wins, he started from the pole. He became the only driver to record three wins in each of his first seven seasons. In 2008, Jimmie Johnson also raced in his first-ever truck series race at Bristol. He was named the 2008 Driver of the Year and won an ESPY award as the Best Driver.

2009 Season

In the 2009 season, Johnson won his fourth championship in a row. This made him the only driver to win four back-to-back season titles. Throughout this season, he won seven races, four pole positions, 16 top-five, and 24 top-ten finishes. Johnson became the only driver to win at least three races in each of his first eight seasons. He also became the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the Championship every year since it started in 2004. After the season, he won an ESPY for the second year in a row and won the Driver of the Year award for the third time.

2010 Season

During 2010, Johnson won his fifth championship in a row. He became the third driver to make up points to win the title since 1975. During the season, he earned two pole positions, 17 top-five, 23 top-ten finishes, and six wins. He remained the only driver to qualify for the Chase every year since it began in 2004. He became the 12th driver to win 50 or more NASCAR races when he won at Bristol in March. His wins in 2010 included Auto Club, Las Vegas, Bristol, Sonoma (his first and only road course win), New Hampshire, and Dover.

Johnson was also named Driver of the Year for the fourth time in his career. Johnson had been battling Denny Hamlin for the championship all season, but he finally passed him in points in the last race at Homestead. He also won Tony Stewart's charity race, the Prelude to the Dream, which was his first victory on a dirt oval track.

2011-2012: Continued Competition

In 2011, Johnson started the season with a fourth-place finish in the Budweiser Shootout. One week later in the 2011 Daytona 500, he finished 27th after being in a big crash. Statistically, Johnson's 2011 season was one of his toughest, even though he finished sixth in the points. He only won two races that season. The first was at Talladega Superspeedway, where Johnson worked closely with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the entire race. On the last lap, Johnson won by a tiny margin of 0.002 seconds. This was the closest recorded finish in Talladega history.

After returning to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. raced together for most of the race. Johnson finished 20th after being involved in a last-lap accident. Two weeks later, Johnson finished third and fifth in two races. Johnson finished fourth in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500, after bumping Kurt Busch on the final lap. Johnson finished in the top five in the next three races. The third NASCAR Championship for Tony Stewart marked the first time since 2005 that someone other than Johnson was the champion.

Johnson began the 2012 season with a 14th-place finish in the Budweiser Shootout after crashing. During the Daytona 500, Johnson was involved in a crash on lap 2 and finished 42nd. Afterward, he finished fourth and second in the next two races. While at Bristol Motor Speedway, Johnson finished ninth. He went on to finish 12th at Martinsville after being in a crash. Johnson won his first race of the season one week later at Darlington. This win was also Rick Hendrick's 200th NASCAR Cup Series win. A week later, he matched Gordon and Dale Earnhardt with three wins in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Next, in the Coca-Cola 600, Johnson finished 11th. After the Coca-Cola 600, Johnson went on to win his second race of the season at Dover. During the next two races, Johnson placed fifth, moving him to fourth in the standings. Johnson recorded his third victory of the season and his fourth career win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This tied Jeff Gordon for the record of most wins in the Brickyard 400.

After making the NASCAR Chase for the Championship, Johnson had three straight top-five finishes. Johnson recorded four top-ten finishes, including two wins in a row at Martinsville and Texas. This was his 60th win in the series. At Phoenix, Johnson had a tire problem, which caused him to hit the wall and finish 32nd. He finished third in the Drivers Championship behind Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer.

2013: Back to Championship Form

In 2013, Johnson started his season with a 14th-place finish in the Sprint Unlimited after a crash. In the Daytona 500, Johnson started well and led some laps. He then held off a last-lap charge from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin to win his second Daytona 500. This was Johnson's first Daytona 500 win with crew chief Chad Knaus, as he won the 2006 race with Darian Grubb.

