In 2022, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will run in his first full-time IndyCar season. And while him being 46-years-old in his first proper IndyCar season might suggest he won’t be able to compete for wins, Johnson is keeping a legendary driver’s career trajectory in mind. In a recent interview, the former Hendrick driver named Mario Andretti as someone whose example keeps him optimistic about his own chances for an IndyCar win. “I was told Mario (Andretti) won his final race at 53, so that gives me a lot of hope,” Johnson said. 

Former NASCAR and current IndyCar driver, Jimmie Johnson recently revealed the
racing legend he's keeping as reference for 2022.

Shaharyar is an F1 & NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in
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Former NASCAR and current IndyCar driver, Jimmie Johnson recently revealed the racing legend he's keeping as reference for 2022.

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Jimmie Johnson

Motorsport is one of the most competitive sports in the world where consistency is something that does not come by easy. But once in a while, there comes an athlete who embodies that consistency in a way that has never been done before. NASCAR is no different and in it, Jimmie Johnson is the epitome of consistency. The former Hendrick Motorsports driver is a member of an elite club that comprises only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt apart from him. That is the 7-time Cup Series champions club. A feat so incredibly difficult that it is almost unthinkable in today&#8217;s world. Who is Jimmie Johnson? For people who have been fans of NASCAR for a decent amount of time, this man needs no introduction. His career is defined by his 7 Cup Series championships and countless race wins. Born on September 17, 1975, the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club has done it all as a driver in the sport and more. He is the only driver ever to have won a whopping 5 NASCAR Cup Series championships on the bounce, which, in a lot of people&#8217;s opinions, makes him better than Petty or Earnhardt. That&#8217;s still a big matter of debate but there is no denying that Jimmie Johnson is one of the greatest motorsports athletes the world has ever seen. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA &#8211; JULY 29: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, looks on during practice for NTT IndyCar Series Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 29, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) Jimmie Johnsonâ€™s early life Johnson was born in El Cajon, California, to Catherine Ellen and Gary Ernest Johnson. Before he fully got his foot into the world of motorsports, he was a student at the Granite Hills High School and he showed a penchant for different kinds of sports from a very young age. He was quite comfortable in the water as he showed an affinity towards swimming and water polo as a kid. But he always raced. At that age, Johnson used to participate in motorbike racing and he was quite good at it. His switch to racing stock cars began when he shifted from bikes to buggies and trucks on off-road tracks. 1997 was the year Johnson tried asphalt racing. Just a year after his debut in asphalt racing in the American Speed Association (ASA) competitions, the 7-time Cup Series winner made his debut in what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Four years later, the legendary stock car racer made his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the rest, as they say, is history. But it was not just NASCAR that was of interest to him. He is a proper athlete who has competed in different kinds of sports. Some of the other disciplines that have attracted his attention are endurance events like triathlons and long-distance running. 2019 saw Johnson finish the iconic Boston Marathon with a time of 3:09:07. It&#8217;s safe to say that he is a multifaceted athlete with a lot of talent apart from motor racing but he is not the only one in his family with racing acumen. DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA &#8211; JANUARY 29: Jimmie Johnson driver of the #48 Ally Cadillac Racing Cadillac DPi, looks on before the start of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on January 29, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s wife and children Jimmie Johnson is the oldest of 3 brothers born to Catherine and Gary. His two younger brothers are named Jarit Johnson and Jessie Johnson, both of whom tested the waters in the competitive world of motorsports as they made numerous starts in the Off-Road Championships. But they were not as successful as their older brother. The 7-time Cup Series champion married Chandra Janway on December 10, 2004. The couple had known each other since 2002. They have two daughters, Genevieve, 12, and Lydia, 9. The family is a happy one, but they were faced with a tragedy in 2023. AVONDALE, ARIZONA &#8211; NOVEMBER 08: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, poses on the grid with his wife Chandra Johnson and their daughters Lydia Norriss Johnson and Genevieve Johnson prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway on November 08, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona.Jimmie Johnson is scheduled to retire from full-time NASCAR racing after 2020. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) The lives of Johnson and his wife were completely turned upside down on June 26, shortly before the first-ever Chicago Street Race. That evening in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Chandra&#8217;s parents, Jack and Terry Janway, were discovered dead alongside her 11-year-old nephew, Dalton. The authorities ultimately surmised that the incident was a murder-suicide, which shocked the motorsports community. Jimmie Johnson net worth 2024 Being a 7-time Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson has accumulated a lot of personal wealth, of which his sponsorship deals and brand endorsements were also a big part. Today, as the owner of a Cup Series team, Johnson is one of the wealthiest men in NASCAR and as of 2024, he has an estimated net worth of a whopping $160 million as per several reports. The 48-year-old has several sponsorship deals in place with companies like Gatorade, Blue Bunny, and Seiko. Among his own business is the NASCAR Cup Series team he owns, Legacy Motor Club, which switched manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota ahead of the 2024 season. Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s career timeline After racing motorbikes, trucks, and buggies, Jimmie Johnson made the switch to asphalt racing in 1997 and one of the first organizations he raced for was Herzog Motorsports in the ASA (American Speed Association). That year, he raced 3 times in the competition before coming back the following year and winning the ASA Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie title. His introduction to NASCAR was the 1998 Nationwide Series in which he took part in 3 races. Johnson&#8217;s full-time debut in the competition came with Herzog Motorsports in 2000. That season may have been winless but he finished an impressive P10 in the points. The following year, Johnson won his first race in a major NASCAR competition when he took the checkered flag at the 2001 Chicagoland 300 and went on to finish the season P8 in points. His talents were scouted by Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick and in 2002, Jimmie Johnson was in the Cup Series driving full-time for Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s partnerships and brand endorsements The 7-time Cup Series champion does not face much difficulty in finding sponsors, given who he is and one of the biggest companies he has partnered up with recently is AdventHealth. It was revealed before the start of the new season that the healthcare brand would sponsor the NASCAR legend in 3 Cup Series races in 2024. The company, which used to sponsor Ross Chastain, has been in the sport since 2o15 and Johnson is one of the biggest athletes they have ever partnered with. When Legacy Motor Club executives decided to make the switch from Chevrolet to Toyota, they knew that a lot of changes were coming and the sponsorship side of things was no different. Mobil 1 Racing is one of the partners Johnson gained as team owner as it was revealed before the season began that the motor oil and lubricant heavyweight would sponsor every Toyota team in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series as per a report in Racing News. BRISTOL, TN &#8211; APRIL 06: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, prepares to drive during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 6, 2019 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) Another company that has extended its partnership with the 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is Carvana. It is a brand that claims to be a pioneer in buying and selling used cars online. Johnson has worked with the company since 2021 when he made his debut in IndyCar and the relationship has stood the test of time. The 2024 season will be the second that they are partnering with the #84 team and the brand&#8217;s logo will be on the car&#8217;s hood for the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400. Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s investment Jimmie Johnson acquired a portion of GMS Petty Motorsports in 2022, marking the start of his ownership career in the NASCAR Cup Series. But Richard Petty sold Maury Gallagher all of the team&#8217;s shares later that year. Gallagher had paid $19 million for the majority of Richard Petty Motorsports three years prior. After deciding to go through the Cup Series jointly, the two owners rebranded it to Legacy Motor Club. After the team changed its name to LMC in 2023, it was the first major NASCAR competition season without a Petty team. In 2023, Legacy Motor Club competed in the NASCAR Cup Series as a Chevrolet team. However, the team chose to switch to Toyota for the 2024 season. The LMC owners stated that it was preferable to be one of three teams with Toyota rather than one of eight with Chevy. Given that Johnson&#8217;s team will receive a great deal of support and resources from both Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing, this decision, which has been heavily debated in the racing world, might turn out to be a highly successful one. Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s career stats There is a reason why Jimmie Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest NASCAR racers of all time and that is his on-track numbers. In the Cup Series, the 48-year-old has taken part in almost 700 races and he has racked up a whopping 83 wins so far in his Cup career. He also has 374 top-10 finishes and 36 pole positions. In the Xfinity Series, his numbers are lackluster. Johnson has taken part in 93 races in the competition, recording 1 win, 24 top 10s, and 2 pole positions. He is also a 2-time winner of the Busch Clash, Southern 500, and Daytona 500. Johnson has won the All-Star race, Coca-Cola 600, and Brickyard 400 four times each. He also won the Indianapolis race in the 2003 International Race of Champions. Jimmie Johnson records The former Hendrick Motorsports driver is no stranger to records as he has set several of them throughout his illustrious career. He is the only driver apart from the late great Dale Earnhardt Sr and Richard &#8216;The King&#8217; Petty to have won 7 NASCAR Cup Series championship titles. But Jimmie Johnson has a record to his name that neither of them or anyone in the history of NASCAR has. He is the only person t win the Cup Series five times in a row (2006-2010). HOMESTEAD, FL &#8211; NOVEMBER 20: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe&#8217;s Chevrolet, poses for a portrait after winning the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/NASCAR via Getty Images) Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s major achievements and awards It should come as no