[18][185][194], In 2014, Johnson joined the Ban Bossy campaign, as a spokesperson advocating leadership in young girls.[195][196][197][198]. Through Johnson's 19 full-time season at NASCAR's highest level, he racked up 83 wins in 686 starts, including two Daytona 500 wins (2006, 2013), in addition to his record-tying seven . [182][183] He has two younger brothers, Jarit and Jessie. Hill passed Chandler Smith for the lead with one lap remaining Saturday and won the 300-mile Xfinity race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports Jimmie Johnson retired from NASCAR after the 2020 season, but the 46-year-old driver made headlines after saying he's open to returning to the sport to The. Smith was third, Kyle Busch fourth and Josh Berry fifth. But he is set to drive the No. 48 fails post-race inspection; Jimmie Johnson disqualified at Charlotte", "Starting lineup for Martinsville Cup race | NASCAR", "Stage results for Martinsville NASCAR Cup Series race | NASCAR", "Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano split stage wins at Martinsville", "How Jimmie Johnson and other NASCAR drivers came together in solidarity with Bubba Wallace at Talladega", "NASCAR at Talladega results: Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag, but Bubba Wallace won", "Johnson to miss Brickyard 400 due to COVID-19", "NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson can race again after he tests negative twice for COVID-19: 'It's been an emotional journey', "Brad Keselowski Says Jimmie Johnson Spin was Unavoidable", "Brad Keselowski spins Jimmie Johnson on late Kentucky restart | NASCAR", "Some Jimmie Johnson fans are wondering if the NASCAR driver is jinxed this season", "Jimmie Johnson, others caught in multi-car crash at Kansas | NASCAR", "Jimmie Johnson with up and down day in final Loudon race", "Jimmie Johnson gets paint scheme "reset" for rest of 2020 season", "What drivers said after Daytona road course race", "Final NASCAR playoff spot will likely come down to Jimmie Johnson vs. William Byron", "William Byron has narrow lead over Jimmie Johnson for final playoff spot", "William Byron wins at Daytona as teammate Jimmie Johnson misses playoffs in final season", "Chance at eighth championship escapes Jimmie Johnson | NASCAR", "Jimmie Johnson dressed like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty before Southern 500 throwback race", "Hendrick Darlington throwbacks to honor Jimmie Johnson | NASCAR", "Lefty's dream: Jimmie Johnson's bond with young designer creates special No. The following weekend at Phoenix, Johnson avoided trouble in tight racing on two separate occasions (a near scrape in turn 4 on the first lap, and later a near spin after contact with Carl Edwards in turn 1) to escape with a third-place finish. [82] Johnson then finished ninth at Sonoma. Having a driver, the caliber of Jimmie, driving our equipment and being able to provide feedback to our crew chiefs and engineers but most importantly, mentoring Erik and Noah will be invaluable. His Trophy Truck, Butch (the paint scheme of which was used for a throwback for Johnson's 48 car in the 2019 Southern 500, and the car that was used by Larry Ragland in wins such as the 1991 Baja 1000), was wrecked. On the final restart, he passed Kyle Larson, winning the race and his seventh championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most all-time of championships. In the tri-oval, Earnhardt Jr. gave Johnson enough of a push to nip Bowyer at the finish line by 0.002 seconds. He tells David Malsher-Lopez why, while Ganassi managing director Mike . Jimmie Johnson. At Sonoma, Johnson led the most laps at 45 laps, but a late-race caution caused by Casey Mears' broken wheel axle cost him, and he was passed by Kyle Busch with five laps to go and slipped back to sixth place. He has said that he currently has 12 or 14 races on a list that he would like to narrow down to between five and 10. . [85] He almost won the pole position at Indianapolis but was bumped to second by Ryan Newman. It worked out.. The pairing of two of NASCARs three seven-time Cup Series champions was announced Friday morning at Phoenix Raceway. | NASCAR.com", "Jimmie Johnson advances to Round of 8 | NASCAR.com", "NASCAR Playoffs: Jimmie Johnson fades at Texas | NASCAR.com", "Jimmie Johnson in 'must-win' situation at Phoenix | NASCAR.com", "Jimmie Johnson crashes at Phoenix, ending his chase for record eighth NASCAR title", "Iconic moment as Johnson pushes Elliott to Victory Lane | Hendrick Motorsports", "Chase Elliott on Jimmie Johnson's 'awesome' sportsmanship after first win", "Jimmie Johnson finds new sponsor in Ally Financial for 2019 season", "Jimmie Johnson wins rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash", "Hendrick Motorsports names Cliff Daniels as No. He also reported for ESPN in the Short-course Off-road Drivers Association (SODA). It helps fund