The following week at Phoenix, Johnson finished second. He then had a sixth-place finish at Las Vegas. At Bristol, he spun late in the race and finished 22nd. Johnson won his first pole position of the season at Martinsville and led 346 of 500 laps to win his eighth Martinsville race. Johnson also took the points lead, which he kept for the rest of the regular season. Johnson's consistent driving meant he was far ahead in points during the summer. Afterward, Johnson finished sixth at Texas. At Kansas, he led nine laps and finished third. Johnson finished 12th the following week at Richmond, which helped him build his points lead. At Talladega, he finished fifth. A fourth-place finish the following week at Darlington helped Johnson strengthen his points lead.

In the 2013 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Johnson won his record fourth All-Star race. One week later, Johnson finished 22nd after spinning. At Dover, Johnson led 143 laps but finished 17th after a penalty. He made up 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. This increased his points lead to 51 points. This also ended a nine-year winless streak for Johnson at Pocono. At the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan, Johnson had a flat tire with less than five laps to go and finished 28th. Johnson then finished ninth at Sonoma. At Kentucky, Johnson led 182 of 267 laps. However, on a restart, he was touched and spun by Joey Logano, costing him the win. Johnson was able to charge back through the field to finish ninth.

Returning to Daytona for the Coke Zero 400, Johnson led 94 laps and held off Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick to win his fourth race of the year. By winning, Johnson became the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to win both Daytona races in one season. This showed a big improvement in Johnson's performance on the restrictor plate tracks.

At New Hampshire, Johnson qualified second but failed a post-qualifying inspection and started the race in 43rd, the last position. This was the first time in his career he started last. In the race, Johnson passed many cars quickly and finished sixth. He almost won the pole position at Indianapolis but was second to Ryan Newman. Johnson led the most laps and almost won, but a slow final pit stop cost him the race. The following week at Pocono, Johnson won another pole position. He led 43 laps before a tire problem affected his car. Johnson's pit crew worked hard to fix the car, and he managed to finish 13th.

Returning to Michigan, Johnson qualified third but crashed in practice, forcing him to use a backup car and start 43rd. Johnson lost an engine on lap 55, finishing 40th. This was followed by a series of tough finishes due to crashes and mechanical problems.

Johnson started the Chase in second place. He began the Chase with a fifth-place finish at Chicago, followed by a fourth-place finish at New Hampshire. At Dover, Johnson led 243 laps and held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win his eighth race at that track.

Johnson spent the next few races chasing Matt Kenseth for the points lead. He eventually took the lead at Talladega. Returning to Texas, Johnson had a dominant car, leading 255 laps to his sixth win of the season. The following weekend at Phoenix, Johnson avoided trouble and finished third. He also benefited from Kenseth having a difficult race. With Kenseth finishing 23rd, Johnson took a 28-point lead into the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In the final race, Johnson drove carefully and finished ninth to secure his sixth championship. He ended the season with six wins, three pole positions, 16 top-five, and 24 top-ten finishes.

2014-2017: More Wins and a Seventh Title

Statistically, 2014 was one of Johnson's toughest seasons. He went without a win for the first 11 races. However, Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600, his first win in that race since 2005. Afterward, he won at Dover the following week, making it the 13th time he had back-to-back wins.

A few weeks later, Johnson won his first race at Michigan. However, he didn't keep up the winning momentum. After finishing in the top ten at Sonoma and Kentucky, Johnson was in an early crash in the Coke Zero 400, finishing 42nd. Johnson's bad luck continued for the next few weeks, finishing 42nd for the second week in a row at New Hampshire. This was followed by inconsistent results at Indy and poor showings due to accidents at Pocono and Watkins Glen. Despite the tough finishes, Johnson qualified fourth for the Chase.

In the Chase, Johnson finished 12th at Chicagoland, fifth at New Hampshire, and third at Dover to move to the next round. However, trouble struck when he finished 40th and 17th in the next two races. At Talladega, Johnson led 84 laps but a 24th-place finish kept him from moving to the next round. At Martinsville, Johnson finished 39th after being involved in a crash early in the race. Returning to Texas, Johnson dominated and held off Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick to score his third straight win in the fall Texas race. This also ended an 18-race winless streak. At Phoenix, he struggled and finished 38th after a tire problem and crash. At the season finale at Homestead, Johnson finished ninth and ended up 11th in points. This was the first time in Johnson's NASCAR Cup career that he finished outside the top ten in the final points.

