Jimmie Johnson Makes Heartbreaking 9-Word Admission About HOF Induction

Once more, destiny intervened, reuniting the legendary duo and placing them together on the same stage. Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus are the new inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame batch 2024 along with Donnie Allison. The pair of seven-time world champions was a top pick among those Modern-era nominees. Lastly, it’s official that they are selected as HOF by a voting panel of 56 media members on Wednesday.

The pair raced 81 races over 19 seasons and incredibly won seven championship titles together. First time ever, all the HOF inductees are the first-ballot choices in which Johnson accounts for 93% of the ballots, and Knaus earned 81%.

Having reached a stage like this, drivers often look back and see how deeply involved they were in the sport to actually cherish the good moments. Johnson finds himself in the same position.

Amid the jubilation, Jimmie Johnson reveals a truly heart-wrenching confession

After the inductees made the headlines on Wednesday, Jimmie Johnson shared his feelings about such prestige. The 47 years old who watched a video showcasing his career highlights played in the grand hall upstairs. Watching those moments with Chad Knaus and his team brought forth emotions, leaving him hoping for Knaus’ inclusion as well. His wish, “Oh, gosh, I hope he gets in, right?” Johnson didn’t have to wait long, as Knaus’ name was the final one called during Wednesday’s announcement.

Following this, he appeared on ‘NASCAR Race Hub’ and expressed his emotions. One of the hosts proposed a tricky question to Jimmie asking about his induction speech at Charlotte.

The Superman of NASCAR answered, “I’m not sure, I do find as I get older certainly more emotional and I certainly recognize that my opportunity at the podium to speak are growing further you know uh further and between than the opportunities I had when I was driving. So there’s no telling but I’m excited for the moment and we have some time to plan that big night and you know I’ve always subscribed to the notion that you work hard and you play hard. And this is going to be great opportunity to play hard.”

Despite the Hall of Fame induction news, Johnson was dissatisfied with his crew chief’s reaction to the proud moment.

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Jimmie Johnson couldn’t hide his displeasure after his crew chief’s silly surprise

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The 15 nominees of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, including the Modern Era as well as the Pioneer era, are all renowned figures of the sport. However, within them, Jimmie Johnson was the favorite to be HOF and, interestingly, his crew chief was also honored with the crown. But Knaus believed that there were other ones on that list who dominated the sport more compared to him.

Notably, Knaus won 81 races with JJ, and his last victory, counting 82nd, was in 2020 with William Byron. Despite his legacy, as per charlotteobserver.com, Chad said, “Honestly, I was a little surprised. I obviously felt Jimmie was a lock. But the other people who were up for nomination were very worthy and had contributed to the sport in many ways. I really didn’t know”

Jimmie addressed his crew chief’s silly surprise by saying, “When I knew my name was going on the ballot, I found Chad’s was as well,” Johnson said, “and this has been in the back of my mind, hoping this opportunity would come about. I know I’m very proud of what we accomplished, and the fact that we get to enjoy this moment and relive all those moments together makes this all the more special.”

The news elicited interest from the NASCAR world, who are eagerly waiting for the induction ceremony to witness the duo be honored at Charlotte. It truly proved the words of Richard Petty who once referred to them as automatic.

READ MORE: “I Was Out of the Job and Never Even Get To NASCAR” – Jimmie Johnson on Being a Hall of Famer