NASCAR Cup Series: Is Jimmie Johnson’s career on the decline?

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson failed to qualify for this year’s Championship 4. Is his career on the decline?

The Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida is set to play host to the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4. However, seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will not be one of the four drivers battling to win this year’s title. Does this mean his career is on the decline?

This is the third time in the last four seasons that Johnson hasn’t made the Championship 4. He made it last season and won the race and his seventh career championship after starting in the back of the field. Because of this, he will not have a chance to win his eighth career Cup Series championship this year, meaning he will not be the champion for just the fifth time in the last 12 seasons.

Currently in his 16th career season as a full-time Cup Series driver, the 42-year-old who sits in 6th on the all-time wins list with 83 victories, which is one win away from a 4th place tie, can finish no higher than 8th in this year’s standings, and he is currently in 10th.

More from Jimmie Johnson

• NASCAR: Lowe’s leaving as sponsor following conclusion of 2018 season
• NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson/Danica Patrick comparison is completely inaccurate
• NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson now on career-long winless streak
• NASCAR Cup Series: Will 2018 season be Jimmie Johnson’s last?
• NASCAR: Regan Smith thinks 2018 season will be Jimmie Johnson’s last

No matter what happens, this season will give Johnson one of his top three worst results in the standings since his full-time career as a Cup Series driver began back in the 2002 season. His other two worst finishes came very recently in the 2014 and 2015 seasons as well.

Johnson’s total of three victories so far this season is his lowest total since he won just two races in the 2011 season, his first season not winning a championship since 2005 at the time. With zero poles this season, it is also the first time he hasn’t sat on pole for a single race in a season since the 2011 season.

The 2011 season is Johnson’s only career season as a full-time Cup Series driver during which he did not win at least three races, and that won’t change since he has already won three races this season. But the 2011 season is also his only career season as a full-time Cup Series driver during which he did not start a race from the pole position, which could change if he doesn’t sit on the pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday.

Johnson is currently on a 22-race win drought since he won at Dover in early June. That win drought is longer than the win droughts of 10 other active full-time drivers. He is currently on a 52-race pole drought since he took pole for the July New Hampshire race last season as well. That pole drought is longer than the pole droughts of 15 other active full-time drivers.

So is Johnson’s career on the decline? It is hard to say for sure even though the statistics would suggest that that is the case. After all, he finished in 11th and 10th in the standings in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, respectively, his worst two career finishes in the standings as a full-time driver, and then bounced back to win his seventh career title last season to tie Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the all-time record. This is NASCAR; anything can happen. And we are talking about a seven-time Cup Series champion.

Next: Top 10 active NASCAR drivers of all-time

Is Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Cup Series career on the decline, or will he bounce back and battle for and potentially win his eighth career championship next season to break the all-time record he currently shares with all-time greats Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt? Only time will tell for sure.