basic needs, such as technology, outdoor classrooms, playground construction, and reading programs. I swam in high school. Johnson was born in Ronda, North Carolina, the fourth of seven children of Lora Belle (Money) and Robert Glenn Johnson, Sr. His family is of Ulster Scots descent, and settled in the foothills of North Carolina in the eighteenth century. At Talladega, he was the only driver besides Matt Kenseth to lead double-digit laps (16) and finished in fifth place. Johnson's consistency was enough that there were points in the summer where he was more than a full two-race wins' worth of points ahead of Carl Edwards or Clint Bowyer. [164] Johnson refused to run the ovals due to safety concerns of racing open-wheel cars on them but after both driving the cars and watching teammate Tony Kanaan run on ovals, he ultimately agreed to run an oval test at Texas to prep himself for the Indianapolis 500.[165]. 15. He slid into the outside wall, causing major damage to the No. Johnson finished second in the 600 but was disqualified after his car failed post-race technical inspection. At Phoenix, he struggled for most of the day and finished 38th after blowing a tire and crashing out. So, this opportunity with Petty GMS is all of that and much more., Johnsons most recent NASCAR start was the 2020 season finale at Phoenix. 1 (lap 2628): Speeding through pit road) Johnson rallied to finish 10th. The size of Johnsons ownership stake also wasnt disclosed, but Petty said he hoped that Johnson eventually would be the majority owner. He will need to qualify either via his speed in the single-car qualifying session on Wednesday, February 15 or his result in his Bluegreen Vacations Duel race on Thursday, February 16. Johnson also owns a part in a Chevy dealership in San Diego. After having two separate spins, he drove his way through a large multicar accident off turn 2, involving Playoff drivers Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray, and rebounded with an 11th-place finish. [32] He and the team kept their hopes up[33] and rallied with five straight Top 2 finishes including a win at Martinsville to come back from eighth in the points standings to take the championship. [18], In 2006, Johnson began the season by winning the Daytona 500. The start of the season didn't go as smoothly as the end of last season, however. He also remained the only driver to qualify for the Chase every year since its inception in 2004. His second victory of the season came in the fifth race, the Auto Club 400, where Johnson passed Harvick in an overtime finish. It is vast. Johnson was also named Driver of the Year for the fourth time in his career, joining Gordon as the only drivers to win the award that many times. He became the only driver to record three wins in each of their first seven seasons. This year weve accomplished so much together with Maury and now adding Jimmie will only continue to help us grow. [130], On July 3, 2020, two days before the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, Johnson announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing him to miss the race and Justin Allgaier to take over the No. After spending the last two seasons in IndyCar, formerly retired. Johnson is the all-time winningest Cup Series driver at the following tracks: Johnson won a Cup Series race at every track on the 2020 schedule except at Chicagoland Speedway (where he won his first NASCAR race, in the Busch Series), Kentucky Speedway, Watkins Glen International, The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. After the season concluded, he won an ESPY for the second consecutive year, and won the Driver of the Year award for the third time, tying Jeff Gordon, Mario Andretti, and Darrell Waltrip as the only three-time drivers to win the award. At the season finale at Homestead, Johnson finished ninth and closed out finishing 11th in points. [49] Johnson finished in the Top 5 in the following three races. 48 car slammed into the wall, spewed debris over the track and ground the race to a 12-minute, red-flag halt would have been a blown chance at the checkered flag for Marcus Ericsson. At Charlotte, Johnson led a race-high 155 laps and won the Bank of America 500, claiming his eighth win at the track and the third win of the season, also snapping his 24-race winless streak. One week later, Johnson recorded his second victory of the season in the Hollywood Casino 400. In 2004, he started racing in Grand-Am with the 24 Hours of Daytona, where he finished eighth. [189][190], Johnson is a triathlete, regularly participating in triathlons and long-distance running; the Jimmie Johnson Foundation's Wellness Challenge also hosts triathlons. Johnson said he still has a "great relationship" with Chip Ganassi Racing, whom he raced with in IndyCar the past two seasons. He started the Chase with a fifth-place finish at Chicago, followed by a fourth-place finish at New Hampshire. "Junior was wide open every lap," Richard Petty, Lee's son and NASCAR's first seven-time champion, says. No Purchase Necessary, U.S. res 18+, Ends 1/23/23. In winning the race, Johnson became the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to sweep both Daytona races in a season. Afterward, he won his second consecutive championship title and was named the 2007 Driver of the Year. [73] After finishing seventh during the Lenox Industrial Tools 301,[59] Johnson recorded his third victory of the season and his fourth career win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, tying Jeff Gordon for what was the record for the most wins in the Brickyard 400.