Johnson began his 2015 season with a win in the Budweiser Duel. He started the season by finishing fifth in the Daytona 500. The following week, he won at Atlanta. At Las Vegas, Johnson crashed twice, finishing 41st. He bounced back with an 11th-place finish in Phoenix and a ninth-place finish at California. At Martinsville, he struggled to a 35th-place finish. However, his momentum returned at Texas when he held off Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win. At Bristol, he finished second. At Richmond, he finished third. These results moved him back up to fourth in the standings. At Talladega, Johnson led 50 laps but finished second to Earnhardt Jr.

At Kansas, Johnson took a risk by staying out on the last pit stops and held off Harvick and Earnhardt again to win his third race at Kansas and of the season. In winning, he set a Cup record of 23 wins on 1.5-mile tracks. At Charlotte, he spun out twice. The second spin caused him to hit the wall, leaving him with a 40th-place finish. He bounced back the following week with a win at Dover. This gave him a total of 74 career wins, two fewer than Dale Earnhardt's 76.

At Pocono, Johnson had a tire problem but did not have major damage. He worked his way through the field to finish third. He finished 19th at Michigan after the race was stopped early due to rain. At Sonoma, Johnson led the most laps, but a late caution cost him, and he finished sixth.

Returning to Daytona, Johnson finished second to Dale Earnhardt Jr., similar to the Talladega race. At Kentucky, Johnson finished ninth. At Watkins Glen, despite two penalties, Johnson rallied to finish 10th. He had bad luck at Michigan, spinning out and damaging his car, resulting in a 39th-place finish. He bounced back at Bristol by finishing fourth but had more bad luck at Darlington, spinning out and finishing 19th. He recovered for a ninth-place finish at Richmond and started first in the Chase.

Johnson had a tough start to the Chase. At Chicagoland, he had a tire problem but was able to charge through the field to finish 11th. At Loudon, Johnson finished sixth after a tire problem. At Dover, his Chase hopes ended when his car had a driveline problem, causing him to finish 41st. At the fall race at Texas, Johnson won, passing Brad Keselowski with four laps to go. This was his fourth win in a row in the fall race at Texas, and his third win in a row at that track. That victory was his 75th NASCAR Cup Series career win. He finished fifth at Phoenix and ninth at Homestead. He finished 10th in the final standings. With Jeff Gordon's retirement, Johnson became the active wins leader with 75.

2016: The Seventh Championship

Johnson began the 2016 season with a 16th-place finish at the Daytona 500. In the next race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he won his first race of the season and the 76th of his career, tying Dale Earnhardt for seventh on the all-time wins list. His second victory of the season came in the fifth race, the Auto Club 400, where Johnson passed Harvick in an overtime finish. At Martinsville Speedway, Johnson finished ninth after starting 24th. One week later, Johnson finished fourth at Texas Motor Speedway despite minor damage from a crash.

At Bristol, Johnson finished 23rd after an unscheduled pit stop. At Richmond, he led 44 laps and finished third. At Talladega, Johnson was spun by Paul Menard and involved in a multi-car accident, finishing 22nd. Johnson's bad luck continued for several months, with crashes at Dover, Pocono, Daytona, Kentucky, and Watkins Glen, where he finished last for the first time in his career. His top-ten finishes during this time came only in the Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400, where he finished third in both races. Johnson finished seventh and sixth at Bristol and Michigan but finished 33rd at Darlington after spinning out. Johnson then finished 11th at Richmond. He qualified eighth for the Chase.

Johnson began the Chase for the Championship by leading 118 laps at Chicagoland, but a speeding penalty cost him, and he finished 12th. Johnson finished eighth the following week at Loudon. At Dover, Johnson led 90 laps but again received a pit road penalty, costing him a win. He charged through the field and finished seventh, moving to the "Round of 12" of the Chase.

At Charlotte, Johnson led 155 laps and won the Bank of America 500, claiming his eighth win at the track and the third win of the season. This was Johnson's first time in the "Round of 8" under the current Chase system. He then finished fourth at Kansas and 23rd at Talladega. At Martinsville, Johnson won the Goody's Fast Relief 500. This secured his spot in the Championship 4 for the final race at Homestead. Johnson finished 11th at Texas and 38th at Phoenix after a penalty and a wreck.

