Johnson also had the best average finish in the Chase with 5.0. Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) November 4, 2022. [188] They have two daughters. The following week, he won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta.[90]. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), NASCAR Xfinity results at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Austin Hill wins NASCAR Xfinity race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Cup starting lineup: Joey Logano wins pole, Joey Logano wins pole for NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas, who delivered the teams first win at the Southern 500, MORE: Chase Elliott expected to miss several weeks, MORE: Las Vegas start time, weather forecast, TV information, Elliott suffered a leg injury in a Friday snowboarding accident. Jimmie Johnson is returning to NASCAR on a part-time basis, including in this weekend's Daytona 500. 48 Lowe's SS. Jimmie Johnson will race at 5 NASCAR Cup Series events in 2023 [189][190], Johnson is a triathlete, regularly participating in triathlons and long-distance running; the Jimmie Johnson Foundation's Wellness Challenge also hosts triathlons. ", "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! In 2009, he became the first racing driver to win the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award in the United States. Also in the process, he edged out Ryan Newman by one point to finish 10th in the final standings. Returning to Michigan, Johnson qualified third but crashed in happy hour, forcing him to a backup car and a 43rd starting spot. A team release said Johnsons racing schedule, sponsors and car number would be revealed in the future and made no mention of whether he would be racing in other series. [32] He and the team kept their hopes up[33] and rallied with five straight Top 2 finishes including a win at Martinsville to come back from eighth in the points standings to take the championship. For other people named Jimmie Johnson or Jimmy Johnson, see, 2023: Legacy Motor Club co-owner, part-time return, Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:19, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, Sam's Club Presents the Hills Bros. Coffee 300, Short-course Off-road Drivers Association, Jimmie Johnson wins seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship, Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 presented by Google, consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships, List of Daytona 500 pole position winners, "10 Greatest Race Car Drivers of All Time - Page 6 of 10", "Jimmie Johnson grabs rare Bristol win after Larson mishap", "Official Site of Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Racing & Team Store", "CORR: Scott Taylor wins Governor's Cup at Crandon", "FANS CHEER LAKE GENEVA SODA SEASON OPENER", "Douglas Scores Double Win at Lake Geneva Race", "Jimmie Johnson salutes a long, strange trip through the desert", "Jimmie JohnsonBiography, Pictures, Videos, & Quotes", "1998 Kroger 200 Presented by the Fifth Third Bank", "Jimmie Johnson recalls how NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon helped kick-start his career ahead of Daytona 500", "NASCAR.COM Before Hendrick, there was Herzog Motorsports", "TOP TEN ROOKIE CAMPAIGNS AT NASCAR'S HIGHEST LEVEL", "Johnson's First Martinsville Win Came With a Price", "2004 Jimmie Johnson Season Stats | Racing Season Stats and Results | NASCAR Sprint Cup", "2005 Jimmie Johnson Season Stats | Racing Season Stats and Results | NASCAR Sprint Cup", "Earl Barban is 7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson's eyes in the sky", "Impossible save: Jimmie Jimmie's 2006 qualifying spin at Dover | NASCAR", "Frontstretch Breakdown: 2006 Sylvania 300 at Loudon", "Jimmie Johnson's Chase Diary: Kansas | Hendrick Motorsports", "Gamble Earns Stewart a Victory (Published 2006)", "NASCAR.COM - Lap-by-Lap: 'Dega - Oct 8, 2006", "Jimmie Johnson's Chase Diary: Talladega | Hendrick Motorsports", "Best of 7: Jimmie Johnson's Greatest Championship", "Bowles-Eye View: Jimmie Johnson's Miracle Comeback", "2006 Jimmie Johnson Season Stats | Racing Season Stats and Results | NASCAR Sprint Cup |", "2007 Jimmie Johnson Season Stats | Racing Season Stats and Results | NASCAR Sprint Cup", "Workout wiz JJ strengthens his grip on Cup reign", "For some, running means a different kind of race", "NASCAR's Johnson wins male athlete of the year", "2008 Jimmie Johnson Season Stats | Racing Season Stats and Results | NASCAR Sprint Cup | FOX Sports on MSN", "With Late Bump, Johnson Wins Lenox Industrial Tools 301", "NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson wins Driver of the Year", "Johnson captures 5th straight NASCAR title Motor sports- NBC Sports", "Johnson wins fifth straight title; Edwards wins race", "Johnson wins Prelude to the Dream at Eldora", "Jimmie Johnson 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results", "Bayne becomes youngest Daytona 500 winner", "Johnson nips Bowyer at the line, wins at Talladega", "Spins, scrapes, and struggles Oh my! The following week, Johnson would finish just outside the Top 10 at Richmond, after colliding with teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr late in the event, leading to an eventual flat tire and spin for the driver of the No. Anyone that saw Johnson behind the wheel knew what to expect. Austin Hill took the lead with one lap to go and won Saturdays 300-mile Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 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. The finish moved Johnson to third in the Drivers' standings. [12] One year later, he had two wins and finished third in the standings. (7)2003, 2006, 2012, 2013 NASCAR All-Star Race Winner2005, 2019 Busch Clash Winner2006, 2013 Daytona 500 2003, 2004, 2005, 2014 Coca-Cola 600 Winner2006, 2008, 2009, 2012 Brickyard 400 Winner2004, 2012 Southern 500 Winner11 wins at Dover International Speedway (including 2 sweeps in 2002 and 2009)9 wins at Martinsville Speedway (including a sweep in 2007, and 20062008, 2012, 2016 Chase race wins)8 wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway (including sweeps in 2004 and 2005, and Chase race wins in 20042005, 2009, and 2016) 7 wins at Texas Motor Speedway (including a sweep in 2015, and 5 Chase race wins) 2010 Prelude to the Dream WinnerSix off-road racing championships. Jimmie Johnson will have one more season in NASCAR. [48], In 2011, Johnson began the season with a fourth-place finish in the Budweiser Shootout, after starting from the 23rd position. May 23, 2022 at 11:33 a.m. EDT. 15. After the season concluded, he won an ESPY for the second consecutive year, and won the Driver of the Year award for the third time, tying Jeff Gordon, Mario Andretti, and Darrell Waltrip as the only three-time drivers to win the award. Johnson admitted that seeing teammate Alex Palou walk away from a 220mph shunt during practice for the Indianapolis 500 has played a part in helping ease his safety concerns, as has the. Despite the poor finishes, Johnson qualified fourth for the Chase. Why did Junior Johnson sell off Junior Johnson and Associates? He has said that he currently has 12 or 14 races on a list that he would like to narrow down to between five and 10. 1 (lap 2628): Speeding through pit road) Johnson rallied to finish 10th. Assisted by fellow Playoff contenders finding trouble, Johnson qualified into the Round of 8, by just nine points.[104]. Jimmie Johnson Acted as Ambulance Driver When Dale - Sportscasting Not just for one year. At Loudon, Johnson finished sixth after blowing a tire in the third position. [168] On September 26, 2022, Johnson announced that he would be stepping back from racing full-time. Jimmie Johnson Biography - life, family, school, mother, son, born Johnson said, Kurt knocked me out of the way. My fans are always extremely loyal. Returning to Daytona for the Coke Zero 400, Johnson led 94 laps and held off Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick on a green-white-checker finish to win his fourth race of the year. He finished 38th. With five laps to go, Johnson led a lane with Greg Biffle and Danica Patrick. Jimmie Johnson @JimmieJohnson . By Cindy Boren. When Jimmie Johnson was seven, Rick Johnson attended one of his competitions and predicted a bright future for the pint-sized racer. Fans expecting to see him in the No . In 2004, he started racing in Grand-Am with the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he finished eighth. 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. 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 . 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. Johnson wins 200th for Hendrick", "Kahne wins at Charlotte, teammates in top 11", "Stewart emerges from wild finish for Daytona win", "Fourth Brickyard win stamps Jimmie Johnson as Chase favorite", "Keselowski is no longer 'Bad Brad' he's just better", "Blown tire all but ends Jimmie Johnson's title hopes", "Gears and lug nuts doom Jimmie Johnson's title hopes", "Jimmie Johnson 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results", "Jimmie Johnson wins Daytona 500; Danica Patrick eighth", "Jimmie Johnson races to record 4th All-Star win", "Trouble snares Hendrick quartet at Michigan", "Johnson 1st driver to sweep Daytona since 1982", "Johnson's time disallowed, will start at rear", "Jimmie Johnson caps major rally at New Hampshire", "Jimmie Johnson wins record eighth victory at Dover", "Jimmie Johnson makes it nine wins at Dover", "Jimmie Johnson falls from No. Jimmie Johnson tops Daytona 500 practice in return to NASCAR The two-time Daytona 500 winner and seven-time Cup Series champion reached a top speed of 194.25 mph around the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway. 1 pick in '22 MLS SuperDraft", "Las Vegas Episode Guide 2006 Season 3 Urban Legends, Episode 15", "HBO's 24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona to Debut January 26", "Top Gear Thursday: Richard Hammond Says NASCAR Driving is 'Like Climbing into the Belly of a Dragon', "Jimmie Johnson becomes first athlete co-host for SportsCenter", "Jimmie Johnson visits a massage therapist on 'Repeat After Me', hijinx ensue", "NASCAR Champ Jimmie Johnson Gets Animated For Bubble Guppies", "Schwartz: NASCAR Drivers Lend Their Voices To Nickelodeon Show", "Jimmie Johnson To Be on Cover of Sports Illustrated", "Video! 