[74]. He started and finished second behind team-mate William Byron in Duel 2. A fourth-place finish the following week at Darlington allowed Johnson to further solidify his point lead over Edwards. This marked Johnson's first appearance in the "Round of 8" under the current Chase system. [208], In 2012, Johnson was featured in a NASCAR segment of Top Gear along with NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kyle Petty. After finishing in the top ten at Sonoma and Kentucky, Johnson was collected in an early wreck in the Coke Zero 400, finishing 42nd. Joey Logano turned a lap at 186.053 miles per hour Saturday to win the pole position for Sundays Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Getty Jimmie Johnson waves to fans at the Daytona 500. Petty GMS Racing announced Friday that Johnson had acquired an ownership stake in the team and . Johnson has only ever driven the No. Next race was the 2020 Bluegreen Vacations Duels. He had to swerve quickly to the right to avoid the No. Johnson spent the next several races chasing Matt Kenseth for the points lead, eventually gaining it at Talladega, though losing it when he and Kenseth tied for the points lead at Martinsville. And, about 150 years later, Junior's family kept the tradition going in order to survive. [93] It was also the first time since 2011 that he finished in the Top 5 at the Auto Club Speedway. After more than 20 years in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson has made a lot of friends. The NTT IndyCar Series raced last weekend without Jimmie Johnson for the first time in 2021, but the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion still was racing - and with family. Jimmie Johnson is all smiles after a P1 run in Cup Series practice at Daytona and discusses the learning curve that comes with a new team. Jimmie Johnson spent over 20 years racing in NASCAR. [148], Johnson's only Top 10 of the playoffs came in his final start with a fifth-place finish in the Season Finale 500 at Phoenix; he was the highest-finishing driver of those not in the Championship Round. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson has weighed in after making his return to the NASCAR Cup Series. Owner Rick Hendrick's son Ricky, twin nieces, brother, and chief engine builder Randy Dorton as well as Joe Turner, Scott Lathram were killed in an airplane crash en route to the race. On November 4, 2022, Johnson purchased an ownership stake in Petty GMS Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson said a few prayers when he wrecked late in his Indianapolis 500 debut with his teammate in the lead. Through the first six races of the season, Johnson only scored one Top 10 finish. So the deal was to put Lowe's money behind him and let him run with it. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Jimmie Johnson on Wednesday revealed his rebranded NASCAR team and said he will drive the No. [140] Johnson, who had experience at the road course via the 24 Hours of Daytona, finished fourth in a run that he described as "what we needed". He was able to redeem himself for this mistake the following week at Pocono by earning the pole position, leading the most laps, and winning his third race of the season, which increased his point lead to 51 points over Edwards. [223] The expansion features twenty-four paint schemes from the 2016 Sprint Cup Series season, including Johnson's No. Johnson appeared as a moonshine runner along with Ryan Newman in the opening scene of the 2004 NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience. [52] During the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Johnson finished seventh after starting 12th on the grid. From 2021 to 2022, Johnson competed in the IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing, and has competed occasionally in sports car racing throughout his career. Sweet, whose favorite driver throughout his life had been Johnson, said Im going to remember it for the rest of my life. [178] He finished second for a third time in his career. From there, Chad Knaus and the Hendrick Motorsports No. After graduating from Granite Hills High School he competed in off-road series. On the