NASCAR Legend Once Snubbed Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon and Picked Jimmie Johnson as the “Best There’s Ever Been”

In NASCAR’s 75 years, there have been many who have been called legends and many who have found a place in the Hall of Fame. But in its 75 years of history, there haven’t been many who have done what Jimmie Johnson did. There is once a blue moon chance of his feats being repeated.

Jimmie Johnson entered the Cup Series fray in 2002 for Hendrick Motorsports. He finished his debut season in 5th position. He bettered his record with 2nd-place finishes in 2003 and 2004.

However, The Superman went on a record-setting spree as he won 5 consecutive Cup Series championships between 2006 and 2010. This was a feat no one had achieved before him, not even the greats, Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt, he hoped to emulate.

The 2010 Cup Series win came in a highly dramatic fashion. In what was possibly the best performance the Californian had churned out in his career, he came from the back and finished 2nd at Homestead. That 2nd place finish put him in front of other contenders, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Carl Edwards.

Bobby Allison named Jimmie Johnson “the best there’s ever been”

Such was the achievement that Bobby Allison put Johnson above names like Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as he said, “Jimmie may just be the best there’s ever been. He has no weaknesses. He’s just so smooth on the track, like he’s not even trying. Nothing fazes him.”

The stats back Allison’s statement. Between 2006 and 2010, Johnson won 35 races; Kyle Busch was second in this regard, having won 17 over that same time span. Johnson also grabbed 81 top-five finishes and 117 top-ten finishes in that time; again, the most.

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As Jimmie makes a part-time return to driving next year, could we see some more of that JJ magic?

What car will Johnson drive in 2023?

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Johnson ended his Cup Series career in 2020 after a couple of seasons of lackluster performances. He chose to ply his trade in the IndySeries with Chip Ganassi Racing. But luckily for fans, he has taken a U-turn on his retirement decision.

Recently Petty GMS and Johnson announced in a press conference his return to the Cup Series in 2023. Although it doesn’t mean he will be racing all year long, he will feature for the team in select races.

There are plenty of car numbers that JJ can choose from. The first option is the #59 – this was the first car he took up in NASCAR when he raced for ST Motorsports in the Busch Series in 1998. He competed in only 2 races with this number.

The second option, and possibly the least likely, is #92. He raced with the #92 for Herzog Motorsports, again in the Busch Series, in 2000 and 2001. Another option would be #94 – the number Petty GMS had originally reserved for Ty Dillon. However, Dillon did not compete with the number during his time on the team.

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The last option, and possibly the most likely, is #44. It is the car with the greatest connection with the Petty family, having been used by Richard Petty Motorsports extensively before its merger.

Which car do you think Johnson will run? Let us know in the comments!