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. He started the season on an up-and-down note but went winless through the first 11 races of the 2014 season (his best finish was 2nd at Martinsville). The following weekend at Phoenix, Johnson avoided trouble in tight racing on two separate occasions (a near scrape in turn 4 on the first lap, and later a near spin after contact with Carl Edwards in turn 1) to escape with a third-place finish. is jimmie johnson related to junior johnson Johnson came into 2017 as the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion. No financial terms were disclosed, and Johnson said he had no partners in the deal. Smith was third, Kyle Busch fourth and Josh Berry fifth. After finishing in the top ten at Sonoma and Kentucky, Johnson was collected in an early wreck in the Coke Zero 400, finishing 42nd. Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. [211], In 2015, Johnson appeared on the series Repeat After Me and voiced a lobster named Jimmie on the animated kids show Bubble Guppies. Jimmie Johnson details what went wrong with Chad Knaus Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) November 2, 2022 [124] It marked his 100th race in a row without a win. He only won two races during the season. At Phoenix, he struggled for most of the day and finished 38th after blowing a tire and crashing out. 10 Drivers Who Won For Junior Johnson - Nascar Hall Of Fame NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson says the "physicality" of IndyCar vehicles has made adjusting to the sport difficult. [151][152], On January 11, 2023, the team was rebranded under the name Legacy Motor Club, with Johnson announced to be running the No. One of those included Phoenix in which he won on low fuel and high tire wear after crew chief Chad Knaus decided to stay out late in the race. Johnson finished eighth the following week at Loudon. At his home track Auto Club, he qualified second, losing the pole position to Clint Bowyer by 0.007 seconds. [79] Afterward, he placed fourth in the first Budweiser Duel, resulting in a ninth-place starting position in the 2013 Daytona 500. On a restart with 10 laps to go, Carl Edwards came across the nose of Joey Logano, hit the inside wall, and triggered a massive wreck, ending Edwards' championship hopes. Im 85 years old, so Im not going to be here for another 15 or 20 years, and then Jimmie can kind of take over. [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]. In the Chase for the Championship, he recorded 14 wins, eight more than any other driver. In the race, his wife and children waved the green flag at the start of the race. There was a four wide salute before the race to honor him. [18][185][194], In 2014, Johnson joined the Ban Bossy campaign, as a spokesperson advocating leadership in young girls.[195][196][197][198]. He was starting over at 44 when he made his first IndyCar debut in April 2021 at Barber Motorsports Park. Tweets with replies by Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) / Twitter Johnson said his new NASCAR deal escalated quickly after he entered into discussions with Gallagher over the past month. [17], Johnson formally moved to Hendrick in 2002, driving the No. At Fontana, he struggled for most of the race, racing near the back of the pack, but salvaged a 12th-place finish. At the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan, Johnson closed in on Greg Biffle for the lead with less than 10 laps left, but suffered a flat tire with less than five laps to go. 51 Copy quote. 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. At Martinsville, Denny Hamlin aggressively made contact with Johnson on lap 198 and had a tire rub to cause a caution but was able to stay on the lead lap. NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson buys into Petty GMS, will run 2023 Daytona 500 Johnson Brothers is dedicated to promoting a more open and diverse industry and broader Wine & Spirits professions. Josh Berry, substituting for the injured Chase Elliott, qualified 32nd. [49] While at Chicagoland Speedway for the GEICO 400, Johnson finished 10th. Advertisement Besides his racing salary and winnings, Johnson has racked up millions from endorsement deals, having worked with such brands as Gatorade, Seiko Watch Corporation, Blue Bunny, and Chevrolet over the course of his career. Getty Jimmie Johnson waves to fans at the Daytona 500. Where else will Johnson compete in 2023? For Junior, that's where Jimmie Johnson came to the rescue. [110] Johnson and his long-time crew chief Knaus parted ways at the end of the season, ending a 17-year partnership, the longest in NASCAR history. 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. Jimmie Johnson. Owner Rick Hendrick's son Ricky, twin nieces, brother, and chief engine builder Randy Dorton as well as Joe Turner, Scott Lathram were killed in an airplane crash en route to the race. [182][183] He has two younger brothers, Jarit and Jessie. [142][143] The final race, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, began with a strong first stage for Johnson as he finished fifth, ahead of Byron and DiBenedetto. Smith led more than half of the race but was caught and passed by Hill and Justin Allgaier near the finish. Johnson opened a restaurant, Three Rings in Miami after the three championships that he won on collegiate & professional levels. Jimmie Johnson Reflects on NASCAR Return | Heavy.com I cant wait to see what we can achieve together.. 