NASCAR Veteran Recalls What Set Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports Throne Challenger “Apart From the Other Greats”

Since 1993, Jeff Gordon has been an integral part of the Hendrick Motorsports stable with a lifetime contract in effect from 20oo. He was pretty much at the peak of his career when a certain Jimmie Johnson entered the fray. From then on, Johnson went on to carve himself a legacy in the sport with seven Cup Series titles.

In the process, he tied with Richard Petty and the late great Dale Earnhardt for the most titles. Recently, former NASCAR driver Mark Martin spoke with the RACER about the impact that the 7-time champion had. Here is what he said about Superman.

What else did he say about the former Hendrick Motorsports star

It is worth mentioning that Martin was Johnson and Gordon’s teammate, once upon a time. According to an interview between Martin and RACER’s Kelly Crandall, Martin said, “I became his teammate and I found out why he was one of the greatest of all (time). He showed some incredible talent and driving skills, but there are a lot of really talented race car drivers. What set Jimmie apart from the other greats was his worth ethic.”

Martin prided himself on his commitment to any team that he has worked for. However, he was nearly 50 years old at the time which led to a natural decline in his commitment to the sport. But that was not the case with Johnson. The former Roush Fenway Racing driver acknowledged that the Hendrick Motorsports legend amazed him. According to the former driver, he never was one to back down from a challenge, but Johnson proved too much for him.

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Mark Martin admitted that had he been 30 years old, he could have given Johnson a run for his money. However, he also said, “Let me tell you something — his deal, and his success was commitment. One hundred percent commitment, and that’s outside the driver’s seat. A lot of people can wheel them race cars, but the thing that set him apart from the other greats was how hard he worked at it and how much he put into it outside the driver’s seat.”

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Johnson is expected to be back in the NASCAR fold after a sabbatical of two years. During that hiatus, he competed in the IndyCar Series but did not meet much success. As for his NASCAR stint, he is racing on a part-time basis for the Petty GMS Motorsports team. What do you think about the return of the legend? Let us know in the comments!