Jimmie Johnson will probably never win a race again. That barely matters, because the autosport legend has checked nearly all the boxes that racing has to offer. Among his laurels are 83 NASCAR Cup race victories, an Indianapolis 500 run and clinching the Rookie of the Year there, and a 24 Hours of Le Mans run. However, what stands out most is probably his unabated championship streak with Rick Hendrick.

Johnson owns an astounding 7 Cup Series championships, a feat reserved for just two other people. When he clinched his last title in 2016, he nestled with the evergreen jewels of the sport – Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, both of whom have the same number of titles. However, even after holding this distinction, Johnson has a slight regret – for not enjoying it to the brim.

Jimmie Johnson was too occupied

Well, when you are working for Rick Hendrick, you need to be an over-achiever. That is exactly what Jimmie Johnson brought to the table. He uplifted Hendrick Motorsports to a hallowed status with his achievements. He made the team the all-time leader in Cup titles – 14. After Johnson’s 2016 run, HMS had 12 championships placing it 7th all-time among other major American professional sports leagues. For example, the New York Yankees had 27 World Series titles, the Montreal Canadiens had 24 Stanley Cup titles, and the Boston Celtics had 17 NBA titles. Yet in the process of achieving more and more for the team, Johnson lost his sense of satisfaction at some point.

In a recent interview with the Racer, Jimmie Johnson candidly professed that he lacked the time to breathe it all in. “I have to say that in the moment, I am so focused on accomplishing it and trying to do it again, I didn’t savor it as much as I should.” Indeed, Johnson’s achievement was no less jaw-dropping. At 41 years old, in 2016, Johnson was the youngest driver to win seven Sprint Cup championships. Petty was 42 when he earned his 7th, and Earnhardt was 44.

Johnson was a fierce competitor and from his rookie season in 2002, he set the tone for his dominance to come. He won three races in his rookie season and finished fifth in the driver’s standings. Not too shabby at all. From 2002 to 2010, Johnson made the top five every single year and became the only Cup Series driver to score five consecutive championships – accomplishing the feat from 2006 to 2010.

You can understand how focused he was on succeeding, so it’s no surprise that he regrets not savoring it as much. With every season passing by, expectations built, along with the pressure to succeed. The level of consistency he showed will likely never be mirrored again and Johnson only truly got to appreciate his career during his Hall of Fame ceremony.

Despite unfulfilled moments, the legend was glad to reunite with familiar faces. During the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Induction Ceremony on January 19, Jimmie Johnson was glad to see his old colleagues there. “To be reunited with so many friends from the journey, to see them in that hall in that evening, then the great after-party…friends came into town – it just reflected. We all know it’s a busy sport and we’re worried about what’s next and not what just happened. And I finally let it in as much as I could. I hope there are more of these Easter eggs out there for me in life because I enjoyed it so very much.”

Johnson’s legacy has already been stamped in gold. Yet his team owner was no less happy to see him come back.

A hearty welcome to the legend

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Jimmie Johnson hung up his firesuit and full-time NASCAR racing at the end of the 2020 season. Following that, he dabbled in IndyCar pursuits, part-time in 2021 and full-time in 2022. Johnson then competed full-time in the IMSA sports car series in 2021. However, his NASCAR itch never really went away, as he bought a stake at Petty GMS and rebranded it into Legacy Motor Club in 2023. Yet the old spark did not come back. Johnson admittedly struggled to adapt to the Next-Gen car on his return to the racetrack. In his 9 Cup starts this year, the legend could only finish 26th or worse. Being a true ‘gentleman racer’, Johnson can only focus on enjoying and not worry about results.

Despite his inability to keep pace with the times, Jimmie Johnson will always be a legend nevertheless. That is what his team owner, Rick Hendrick, heartily admitted. On Johnson’s return to NASCAR for the 2023 Daytona 500, Hendrick’s glee was apparent. “This is a tremendous day for our sport. Jimmie (Johnson) is one of the all-time great champions on the racetrack…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. Competing against him will certainly be a change and a big challenge. But we welcome his return to NASCAR and look forward to the next chapter of a truly remarkable career.”

Once a legend, always a legend. Jimmie Johnson is not well-versed in modern-day NASCAR racing. Yet his contribution to the sport will be timeless.