Johnson won his seventh championship by winning at Homestead on November 20. After losing his starting spot due to a pre-race inspection issue, Johnson started at the back of the field. He moved up quickly, but stayed around fifth place for most of the race. On a restart with 10 laps to go, Carl Edwards crashed, ending his championship hopes. Johnson avoided the accident and was in a position to win the title. On the final restart, he passed Kyle Larson, winning the race and his seventh championship. This tied him with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most championships ever.

2017: Final NASCAR Wins

Johnson entered 2017 as the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion. The start of the season was tough, with only one top-ten finish in the first six races. He then bounced back with two wins in a row at Texas and Bristol. This was his 14th and final time winning back-to-back races in his career.

Johnson scored his third win of the season at Dover in June. This was Johnson's record-holding 11th win at Dover and his 83rd career victory, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer, Cale Yarborough. This would be Johnson's final NASCAR Cup Series win.

The rest of the season was difficult for Johnson. The week after his Dover win, during the Axalta presents the Pocono 400, Johnson's brakes failed at over 200 miles per hour, causing a huge crash. Johnson was uninjured.

Johnson had a big slump during the summer, failing to get a top-five finish and only three top-ten finishes. Despite this, Johnson qualified for the playoffs because of his earlier wins.

Entering the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, the defending champion was still a favorite to win. After earning his first top-five finish (third) since his Dover victory, he moved through the first round and into the Round of 12. Johnson finished seventh at Charlotte to start the second round. In the elimination race at Kansas Speedway, Johnson had two spins but drove through a large multi-car accident. He finished 11th and qualified for the Round of 8 by just nine points.

Unfortunately, Johnson's performance dropped in the third round. He finished 12th at Martinsville, but then had a disappointing 27th-place result at Texas. Entering the final race in the round at Phoenix, Johnson was far behind the playoff cutoff. On lap 148, Johnson's hopes for an eighth championship ended when he had a tire problem and hit the wall hard, ending his day and eliminating him from the Playoffs. Johnson finished 10th in the final standings, his 15th and final top-ten finish in the points standings.

2018-2020: Final Full-Time Seasons

Johnson's 2018 season started with crashes in his first three races. He struggled throughout the 2018 season with only two top-five and eight top-ten finishes. Johnson's only great run of the season came at the Charlotte Roval race where he battled Martin Truex Jr. for the win on the final lap. However, he locked his brakes and spun out, taking Truex with him. Johnson finished eighth and was eliminated from the playoffs. Johnson finished 14th in the final point standings, his worst career finish since racing full-time in 2002. He went winless for the first time in his career.

On March 14, 2018, Lowe's announced they would no longer sponsor the No. 48 car after the 2018 season. Ally Financial became the main sponsor in 2019. Johnson and his long-time crew chief Chad Knaus separated at the end of the season, ending a 17-year partnership, the longest in NASCAR history. Johnson was then paired with JR Motorsports crew chief Kevin Meendering for the 2019 season.

The 2019 season started well for Johnson, as he won the 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash. It was his first race with new sponsor Ally Financial and crew chief Meendering. In the Daytona 500, Johnson ran well but was involved in a crash and finished ninth. On March 29, Johnson got his first pole position since 2016 at Texas and scored his first top-five finish since 2018. At the Coca-Cola 600, Johnson finished eighth. At Chicagoland Speedway, Johnson finished fourth, followed by a third-place finish at the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 a week later.

On July 29, 2019, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Cliff Daniels would replace Meendering as the crew chief of the No. 48. In September 2019, Johnson missed the playoffs for the first time in his NASCAR career after finishing 35th in the Brickyard 400 due to a crash. Johnson scored four more top-ten finishes in the playoffs and ended up finishing 18th in the final standings, going winless for the second season in a row.

On November 20, 2019, Johnson announced that the 2020 Cup season would be his last full-time season of racing. The 2020 season started with the Daytona 500 qualifying, where he finished fourth. In his last Daytona 500, he finished 35th after a big crash. The next week in Las Vegas, he finished fifth. At his home track Auto Club, he qualified second. In the race, his wife and children waved the green flag. He finished seventh.

