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NASCAR Cup Series: Will Jimmie Johnson’s win drought ever end?

By Asher Fair

DOVER, DE - JUNE 04: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway on June 4, 2017 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
DOVER, DE - JUNE 04: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway on June 4, 2017 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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Jimmie Johnson is set to enter the NASCAR Cup Series race at his best track, Dover International Speedway, on a career-long win drought. Will this win drought ever come to an end?

Dover International Speedway is a track at which seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has dominated over the course of his career. In fact, his 11 victories at the track make him the winningest driver in the history of the track by far.

In fact, Johnson’s most recent Cup Series victory, which was the 83rd victory of his career and moved him into a tie with Cale Yarborough for sixth place in the all-time Cup Series wins list, also came at Dover International Speedway.

However, the 43-year-old El Cajon, California native’s most recent victory came nearly two full years ago.

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This weekend’s trip to four-turn, 1.0-mile (1.609-kilometer) high-banked Dover International Speedway oval is set to feature the fourth Cup Series race at the track since Johnson last won there in June of 2017. Since then, he has been on a career-long 69-race win drought.

A total of 17 different drivers have won at least one of the 69 races that have been contested since Johnson last found victory lane.

Prior to this win drought starting in what was Johnson’s 16th season as a full-time driver, the longest win drought that he had ever endured over the course of his career was a 24-race win drought, which he endured during the 2016 season.

Will his active win drought ever end?

To put things in perspective, Johnson bounced back from his 24-race win drought in the 2016 season by winning the championship, which was the record-tying seventh title of his Cup Series career.

Meanwhile, he finished in 10th place in the 2017 championship standings and a career-low 14th in the 2018 standings. He set several other career-lows in major statistical categories in both of these two seasons, and so far this season, his top finish is only a fifth place finish in the race at Texas Motor Speedway. He currently sits in 16th in the standings.

In June of 2017, Johnson signed a three-year contract extension to continue driving the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet through the 2020 season, so unless he makes an unexpected retirement announcement, which some fans have speculated that he might, he should have several opportunities to get back into victory lane.

It is hard to envision what is already his career-long win drought by almost three times the size of the second longest win drought of his career nearly doubling yet again, as there are still 62 races remaining on the schedule before the 2020 season ends.

But given his recent struggles, it is hard to pinpoint when, exactly, his best chance to win may come and how great that chance may actually be.

Dover International Speedway is certainly a great place to start, though.

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When, if at all, will Jimmie Johnson’s career-long win drought end? Will he add any more victories to his Hall of Fame-caliber resume before he retires from NASCAR Cup Series competition?

Johnson qualified in 12th place for this afternoon’s race at Dover International Speedway, the Gander RV 400. This race is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET, so be sure not to miss it.

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