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. [6] Johnson returned to Lake Geneva in July, winning the Saturday race and finished second on the following day. [226], This article is about the racing driver. [58] Afterward, he finished fourth and second in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 and Kobalt Tools 400. After the race, he congratulated teammate Elliott on his maiden championship and performed a Polish victory lap.[149][150]. A man walks into an airport, walks up to the giant board titled . 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. Gallagher and Petty formed their team last December when Gallagher purchased Richard Petty Motorsports. The second time I did and moved him out of the way.[44]. Skepticism began to arise, as he had never gone more than 12 races into a season without a win, and hadn't gone that long since the first few years of his Cup career. Johnson was close friends with NASCAR competitor Blaise Alexander. QUOTES BY JUNIOR JOHNSON | A-Z Quotes Johnson was paired with JR Motorsports crew chief Kevin Meendering in the 2019 season. IndyCar Jimmie Johnson takes one of his daughters racing - NBC Sports [163] However, in 2021, Ganassi's NASCAR operations were sold to Justin Marks and absorbed into the Trackhouse Racing Team the following year. Johnson finished the race in 28th, his worst finish of the season to that point. [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. He also was named the 2008 Driver of the Year and won an ESPY as the Best Driver. [71] Afterward, Johnson finished sixth after winning his first pole position of the season in the Quaker State 400. 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. 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. [49] Three weeks later, in the Heluva Good! 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. His Top 10 finishes during the period came only in the Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400, where he finished third in both races. Junior Johnson. Geir Johnson (1953-2021), Norwegian composer, writer and initiator of culture projects. 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. [223] The expansion features twenty-four paint schemes from the 2016 Sprint Cup Series season, including Johnson's No. In 1985, however, Waltrip won his third championship with Johnson's squad, while . He finished 19th at Michigan after the race was called for rain on lap 138. Johnson took the advantage of leading on the last restart. The money is given to public schools in California, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. [140] Johnson, who had experience at the road course via the 24 Hours of Daytona, finished fourth in a run that he described as "what we needed". [18], In 2006, Johnson began the season by winning the Daytona 500. 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 December 2010, Johnson visited Collinswood Language Academy. List of people with surname Johnson - Wikipedia At Dover, his Chase hopes came to an end when his car broke a driveline, leading him to finish 36 laps down in 41st place. 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. 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, when Charlotte drafted Ben Bender out of the University of Maryland, College Park.[206]. 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. The seven-time Cup Series champion will retire at the end of the 2020 season when his contract with Hendrick Motorsports is up. In total, Johnson had four consecutive wins at his sponsor (Lowe's) sponsored track in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was Johnson's record-holding 11th win at Dover and 83rd career victory, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer, Cale Yarborough. This title focuses on Jimmie Johnson and gives information related to his early life, his time racing in NASCAR, and the legacy he leaves behind. Defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano won the pole Saturday for Sundays 400-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He then held off a last-lap charge from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin to win his second Daytona 500. [61] Next, Johnson finished tenth in the Auto Club 400, despite having an oil leak,[62] but the rain saved Johnson from a low finish. Hired to drive the team's second Chevrolet, Neil Bonnett went winless in 1984. Jimmie Johnson announced on Monday that he was stepping away from full-time racing. After spending the last two seasons in IndyCar, formerly retired. In five of those seven wins, he started from the pole. Following in the top five were Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs and Kyle Busch. [70] During the next two races, Johnson placed fifth,[59] moving him to fourth in the standings. Fly! [191] In 2019, he competed in the Boston Marathon, finishing with a time of 3:09:07 and 4,155th overall (3,746th among males and 641st in the Male 4044 class).