Jimmie Johnson Ties Dale Earnhardt in Number of ‘NASCAR Cup Starts’, Here is How They Compare

Jimmie Johnson is a legend in his own right and deserves all the accolades that he received in his 20-year career. The 44-year old is currently tied with the late Dale Earnhardt in terms of race starts in the Cup Series, with 676. With a handful of races still to go, Johnson will definitely surpass Earnhardt Sr.

However, he is miles behind other drivers, though he is making a break for the Top 20. Johnson is also the proud owner of some more achievements, namely 83 wins compared to 76. He is also tied with Earnhardt and Richard Petty on 7 Cup Series titles.

However, the late #3 driver accumulated more top 10 finishes, with 428 to 373. The current record holder is living legend, Richard Petty on 1185 starts, and he is the only driver to win his on 600th start.

That dynamic will remain unchallenged for a while, because 10 races is not enough for Johnson to overhaul Dale Sr. This goes double, since this is the last time Jimmie Johnson will compete in a full season.

What else to know about Jimmie Johnson?

Admittedly, there is another statistic that Dale Earnhardt Sr has an advantage over Jimmie Johnson. The late NASCAR driver led 25,713 laps compared to 18,936 for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Of course, this means that it is impossible for Johnson to even attempt to overhaul the legend.

On the other end of the scale, Johnson raced against several top drivers who were in their prime. Jimmie Johnson can boast about competing in the most fiercely contested era in NASCAR history.

The likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle and Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski all kept him honest. In other words, the Jimmie Johnson era boasted of 11 Hall of Famers all racing in their primes, with the #48 driver as one of them.

Sadly, Johnson missed out on a chance to make the playoffs for a second season in a row. Now that he has nothing to lose in these remaining 10 races, he can hold nothing back.