“He Was The Guy” – Denny Hamlin Expresses his Fears of Jimmie Johnson ‘Tainting’ his Legacy in ‘Most Likely Scenario’

Jimmie Johnson delighted fans when he announced a partnership with the legendary Richard Petty. To make things even sweeter, he was returning to racing action as a driver/owner for the newly renamed Legacy Motor Club. His very first race will be the iconic Daytona 500, following which he will compete in four more undisclosed races. However, Joe Gibbs Racing star, Denny Hamlin expressed a few concerns about Johnson’s triumphant return.

Hamlin mentioned in his Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin podcast, “I hate it. I hate that he’s coming back. Just because, as the guy that I just put on this pedestal of like unbeatable, just super talented. He was The Guy, like I always said, I hate I raced in the Jimmie Johnson era. Damnit I was so unfortunate. How many championships would I have if I didn’t have to race against him? I guess I don’t know what the motivation is for him, because he’s got such a strong legacy and a strong resume. I hate tainting what I’m going to think about him if he comes in and struggles, which is the most likely scenario.”

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The Jimmie Johnson return can go down two different paths

Returning to action after retiring from a sport can be a very tricky business. Especially when you have been missing in action for some time. In recent Formula 1 history, there have been two high-profile retirements and comebacks. The first and most significant was Michael Schumacher, who stepped away after the 2006 Formula 1 season. However, the itch soon returned and he was back, four years later, this time with Mercedes.

Obviously, there was a lot of excitement, because this is 7-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher we’re talking about. However, the Schumacher who came back in 2010, was a completely different animal. He was not the dominant force that he was in the early 2000s. He lasted three years at Mercedes, driving in the midfield, before retiring for good after the 2012 season. On the other hand, there is Kimi Raikkonen, who walked away after the 2009 season and returned for the 2012 season.

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Unlike Schumacher, the Finnish driver came back with a back, single-handedly taking Lotus F1 to 3rd in the championship. A big mistake that Schumacher made was that he was not racing at all after he retired in 2006. So he was most likely never able to get back into the groove. Raikkonen on the other hand tried his hand at Rally racing and a couple of NASCAR races. Now, Johnson has been driving in IndyCar for the last two years, so he has not been idle. Having said that, it remains to be seen whether Johnson can prove Denny Hamlin wrong or not.