[192]. However, he quickly was able to rebound winning the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway. NASCAR: Why can't Jimmie Johnson get into the playoffs? It worked out.. Next week in Las Vegas, he finished first in the final practice. 84 Chevrolet is one of them, the two-time Daytona 500 winner technically isnt locked into the race. Johnson claimed his seventh championship by winning at Homestead on November 20. Johnson entered the 2006 Race of Champions but did not start due to injury received just days before the race. [87] Afterward, he went on to win at Dover the following week, making it the 13th time he had back-to-back wins.[88]. AVONDALE, Ariz. Jimmie Johnson relished the chance to get back into a NASCAR Cup Series car even if it likely won't help him much when he attempts to qualify for the . CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Jimmie Johnson on Wednesday revealed his rebranded NASCAR team and said he will drive the No. [98], The rest of the season didn't go smoothly for Johnson. In 2000, he switched to the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Series). He went on to finish fourth followed by a third-place finish at the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 a week later, his best finishes of the season. Jimmie Johnson is an American race-car driver who currently competes for 'Hendrick Motorsports.' He became the first driver to win the 'National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Cup Series' five times, consecutively, from 2006 to 2010. . [106] However, on lap 148, Johnson's hopes at an eighth championship ended when he blew a tire in turn 3, and hit the outside wall hard, ending his day and eliminating him from the Playoffs. At Martinsville, Johnson started seventh but finished 39th after being involved in a crash early in the race. Johnson appeared as a moonshine runner along with Ryan Newman in the opening scene of the 2004 NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience. At Talladega, Johnson started fifth and led 50 laps, only to finish second to Earnhardt Jr. At Kansas, Johnson gambled by staying out on the last round of pit stops and held off Harvick and Earnhardt again to win his third race at Kansas and of the season. However, trouble struck when he finished 40th and 17th in the next two races. [224], Johnson, along with teammates Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and William Byron, were featured on the cover of NASCAR Heat 3. Hill, winner of the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, has visited Victory Lane in two of the schedules first three races. I just knew I had to not abuse the tires and try to methodically work our way through traffic, Hill told Fox Sports. [76] At Phoenix, Johnson blew a right front tire, which caused him to collide into the wall and finish in the 32nd position. Jimmie Johnson: Wife, Dating, Family . Hill and Justin Allgaier gained steadily on Smith over the final 10 laps and eliminated Smiths 2.5-second lead. At the Coca-Cola 600, he qualified second, losing the pole position to Kurt Busch by 0.009 seconds. In December, Johnson won the 2006 Driver of the Year Award. [68] After the Coca-Cola 600, Johnson went on to win his second race of the season in the FedEx 400. Johnson was able to earn $18 million between June 2018 and June 2019, making him the highest-paid NASCAR driver in the world. Over the last few laps, Johnson was racing alongside Brad Keselowski for the lead until a caution came out for debris. 48 car for Chip Ganassi Racing. After having two separate spins, he drove his way through a large multicar accident off turn 2, involving Playoff drivers Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray, and rebounded with an 11th-place finish. Petty GMS Racing announced Friday that Johnson had acquired an ownership stake in the team and . No Purchase Necessary, U.S. res 18+, Ends 1/23/23. Johnson noted he was "so happy to be alive and OK. Junior Johnson, byname of Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr., (born June 28, 1931, Wilkes county, North Carolina, U.S.died December 20, 2019, Charlotte, North Carolina), American stock-car driver who ranks among the most influential figures in National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) history. Early life and race career. [3] Afterward, he moved to the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) Stadium Racing Series where he won several more awards. 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. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation was launched by Johnson and his wife, Chandra, in 2006. He then rebounded with back-to-back wins at the 2017 O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 in Texas (started from the rear of the field) and the 2017 Food City 500 at Bristol, his first win at The Last Great Coliseum since 2010. In winning the race, Johnson became the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to sweep both Daytona races in a season. [175] He returned to the Rolex 24, in 2011 where his team finished 15th.