[autotag]Jimmie Johnson[/autotag] is one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, and he was honored as such when he officially joined the Hall of Fame ahead of the 2024 season. It was a great scene as Johnson officially gave his speech and accepted a new place in NASCAR history. However, it didn’t come without a very interesting and unknown detail about his full-time racing days.
While walking around the NASCAR Hall of Fame exhibit, Johnson took his wife and daughters to his championship-winning car from 2016. It was a great moment for Johnson and his family; however, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion shared a fascinating story about why the No. 48 team had to start at the rear that day.
“There’s a story about us getting in trouble and starting at the back of the field,” Johnson said. “This blue, we intentionally left it long. And then these window decals, that’s how you would clean the windshield on a pit stop. And so this was intentionally left long by like, a quarter of an inch. And when you pulled this off, the first one off, it let the vinyl peel and flip back. And it looked like the sticker was going to come off.”
Took a walk down memory lane at my NASCAR Hall of Fame exhibit. What a special memory to be able to share with my girls. pic.twitter.com/lSrccNhmSz
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) February 2, 2024
“But that sticker created a trip lip that would make the air attach and come back down on the car and put more downforce on the spoiler. It was against the rules, and they saw it and sent us to the back of the field.”
It is fascinating to see how race teams tried to skirt the rule book and fight for every advantage possible. Johnson and the No. 48 team were caught, but it didn’t matter. Johnson would go on to lead one lap and win the 2016 Cup Series championship, despite starting last. Now, the seven-time champion is a part of the Hall of Fame, which can never be taken away.
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