Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for his team, Legacy Motor Club. Johnson's seven Cup championships, the first five of which are consecutive, are tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most all-time. 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.
This article is about the racing driver. For other people named Jimmie Johnson or Jimmy Johnson, see Jimmy Johnson (disambiguation).Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson
September 17, 1975
El Cajon, California, U.S.
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016 NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most NASCAR Cup Series Championships
(7)
2003, 2006, 2012, 2013 NASCAR All-Star Race Winner
2005, 2019 Busch Clash Winner
2006, 2013 Daytona 500
2003, 2004, 2005, 2014 Coca-Cola 600 Winner
2006, 2008, 2009, 2012 Brickyard 400 Winner
2004, 2012 Southern 500 Winner
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
1998 ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year
2009 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year
2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 Driver of the Year
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)
No. 84 (Legacy Motor Club)
39th
111th
8th (2001)
104th
104th (2008)
No. 48 (Chip Ganassi Racing)
21st (2022)
Johnson was born in El Cajon, California, and began racing motorcycles at the age of four. After graduating from Granite Hills High School he competed in off-road series. He raced in Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG), Short-course Off-road Drivers Association (SODA), and SCORE International, winning rookie of the year in each series. In 1998, Johnson and his team, Herzog Motorsports, began stock car racing. He moved to the national American Speed Association (ASA) series for late model touring cars, and won another rookie of the year title. In 2000, he switched to the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Series).
His talent was noticed by Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon, who convinced owner Rick Hendrick to sign Johnson in the Winston Cup Series full-time for 2002, with Gordon as a part-owner of his car. After finishing fifth in the points in his first full season, he was second in 2003 and 2004 and fifth in 2005. 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. Johnson finished sixth in the points standings in the 2011 season and third in 2012 before winning his sixth championship in 2013. In 2016, Johnson won his seventh championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series championships of all time. Johnson is also a two-time winner of the Daytona 500, winning in 2006 and 2013. Between 2002 and 2017, Johnson recorded seven championships, 83 career race wins,[2] 222 top fives, 341 top tens, and 35 pole positions.
In popular culture
Film and television appearances
Johnson appeared as a moonshine runner along with Ryan Newman in the opening scene of the 2004 NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience.
Johnson made an appearance as himself in the 2005 film Herbie: Fully Loaded, commenting on Herbie's sunroof as unusual for a stock car to have, and his car is also briefly seen from Herbie's POV.
Johnson starred in an episode of the television series Las Vegas in 2005.[212]
Johnson starred in an episode of the HBO reality television series 24/7, titled "Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona". Cameras followed him from January 2010 to the 52nd Daytona 500 held on February 14, 2010.[213]
In 2012, Johnson was featured in a NASCAR segment of Top Gear along with NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kyle Petty.[214]
Johnson appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show during its tenth season in 2013. Fresh off his second Daytona 500 victory, Johnson challenged host Ellen DeGeneres to a go-kart race.[215]
On November 19, 2013, Johnson became the first professional athlete to co-host ESPN's flagship news show, SportsCenter.[216]
In 2015, Johnson appeared on the series Repeat After Me and voiced a lobster named Jimmie on the animated kids show Bubble Guppies.[217][218]
In 2016, Johnson appeared in Blaze and the Monster Machines with fellow NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne and Danica Patrick.[219]
Magazines
Johnson has appeared on the cover of several magazines, including NASCAR Illustrated;[220] Sports Illustrated;[221][222] Men's Fitness,[223] and Success.[224]
Music video
Johnson makes a cameo appearance as a pilot in the music video for The Avett Brothers' "Ain't No Man", the lead single from the album True Sadness (2016).[225]
Video games
Johnson's Cup ride, the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, is featured on the covers of NASCAR Racing 2003 Season alongside Kevin Harvick and NASCAR The Game: 2011.
Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon are featured on the cover of NASCAR 06: Total Team Control, highlighting Team Control, the main addition of the game.[226]
Johnson is also one of the six cover drivers of NASCAR Kart Racing.
Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet Impala is one of the twelve playable NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock cars in the 2010 racing video game Gran Turismo 5.[227] His 2011 car was later added to the game in the Spec II update of the game, with his 2013 car also being featured in the 2013 sequel Gran Turismo 6.
Johnson is featured in the 2011 racing video game Jimmie Johnson's Anything with an Engine.
Johnson's No. 48 is also playable in Forza Motorsport 6, via the NASCAR expansion pack.[228] The expansion features twenty-four paint schemes from the 2016 Sprint Cup Series season, including Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's SS.[228] Johnson, along with Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch, provide commentary in the expansion as the "voices of motorsport".[228] Johnson and Elliott also had roles in developing the expansion.[229]
Johnson, along with teammates Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and William Byron, were featured on the cover of NASCAR Heat 3.[230]
Johnson was also featured in Ally Racer, a mobile game created to honor his final season by Ally Financial.[231]