Jimmie Johnson
Position:
Driver
Personal Information
Height: 5' 11'' Weight: 165 lbs
Date of birth:
9/17/1975
Hometown: El Cajon, CA
Current residence: Charlotte,
NC
Spouse: Chandra
Biography
Jimmie Johnson is rapidly writing his name all over the NASCAR
record books. And with just six seasons and more than 220 races
under his belt, the El Cajon, Calif. native is just getting started.
Last year he joined eight other drivers as winners of
consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles. This year he hopes to join
Cale Yarborough as the sport's only winners of three consecutive
championships.
But it doesn't stop there.
Going in
to the 2008 season, Johnson owns 33 careers victories tying him with
"Fireball" Roberts for 18th place on the all-time win list. He's won
a quarter of the "Chase" races since its inception in 2004 and the
32-year-old is the only driver to win at least three races in his
first six seasons.
His impact isn't limited to the race
track.
Johnson and wife, Chandra, promote the Jimmie Johnson
Foundation with a variety of public fundraising activities. In March
of 2007, the couple opened Jimmie Johnson's Victory Lanes for
campers at Kyle and Pattie Petty's Victory Junction Camp in
Randleman, N.C.
In addition to donations to organizations
such as the Red Cross and time spent honoring requests from the
Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Johnson's hosted the Jimmie Johnson
Foundation Inaugural Golf Tournament in his hometown of San Diego
which raised more than half a million dollars for the local chapter
of Habitat for Humanity in August 2007.
In just six years in
Sprint Cup racing, he's joined the names of NASCAR's elite like
Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, Yarborough and others. But, Johnson wasn't
an overnight sensation. Years of hard work, dedication and help from
a variety of people have been key ingredients in his championship
rise.
The 32-year-old Californian clinched his first
championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway finishing the 2006 "NASCAR
Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship" 56 points ahead of
second-place finisher Matt Kenseth and followed it up in dramatic
fashion in 2007 with a 77-point win over teammate Jeff
Gordon.
With the support of his family, Johnson's racing
career started on 50cc motorcycles at the age of five. His father,
Gary, worked for a tire company and his mother, Cathy, drove a
school bus. With Jimmie and younger brothers Jarit and Jessie in
tow, the family spent most of their weekends camping and doing what
they loved - racing. During these weekends, it wasn't unusual to see
Gary preparing the tracks for the kids to race and Cathy running the
concession stand.
Johnson was successful on motorcycles at an
early age. By the time he was eight, he won the 60cc class
championship despite blowing out his knee with several races
remaining in the season.
From motorcycles, Johnson graduated
to the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group (MTEG) Stadium Racing
Series where he won more awards. A 1993 meeting arranged by his
mentor, supercross champion Rick Johnson (no relation), proved
fortuitous for the eager driver.
While racing at the Los
Angeles Coliseum, Rick Johnson introduced his young protégé to the
Executive Director of GM Racing, Herb Fishel. The protégé lived up
to his billing, impressing Fishel with his driving ability and
business acumen.
Fishel kept his eye on Johnson that year. He
later walked into an off-road racing team meeting and threw a
picture of Johnson on the table informing the team that Johnson was
the man they needed to drive their car.
Johnson seized the
opportunity, spending the next few years driving buggies and trucks
in off-road stadium and desert races. Johnson also improved his
ability to connect with fans and potential sponsors by reporting for
ESPN in the Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association Series
(SODA).
In 1995, the work paid off in another way as Johnson
met his future car owners Stan and Randy Herzog while working in the
series. The following year Johnson began driving the brothers'
off-road truck. After two years, Johnson was ready for the next
opportunity and crafted a proposal, taking it to his friend, Fishel.
Fishel gave the owners and their ambitious driver a shot and in 1998
Johnson climbed behind the wheel of an American Speed Association
car and got his first taste of pavement racing and never looked
back.
His victories in the ASA Series paved the way for his
move to NASCAR (initially in the Nationwide Series) where his
winning ways continue as the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.
Jimmie Johnson Career Highlights
Through the 2007 season, in 219 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, Johnson's
record includes: 33 wins, 13 poles, 86 top-five and 134 top-10
finishes.
