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NASCAR: Love him or hate him, Jimmie Johnson is one of the all-time greats

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 03: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 03: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway) /
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Whether you love him or you hate him, there is no denying the fact that Jimmie Johnson is one of the greatest drivers in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series.

One thing that makes all of the world’s sports similar is the fact that the most popular athletes in each sports are the ones who are the most successful. However, that also translates to the fact that those athletes are the ones who are most envied and hated, as many people are jealous of their great amount of success. NASCAR is no exception to that, as seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, 42, is one of the sport’s most popular drivers, but he is also one of the sport’s most hated drivers.

But whether you love him or you hate him, one thing simply cannot be denied: Jimmie Johnson is one of the all-time greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Johnson is in his 16th season as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. He is the defending champion of the sport and he is tied for the all-time championship record as one of three seven-time champions of the sport. Only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt have won as many titles as Johnson has, and Johnson is in a good position to contend for his eighth title this season.

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All seven of Johnson’s championships have come in the last 11 years. He is by far the greatest driver of this generation, as no other active drivers have won more than one title. Given the fact that four of his championships have come due to the fact that some sort of playoff system was used, the fact that he is a seven-time champion shows just how clutch since he clearly knows not only how to win but how to win when it matters the most.

While being tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for seven career Cup Series championships is amazing, Johnson is also tied for the most championships among the world’s top three racing series: NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One. IndyCar’s leading championship winner is AJ Foyt, who won seven championships, and Formula One’s top dog is Michael Schumacher, who also won seven championships. Johnson is not only one of NASCAR’s all-time best; he is one of the all-time greatest drivers in the history of auto racing.

With 83 career Cup Series victories, Johnson is also by far the leader among active Cup Series drivers. The driver with the next closest total to Johnson’s is Kyle Busch, who has 43 career Cup Series wins to his name.

Johnson’s 83 career victories put him in a 6th place tie on the all-time wins list, and he is just one win away from a three-way tie for 4th place on the all-time list. He could very well end up as high as 2nd (currently held by David Pearson with 105 career victories) on the all-time wins list before his Cup Series career comes to an end.

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We know that Jimmie Johnson is one of the greatest NASCAR Cup Series drivers of all-time; there is no denying that fact. But where does he and will he rank in relation to other all-time greats such as Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon? Only time will tell.

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