In The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington, Johnson was leading on the final lap of the first stage when he lost control and crashed. This marked his 100th race in a row without a win. A few days later, Johnson bounced back with an eighth-place finish at the same track. At the Coca-Cola 600, Johnson finished second but was disqualified after his car failed a technical inspection. He bounced back with an 11th-place run in Charlotte's next race.

He had two top-ten finishes at Bristol and Atlanta. At Martinsville, he finished third in the first stage and won the second stage, but dropped back and finished tenth. At Talladega, Johnson was about to take the lead before being spun by Harvick.

On July 3, 2020, Johnson announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing him to miss the Brickyard 400. This ended a 663-race streak for Johnson. Johnson was cleared to return to racing on July 8, 2020. His first race back was at Kentucky, where he finished 18th after a spin. Johnson's bad luck continued at Kansas when he was in a crash, followed by a spin at New Hampshire.

The final three races of the regular season saw Johnson battling for the last playoff spots. At Dover, Johnson finished seventh and third in the two races. The final race, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, saw Johnson in a big crash with two laps remaining. Although his team fixed the car enough to finish 17th, he missed the last playoff spot by six points. He ended his final full-time season with 10 top-ten finishes, the lowest of his career.

2023-Present: Part-Time Racing and Team Ownership

On November 4, 2022, Johnson bought a part of Petty GMS Motorsports. He also announced he would return to the Cup Series part-time in 2023, starting with the 2023 Daytona 500.

On January 11, 2023, the team was renamed Legacy Motor Club, with Johnson racing the No. 84 car. On February 14, 2023, Johnson made the Daytona 500 field. Johnson finished 31st after being in a crash. Johnson then raced at the COTA race in March, where he finished 38th after crashing. Johnson's next race was the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 in May. He finished 37th after spinning out twice. On June 26, 2023, Johnson's in-laws were involved in a family tragedy. Johnson withdrew from the Chicago street course race due to this.

Johnson started his 2024 part-time season with a 28th-place finish at the 2024 Daytona 500. He also raced at Texas (29th), Dover (28th), Kansas (38th), Charlotte (29th), and Indianapolis (33rd). On July 26, Legacy Motor Club changed crew chief Jason Burdett and some members of the No. 84 team.

On January 27, 2025, Johnson became the main owner of Legacy Motor Club. At the 2025 Daytona 500, Johnson finished third. This was his highest finish at the race since winning in 2013, and his highest finish in the Next Gen cars.

IndyCar Series Experience

In 2020, Johnson tested with IndyCar Series team Chip Ganassi Racing. He said that driving an IndyCar was a "childhood dream" of his.

On September 9, 2020, Johnson announced that he would join Chip Ganassi Racing part-time in 2021 and 2022 to drive on the road and street courses in IndyCar. Johnson initially did not want to race on oval tracks due to safety concerns. However, after driving the cars and watching his teammate Tony Kanaan race on ovals, he agreed to test on an oval track to prepare for the Indianapolis 500.

Throughout 2021, Johnson often struggled in IndyCar, frequently racing at the back of the field and having spins and accidents.

On December 15, 2021, Johnson announced that he would race the full 2022 IndyCar schedule. During his first oval race in the series at Texas, Johnson finished a career-best sixth. Johnson made his Indianapolis 500 debut later that year. He led two laps and was named "Rookie of the Year" for the race. Johnson then earned his first IndyCar top-five finish at Iowa Speedway. On September 26, 2022, Johnson announced that he would step back from racing full-time.

Other Racing Adventures

Johnson first raced in the Race of Champions in Europe in 2002. He and Jeff Gordon and Colin Edwards, racing as Team USA, won the teams' championship. He returned to the event two years later but lost in the quarter-finals. Johnson entered the 2006 Race of Champions but did not start due to an injury. In the 2007 event, Johnson was eliminated by Formula One driver Sébastien Bourdais.

