“I’m Really F**king Mad Right Now” – Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus’ Weird Relationship Unearthed as the Duo Takes the Ultimate Award

When the former Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen blurted out the words, “Leave me alone, I know what I am doing” on his team radio, it asserted one thing for sure, it was the driver who could claim his supremacy on the tracks while driving, while his team engineers are the ones who could help him in executing the strategies. There is no denying the fact that it is the driver’s intuition that is of paramount importance when it comes to gauging his way. However, one cannot overlook the significance of the race engineers and crew chiefs in NASCAR.

They are the ones that lay not only laying the groundwork for the driver and pulling the strings of the course of the race, but these crew chiefs are the biggest applauder as well as the critic of the drivers. Nevertheless, more often than not, the relationship between these two individuals goes through transitions with all the highs and lows, and one can see it through the relationship between Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus. 

The highs and the lows of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus revealed by NASCAR

The driver-crew chief duo met each other for the first time back in 2001 in Homestead before being paired together a week later, and that was perhaps the most iconic and constructive partnership ever made. The duo went on to win seven Cup Series championships together. Moreover, the icing on the cake is, both Johnson and Knaus will be inducted together into the 2024 Class of Hall of Fame. 

However, the relationship between the two individuals has not been a walk in the garden. Rather, it has been filled with moments where both individuals found each other at loggerheads. A case in point is the ‘milk and cookies’ meeting back in 2005 where the team boss had tried to settle the grievances between Johnson and Knaus, after losing sight of what could be their first championship year. 

The meeting surely turned out to be fruitful, as the following years witnessed the outright dominance of the duo and winning five consecutive Cup Series titles. Nonetheless, there has been a fair share of camaraderie between the two as well, and this is surely apparent from the radio messages. As a tribute to the duo after being announced as the Hall of Famers, NASCAR, on its official Instagram page posted a clip of various humorous exchanges between the two.

In one of the instances, Johnson failed to understand a reference from the film Dodgeball. Knaus was heard saying, “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.”

To this, Johnson replied, “Is this from Talladega Nights?” Knaus in a disappointed tone expressed, “Jesus man, this from Dodgeball. Come on.”

In another instance, Knaus asked Johnson over the radio, “What you have there?” Johnson retorted, “I am really f**king mad right now.” And the reply came as “Let me know what we did differently there because I need to know” Johnson expressed, “It’s a long story, that we are just gonna get in an argument over so…”

Moreover, in an iconic moment after winning the title for the 7th time, Knaus expressed on the headset, “Oh my goodness! Jimmie Johnson, man I am so proud of you. You are a good man, you are a great champion. Now you are a 7-time champion brother.”

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Fans show their support for the iconic duo and their indomitable spirit

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The video surely struck a chord among the fans, as they expressed their excitement after viewing the video. Fans took to the comment section and wrote;

“Best crew chief-driver duo of all time!”

“We need a movie about Jimmie and Chad.”

“I can’t believe I grew up watching and rooting for the one of the best nascar drivers ever.”

Others also wrote, “Whoever didn’t have this legend on their HOF ballot. Should be discredited with any nascar access or privileges.”

“The greatest love story? The Notebook? No. Jimmie and Chad.”

Well, there are certain professional relations that transcend beyond mere duties and commitments, and this duo stands as a testament to that. They may have long parted ways on the tracks, but they still continue to have each other’s back. 

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