NASCAR: Five Reasons Johnson Will Not Win Eight Titles

The Retirement of Jeff Gordon

The relationship between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson went far beyond teammates. Jeff was a mentor, a teammate, a friend, a brother, and so much more to Jimmie Johnson. In fact, it was Jeff Gordon who suggested to Rick Hendrick to put Johnson behind the wheel of a Cup car, despite only minimal experience in the then-Busch Series and just one victory. Jeff saw something in JJ that has proven to be more than anyone could have imagined when Jimmie first sat behind the wheel of that No. 48 Chevrolet some 15 years ago.

With Jeff Gordon retiring in 2015, Jimmie Johnson will have a new role at Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie now becomes the mentor and the senior driver at HMS. This role will be important for the new driver behind the wheel of the No. 24, Chase Elliott. While Chase will surely cement a legacy of his own in his career, it is not likely going to come right away. He is going to need to take time getting used to the cars, his new crew chief, and his new team, and everyone at HMS will be vital in his development, no one more so than the six-time champion Johnson.

This new role will likely not be a distraction to Johnson, but it does make him the one eyed the most in the Hendrick stable, and quite possibly the most watched in the sport. Jimmie is now the man at HMS, and whether this will have a more positive effect on “Six-time” we will all have to wait and see.

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