In 2004, he started racing in Grand-Am with the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he finished eighth. He also entered the event one year later, where his team finished second. In 2008, Johnson moved to Bob Stallings Racing to race in the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona, where the team finished second. One year later, he returned for his fifth Rolex 24 appearance, finishing seventh. He returned to the Rolex 24 in 2010 and 2011.

He returned to the race in 2021, driving an Ally Financial-sponsored No. 48 Cadillac. He finished second for a third time in his career. He also participated in other IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races for 2021.

On November 26, 2018, Johnson took part in a special event with two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso in Bahrain. Both drivers compared their race cars.

About Jimmie Johnson's Life

Johnson was born on September 17, 1975, in El Cajon, California. He has two younger brothers, Jarit and Jessie. Both have raced professionally off-road. Johnson went to Granite Hills High School. He was a varsity water polo player, diver, and swimmer, and graduated in 1993. The number 48 is retired from all sports teams uniforms at his school, and Johnson was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Johnson lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, like many other NASCAR drivers. He is married to Chandra Janway, and they have two daughters.

Johnson is a triathlete, meaning he regularly competes in triathlons and long-distance running. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation's Wellness Challenge also hosts triathlons. In 2019, he competed in the Boston Marathon.

Johnson was close friends with NASCAR competitor Blaise Alexander. After Alexander's death in a racing incident in 2001, Johnson's car has had a flame decal with Alexander's initials inside it at every race. In 2004, after a plane crash killed Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky, and nine others, the tail number of the crashed plane was added alongside Alexander's initials on Johnson's car.

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation was started by Johnson and his wife, Chandra, in 2006. The foundation helps children, families, and communities in need. In 2007, Johnson opened Jimmie Johnson's Victory Lanes in Randleman, North Carolina. This is a bowling alley for campers at Pattie and Kyle Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp. The foundation supports several charities, including Habitat for Humanity, Hendrick Marrow Program, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Victory Junction. Every year, it holds a golf tournament in San Diego, which raises money for K-12 public education. Since it began, the tournament has raised a total of $8 million to help fund many projects. The foundation has also helped the American Red Cross with disaster relief efforts.

In 2014, Johnson joined the Ban Bossy campaign, speaking out to encourage leadership in young girls.

Jimmie Johnson's Legacy

For his many successes, Johnson is often seen as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. Other drivers and teammates have also praised Johnson for being a leader and helpful. This includes younger drivers like Corey LaJoie, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney, as well as experienced drivers like Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Gordon.

Awards and Special Recognitions

In 2000, People magazine recognized Johnson as one of their "Men in the Fast Lane."

Johnson has won the Driver of the Year Award five times (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013). In 2009, he became the first race car driver to win the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award in the United States.

Johnson was ranked No. 1 on Forbes.com's list of "Most Influential Athletes" for two years in a row (2011, 2012).

In 2018, Johnson received the fourth-annual Byrnsie Award, named after the late Fox NASCAR broadcaster Steve Byrnes.

Records and Achievements

When he stepped back from full-time racing, Johnson's 83 career wins made him the winningest active NASCAR driver. He is in sixth place among the all-time Cup Series winners. He is also ranked third among those who have competed during the sport's modern era (1972–present). He is tied for first place with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty for the most NASCAR Cup Series championships, with seven. He also holds the record for the most consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships, with five.

Johnson is the driver with the most Cup Series wins at these tracks:

• Auto Club Speedway (6 wins)
• Charlotte Motor Speedway (8 wins)
• Dover International Speedway (11 wins)
• Las Vegas Motor Speedway (4 wins)
• Texas Motor Speedway (7 wins)

Johnson won a Cup Series race at every track on the 2020 schedule except at Chicagoland Speedway (where he won his first NASCAR Busch Series race), Kentucky Speedway, Watkins Glen International, The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

Until 2019, Johnson was the only driver to have qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs every single year since they started in 2004. He also holds the record for the most consecutive and total playoff appearances, with 15.

Soccer Involvement

On January 11, 2022, Johnson announced Charlotte FC's first-ever MLS draft pick, and the first overall draft pick of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.

Motorsports Career Results

See also

In Spanish: Jimmie Johnson para niños

• List of Daytona 500 pole position winners
• List of Daytona 500 winners