last lap, with Johnson in front, he and Earnhardt Jr. were in fifth and sixth off of turn 4, behind two other pairs of cars their Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, and the Richard Childress drafting pair of Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. At the Coca-Cola 600, he qualified second, losing the pole position to Kurt Busch by 0.009 seconds. Maury and I connected, this opportunity came to light and its the perfect fit for me. [10][18] However, despite the strong season, Ryan Newman won rookie of the year honors over Johnson, partially due to Newman having 22 Top 10's compared to Johnson's 21. He recorded four pole positions and three wins (tying the rookie record set by Tony Stewart in 1999),[20] as well as six Top 5's and 21 Top 10 finishes. Next week in Las Vegas, he finished first in the final practice. [175] He returned to the Rolex 24, in 2011 where his team finished 15th. After retiring from full-time NASCAR competition, Johnson spent the past two season racing in IndyCar, including a full-time season last year that included his Indy 500 debut. This hi-lo title is complete with vibrant photographs, simple text, glossary, and an index. With the retirement of his teammate and mentor, Jeff Gordon, Johnson assumed the active wins record with 75. He won three races (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and both New Hampshire races), two poles (at Kansas Speedway and Pocono Raceway),[18] 14 Top 10's, and 20 Top 10 finishes, including a second-place finish at Rockingham after leading 78 laps. He followed this with a sixth-place finish at Las Vegas. So Im very excited about this.. At Dover, Johnson led 90 laps but once again received a pit road penalty with 105 laps to go, costing him a win. [18][37], In December 2007, Johnson commenced a program of exercise sessions and a run schedule supervised by John Sitaras, in order to balance his strength. Johnson's No. The deal left open the possibility of running select NASCAR Cup Series events in conjunction, as Ganassi fielded two cars in NASCAR and could've added a part-time car for Johnson, staying under the four-car maximum for Cup teams. This snapped a 663-race streak in which Johnson started a Cup event. [64] Afterward, he recorded a third-place finish in the STP 400 at Kansas on April 22, 2012, and a sixth-place finish in the Capital City 400 at Richmond one week later. you had to really paint the line between 3 and 4.. At Martinsville, Denny Hamlin aggressively made contact with Johnson on lap 198 and had a tire rub to cause a caution but was able to stay on the lead lap. Evan Malbone Johnson (1791-1865), American priest and religious writer. I looked at my dash, because I had water temp flash hot I looked down and then back up to go in the corner, and as soon as I turned in, it was really sideways. Early in their respective racing careers, Jimmy Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were celebrating after a race, and things got a bit out of hand. [79] Afterward, he placed fourth in the first Budweiser Duel, resulting in a ninth-place starting position in the 2013 Daytona 500. In 1985, however, Waltrip won his third championship with Johnson's squad, while . John Hunter Nemechek won the first stage, leading 24 of the 45 laps. [222] His 2011 car was later added to the game in the Spec II update of the game, with his 2013 car also being featured in the 2013 sequel Gran Turismo 6. [14] At Watkins Glen International, he had a spectacular accident on lap 46 when his brakes failed entering the first turn. [94] One week later, Johnson finished fourth in the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway despite suffering minor damage during a 13-car accident that occurred within 50 laps of the finish.[95]. He closed out the season with six wins, three poles, 16 Top 5's, and 24 Top 10's, with an average finish of 9.8 and an average start of 10.7. Johnson finished 11th in the rain-shortened race at Texas, and 38th at Phoenix after being penalized a lap for passing the pace car coming down to pit road and involved in a wreck on a restart. Johnson made an appearance as himself in the 2005 film Herbie: Fully Loaded, commenting on Herbie's sunroof as unusual for a stock car to have, and his car is also briefly seen from Herbie's POV. The 2019 season started on a positive note for Johnson, as he won the 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash after contact between him and Paul Menard sent Menard spinning while battling for the lead and triggering "The Big One" on lap 55 right before the rain arrived. 84. Johnson's streak of misfortune continued through the next several months, crashing out at Dover, Pocono, Daytona, Kentucky and at Watkins Glen, where he finished last for the first time in his career. 