There’s no doubt seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson would like to win a record-breaking eighth championship in his final season racing full-time.
The 44-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver announced in November that he will retire at the end of the 2020 Cup Series season, and going out with another championship would not only be the perfect ending to an already historic career, but it also would break his tie with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, who have seven titles each.
And since Johnson won his seventh championship in 2016, his motto has been “Chasing 8” as he tries to get one more. However, that’s obviously easier said than done, and Johnson and his No. 48 Chevrolet team have struggled on the track in recent season.
So with less than three weeks until the 2020 season-opening Daytona 500, Johnson said he’s letting go of the “Chasing 8” mentality.
I’m not chasing anything. #OneFinalTime pic.twitter.com/MNZYk7YGgX
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) January 29, 2020
In a video he tweeted, Johnson explains:
“Having some time to reflect back on the announcement that we made, and I’ve been able to have some clarity and to really understand it on a deeper level. And one thing that I’ve come to grips with and I’m enjoying letting go of is I feel like I’ve been a bit out of character and a bit focused on a number, a statistic. And I’ve never in my life been that way. I’ve never raced that way.
“But the last couple years, after tying Richard and Dale, I feel like I’ve been chasing a statistic in “Chasing 8.” So as [I’m] a couple months removed, I’m in a spot now where I feel like I just need to let go of the chasing part, right?
“I’m out there one final time. This is my last full-time year. It’s my last full-time year with Mr. Hendrick, with my sponsors, with my team, out there with my family. This is just one final time, and it feels so good to be able to let go of that chasing part.”
This will be Johnson’s 19th full-time season in the Cup Series, and in addition to the seven championships, he also has 83 wins, which lands him in a tie for No. 6 on the all-time wins list.
But despite his many accolades and unquestionably being in the NASCAR GOAT debate, Johnson is in the middle of the worst stretch of his career with his most recent trip to Victory Lane being back in June of 2017. Then 2018 was his first full-time season without a win, and 2019 was the first time he missed the playoffs.
At this point, a win in his final season — and automatic playoff qualification — seems like a realistic goal, while a title is a definite stretch.
So maybe Johnson is letting go of his “Chasing 8” mentality so that if his team continues to struggle, it seems like less of a failure final season. Or perhaps, like so many athletes, he truly believes going after statistics isn’t the best approach for success.
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