2007
Captured a second consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship
Recorded 10 victories, four pole awards, 20 top-five, and 24
top-10 finishes
Victories included: two races at Richmond, Atlanta, and
Martinsville plus Las Vegas, California, Texas and Phoenix
Only driver to win at least three races in each of his first six
full-time seasons
Won 11 of the 40 "Chase" races since its inception in 2004
Averaged 5.0 finish in the 2007 "Chase" – the best "Chase" ever
Moved career victory total to 33 – tied for18th most all time
(Fireball Roberts)
Competed in only 219 races
Voted Driver of the Year for second consecutive year
2006
Captured the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship
Recorded five victories, one pole, 13 top-five and 24 top-10
finishes
Victories included NASCAR's two most prestigious races - Daytona
500 and Brickyard 400 (only the second driver ever to win both in a
single season); as well as Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega
Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway and the Sprint All-Star
Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Only four other driver in NASCAR's history have won the Daytona
500 and the championship in the same season; Jeff Gordon, Cale
Yarborough, Richard Petty (3x) and Lee Petty
Tied for the best start in NASCAR history with two wins and a
second-place finish in the first three races
Earned 20th victory in his 150th race- only Jeff Gordon got his
20th victory in fewer races (125)
Lead the point standings for 25 of 36 weeks
Concluded season ranked sixth in NASCAR history for number of
consecutive weeks (105) in the top 10 in the NASCAR point standings
(streak began at Atlanta in March 2004)
Only driver (in the modern era) to win at least 3 races in each
of his first five full-time seasons.
Voted Driver of the Year
2005
Finished fifth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Lead the point standings for 17 weeks during the season
Visited victory lane four times; Las Vegas Motor Speedway,
Lowe's Motor Speedway (2x), Dover Downs
Amassed one pole, 13 top-five and 22 top-ten finishes
Swept both events at a track (Lowe's Motor Speedway) for the
fourth consecutive year
Only driver ranked in the top 10 in point standings after every
race during the season (streak began at Atlanta in March 2004)
2004
Capped off season with a second-place finish in the inaugural
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Visited victory lane 8 times, the most of any driver
Notched 20 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes and led 24 races for
a total of 1,312 (the most of any driver for the 2004 season)
For the third consecutive year swept both events at a track
(twice in the season-Pocono and Darlington)
2003
Finished the season second in the Sprint Cup points standings
with three wins (Lowe's Motor Speedway and twice at New Hampshire
International Raceway), 14 top-fives, 20 top-10s and two poles
(Pocono and Kansas)
Won All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Finished the season 9th on the all-time list for consecutive
weeks (69) ranked in the top-10 in points.
2002
Notched three victories in rookie campaign - twice at Dover
Downs and once at California Speedway; the first rookie in series
history to sweep both races at a track
Along with the three wins, compiled six top-five and 21 top-10
finishes
Fastest qualifier four times - Daytona 500, Talladega
Superspeedway(spring), Lowe's Motor Speedway (spring), and Richmond
International Raceway(fall)
First rookie in the history to lead in the point standings
2001
Made first NASCAR Sprint Cup appearance - qualified 15th and
finished 39th on Oct. 7 at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Qualified 30th and finished 25th on Nov. 11 at Homestead Miami
Speedway
Posted his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series win at the
inaugural race at Chicagoland Speedway, finished eighth in final
point standings
2000
Finished 10th in the Nationwide Series point standings and third
in the battle for Rookie of the Year
Best finish of sixth (three times) at South Boston Speedway
(6/10), Michigan International Speedway (8/15), and Homestead-Miami
Speedway (11/11)
Recorded best Nationwide Series start (fourth) at Darlington
Raceway (9/2)
1999
Started five Nationwide Series races - The Milwaukee Mile, North
Carolina Speedway, Memphis Motorsports Park, Phoenix International
Raceway and Homestead Miami Speedway
Earned a seventh-place finish in the first Nationwide Series
start at The Milwaukee Mile (7/4)
Finished third in the American Speed Association's (ASA)
national championship point race
Captured ASA wins at Memphis Motorsports Park (6/12) and Orange
County Speedway (10/12)
1998
Started three Nationwide Series races - Indianapolis Raceway
Park, Gateway International Raceway, and Homestead Miami Speedway
Finished fourth in the ASA national championship point race
during his first full season
Named ASA Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie of the Year
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