48 team. Jimmie Johnson is making a return to the Cup Series. He plans to compete in the inaugural race at the new Chicago Street Course on Sunday, July 2. At Loudon, Johnson finished sixth after blowing a tire in the third position. However, on a restart on lap 246, Johnson was slow to get up to speed and was subsequently touched and spun by Joey Logano, costing Johnson a shot at the win and giving the race to Matt Kenseth. Those spin-outs left him with a 40th-place finish. [41][42], After the 2008 season, Johnson became the second driver to win three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships, the first being Cale Yarborough. He only won two races during the season. NASCAR Superstar Jimmie Johnson's Workout Secrets", "Johnson graces 'SUCCESS Magazine' cover", "First Watch: The Avett Brothers, 'Ain't No Man', "NASCAR 06: Total Team Control Cover Athletes Announced", "Forza Motorsport 6 NASCAR Expansion released on Xbox One", "Gamers, start your engines: Ally Racing creates nostalgic video game for NASCAR fans", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jimmie_Johnson&oldid=1141863427, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:19. The following week at Talladega, Johnson spearheaded a pre-race ceremony in support of Bubba Wallace after it was falsely reported a noose was in his garage; before the race, Johnson texted his peers that he intended to stand with Wallace during the national anthem, with the drivers also pushing his car to the front of pit road. [87] Afterward, he went on to win at Dover the following week, making it the 13th time he had back-to-back wins.[88]. [55] Johnson finished fourth in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500,[49] after bumping Kurt Busch on the final lap. [139], Prior to the Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona road course, the No. Smith had dominated most of the race prior to the closing laps, leading 118 laps. Johnson was able to earn $18 million between June 2018 and June 2019, making him the highest-paid NASCAR driver in the world. Junior Johnson, a stock-car racing giant whose career spanned the sport's history from its moonshining roots to its modern era as a fierce, hard-nosed driver and an innovative mechanic and team. Jimmy Johnson's Net worth. Johnson has long been attempting to narrow down the list of races in which he wants to compete throughout the year. No one in the modern era of NASCAR has won more than Jimmie. He then finished 4th at Kansas and 23rd at Talladega. He stays in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA together with his family. Afterward, he was able to win the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. This is a life-changing opportunity for me, and one I had to take, Johnson, 47, said. Seeing Jimmie in a firesuit with his name on the roof of a Chevrolet at the DAYTONA 500 is going to be very special for a lot of people. To have Jimmie another seven-time champion as a part of the team, and his abilities both on track and off will be special for Petty GMS. [3] By 1997, Johnson had progressed to SODA's Class 8; Class 8 is short-course off-road racing's class of two-wheel-drive Trophy Trucks which generate about 800 horsepower. Fans expecting to see him in the No . [8], In SCORE, he won races and had a few memorable finishes, like that in the 1995 Baja 1000, after leading over 900 miles, he fell asleep behind the wheel and woke up to find himself going off course. However, he didn't keep up with the momentum. Those 10 wins included sweeping both races at Richmond, Atlanta, and Martinsville. [223] Johnson, along with Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch, provide commentary in the expansion as the "voices of motorsport". Johnson began the 2012 season with a 14th-place finish in the Budweiser Shootout after crashing on lap 74. In 2007, Johnson opened Jimmie Johnson's Victory Lanes in Randleman, North Carolina, which is a four-lane bowling alley for campers at Pattie and Kyle Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp. Jimmie Johnson. [6] Johnson returned to Lake Geneva in July, winning the Saturday race and finished second on the following day. [59] On May 6, 2012, Johnson started 19th in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, but finished 35th after suffering a broken oil pump belt on lap 62. He charged through the field and finished seventh (1st car a lap down) and moved to the "Round of 12" of the Chase. [225], Johnson was also featured in Ally Racer, a mobile game created to honor his final season by Ally Financial. At the end of the season, Johnson finished second in the point standings. Petty GMS announced Friday that seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has entered into an ownership agreement with the team, becoming part-owner of the organization alongside. Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. [115] The animosity between them lasted until Michigan a week later. Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) November 4, 2022. The next week at Texas, Johnson was again one of the fastest cars, putting up a Top 10 lap before getting loose and hitting the wall in stage 2. During 2009 and 2010, the foundation awarded $1.5million for the Education Champions Grants program. The following week, he won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta.[90]. The second victory of the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup, at the Subway 500 at Martinsville on October 24, 2004, was marred by tragedy. Johnson made his Indianapolis 500 debut later in the year. Johnson led two laps and, despite a late race crash, was elected Rookie of the Year for the race. During the races, his team finished 9th and 19th. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for diecast 1:24 nascar Junior Johnson at the best online prices at eBay! Over the last few laps, Johnson was racing alongside Brad Keselowski for the lead until a caution came out for debris. Johnson scored four more Top 10 finishes in the playoffs and wound up finishing a career-worst 18th place in the final standings, going winless for the second straight season. He donated $17,000 to build a new playground", "Sheryl Sandberg and Anna Maria Chvez on 'Bossy,' the Other B-word", "Beyonce, Jennifer Garner, Jane Lynch join 'Ban Bossy" campaign. Team ownership makes so much sense at this stage of my career and after spending time with Maury and his family, talking with Mike (Beam), Dave (Elenz, crew chief of the No. Johnson inadvertently stirred up the lighthearted tempest when he posted a photo of his pleated new uniform last Friday, drawing playful derisive comments from Chase Elliott, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch (all of whom prefer NASCAR's baggier style). NEWS: Jimmie Johnson is finalizing a deal to obtain an ownership stake within the Petty GMS organization starting in 2023, sources close to Johnson and Petty GMS have told @TheAthletic. FOX NASCAR Insider. The opportunity was made available when he connected with Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon during the 2000 Busch season; with Herzog facing shutdown due to sponsorship issues, Johnson approached Gordon and was informed of the team's intention to field a fourth car for him. [111] On March 29 in O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 qualifying at Texas, Johnson got his first pole since 2016 at Texas and scored his first Top 5 finish since the 2018 Coca-Cola 600 two days later. A few weeks later, Johnson recorded his first win at Michigan, after several years of being deprived of a shot at victory as the result of running out of gas or blowing an engine. Lose on the track, and you go home. Jimmie Johnson will have one more season in NASCAR. Other drivers and teammates have also lauded Johnson for his leadership and helpfulness, including younger drivers Corey LaJoie (for whom Johnson advocated to get a seat in a Cup car),[199] Chase Elliott, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney[200] as well as veterans including Brad Keselowski,[201] Kevin Harvick,[202] Jeff Gordon,[203] and more. He also won Tony Stewart's charity race, the Prelude to the Dream, his first victory on a dirt oval. [107] Johnson finished 10th in the final standings, his 15th and final Top 10 finish in the points standings. 48. Logano, who ran 186.053 miles per hour, edged William Byron (185.153) for the first starting spot. In winning, he established a Cup record of 23 wins on 1.5-mile tracks, taking what was both his 200th Top 5 and his 300th Top 10 finish. When Johnson made the decision to retire from full-time NASCAR after the 2020 season and switch to IndyCar in 2021, he knew he had to lower expectations. Johnson fell down the grid and was involved in a last-lap accident, prompting him to finish 20th. 48 Cadillac DPi-V.R for Action Express Racing alongside Simon Pagenaud, Kamui Kobayashi, and Mike Rockenfeller. [131] Johnson was cleared to return to racing on July 8, 2020, after testing negative twice, and he received a waiver that allowed him to remain playoff eligible should he qualify. 84 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Legacy Motor Club. Entering the doubleheader at Johnson's strongest track Dover, Johnson was 25 points behind his teammate. It's deep in his roots and it flows in his blood. My experience and energy will add value to a team with young drivers like Erik and Noah I feel like I can be a good resource both on and off the track.. The number 48 is retired from all sports teams uniforms at his school and Johnson was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. [28] Throughout the season, he became the only modern era driver to win at least three races in each of his first five seasons. In the following race, Johnson finished second. The runner-up finish was his fourth at Las Vegas, a track where he remains winless.