surprise that a driver of this level has won multiple individual honors apart fromÂ his seven Cup Series victories. In addition to being named one of NASCAR&#8217;s Greatest 75 drivers of all time, he has won numerous accolades, including the 1998 ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year, the 2009 AP Male Athlete of the Year, five Driver of the Year titles, the 2020 Bill France Award of Excellence, and the 2022 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. The seven-time Cup Series winner received another award in 2024 when he was admitted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In 2011, following his fifth consecutive championship, Johnson had the honor of meeting then-US President Barack Obama. The former President expressed interest in the legendary #48 Hendrick Motorsports car used by the NASCAR star and welcomed him into the White House. Jimmie Johnson in the 24 Hours of LeMans The 48-year-old has never participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most recognizable motorsports competitions in the world, until recently. Johnson traveled to France in 2023 as part of the Garage 56 initiative at Hendrick Motorsports. Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button, two legendary figures in motorsports, were his teammates for the event. The former HMS Cup Series driver was ecstatic with the experience as the squad met their objective of finishing the race. The team finished the race in P39. 24 Hendrick Motorsports USA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 â€“ innovative car â€“ Jimmie Johnson USA Mike Rockenfeller Deu Jenson Button GBR during the 91st 24 Hours of Le Mans, centenary edition, 4th round of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship FIA WEC, Collective car shoot, circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, Le Mans FRA, June 06 2023 automobileÂ : 24 heures du Mans â€“ FIA WEC â€“ Championnats du monde d endurance â€“ 06/06/2023 Mpsagency/Panoramic PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxITAxBEL His luck at the 24 Hours of Daytona has not been too good as Johnson never really got into his groove in that race. The last time he raced in the event was in 2011 and he could only manage a P59 finish. His best performance was in 2010 when he finished P30. Jimmie Johnson foundation Jimmie JohnsonÂ and his wife Chandra established the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in 2006. Over the years, the foundationÂ has assisted many underprivileged families and children in a variety of ways. Through the organization&#8217;s Champion Grant program, the foundation presently concentrates on Kâ€“12 public education, according to its website. It also collaborates with the popularÂ Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grantsÂ children with life-threatening illnesses wishes. ToÂ support disaster relief operations, Johnson&#8217;s Foundation has also collaborated closely with the American Red Cross. The Hendrick Marrow Program, Victory Junction, and Habitat for Humanity are a few more charitable causes that the organization sponsors. Jimmie Johnsonâ€™s tribute to his late friends Jimmie Johnson was a compassionate and devoted friend, a side of him that often got overshadowed by his competitive one. He has paid his sincere respects to the close friends he has lost in life. Blaise Alexander, a fellow driver, and he were close friends, but their relationship tragically ended. Alexander lost his life in an instant after a crash on lap 63 of the 2001 EasyCare 100 at Lowe&#8217;s Motor Speedway, cracking the underside of his skull. In every race car Johnson has raced since, he memorialized his friend by placing his initials as a flame decal inside it. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA &#8211; AUGUST 13: Jimmie Johnson of the United States, driver of the #48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, prepares to drive during practice for the NTT IndyCar Series Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 13, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) Ricky Hendrick, son of Johnson&#8217;s ex-boss Rick Hendrick,Â unfortunately died in a plane disaster in 2004 along with nine other people. The seven-time Cup Series winner also placed the Hendrick plane&#8217;s tail number inside the vehicles as a sign of respect. Jimmie Johnson in popular media Jimmie Johnson has a history of special appearances in a lot of different places like TV and movies. He created television history in 2013 when he was the first athlete in the professional ranks to co-host the well-liked ESPN program SportsCenter. He has also appeared in a music video for the song &#8220;Ain&#8217;t no man&#8221; by The Avrett Brothers. Johnson has so far acted in several films and television series. Among them are Las Vegas and Herbie: Fully Loaded. He also made an appearance on a Top Gear and 24/7 episode. The seven-time Cup Series winner can be found in many NASCAR-themed video games. You can drive his #48 car in Forza Motorsport 6. Additionally, he appeared in the smartphone game Ally Racer. Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s social media The 7-time Cup Series champion is a fairly frequent user of social media and he is active on his X (Twitter) handle more often.  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JimmieJohnson  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jimmiejohnson/  Twitter https://twitter.com/JimmieJohnson    Full NameÂ  Jimmie Johnson  Popular Name Seven Time  Birth Place El Cajon, California  Birth Date September 17, 1975  Age 48  Height 5&#8217;9&#8243;  Weight(in pounds) 165 lbs  Parents Catherine Ellen, Gary Ernest Johnson  Siblings Jarit Johnson, Jessie Johnson  Nationality American  Ethnicity Caucasian  Net Worth $160 million  Salary $17.6 million  Relationship/ Marital Status Married  Spouse Chandra Janway  Children Genevieve, Lydia  Profession NASCAR team owner  Team Legacy Motor Club

Jimmie Johnson Keeping Mario Andretti’s IndyCar Exploits at 53 Years Old as a Reference of Optimism