Jeff Gordon says that Hendrick Motorsport had no hesitation in clearing Kyle Larson to compete in next year’s Indianapolis 500, despite two of the team’s other NASCAR Cup Series stars having been sidelined this year with injuries sustained during …
Jeff Gordon says that Hendrick Motorsport had no hesitation in clearing Kyle Larson to compete in next year’s Indianapolis 500, despite two of the team’s other NASCAR Cup Series stars having been sidelined this year with injuries sustained during extracurricular activities.
Chase Elliott sat out six races while recovering from a broken leg sustained in a snowboarding accident, while Alex Bowman is continuing to work towards returning from a sprint car crash that left him with a fractured vertebra. Larson regularly races in sprint car events in between his Cup commitments; however, he’ll face a different level of risk when he suits up for Arrow McLaren at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next year. But according to Hendrick vice-chairman Gordon — himself no stranger to the Speedway as a five-time Brickyard 400 winner — the benefits of granting driver freedom outside of their Cup duties outweigh any potential downsides.
“Our approach is that we want to support these guys in things that they want to take on,” Gordon (pictured above, with Larson) said. “I mean, with Kyle, we’ve had this conversation a lot. He feels like that type of racing actually helps him get prepared and be sharp on Sunday in the Cup car. We’ve actually seen the results of that.
“They have to make good, smart decisions, be in good equipment, not take too much risk when they’re involved in that, whether it’s racing or other things.
“I can tell you I did a lot of extracurricular activities, even if it wasn’t in other race cars, throughout my entire career, and see the benefits of it. We’re going to support our guys to do the same. We’re going to encourage them to really weigh out the risk versus the reward and make sure they’re in the best equipment with the best team and the best opportunity to go out there and make the experience a good one. That’s the way we look at this.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1408]
Gordon’s own career path never led him onto the Indy 500 starting grid, and he admits that he’ll be living vicariously through Larson the flag drops next Memorial Day weekend.
“I did say to him he’s going to be able to live out a dream of mine,” said the four-time Cup Series champion. “I go back to the mid to late ’80s when I was living here in Indiana; raced all around here. Every race car driver’s dream, if you race around Indianapolis, is to get here, to compete at this facility.
“I watched guys like Rich Vogler, a few other competitors I raced with, come over here and do that. Certainly it was on my radar. But NASCAR came calling. Once that happened, I kind of shifted my focus to that. I don’t know if really the right opportunity (arose) or it ever became serious enough after that to become a reality. So to me, this is equally as exciting because, one, I sure as heck right now don’t want to drive into turn one at 238 miles, whatever they’re running, but Kyle does. Kyle is capable of it.
“Super-excited. Excited for Kyle. When he has the equipment and the resources, the people surrounding him, he has the ability to go do extraordinary things. We’ve seen him do it in other cars. I have no doubt that he’ll be able to do that in the Indy 500 next year, as well.”
Chase Elliott broke down some of Jeff Gordon’s ‘biggest strengths’ for helping the powerhouse NASCAR team.
It’s a safe bet that few people know Hendrick Motorsports like Jeff Gordon does.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer raced full-time for the Cup Series team from 1993 until he retired in 2015 — and even after, he still moonlighted for the team part time — winning four championships and 93 races. He also became an equity owner of the team in 1999.
Staring in 2022, Gordon officially will take on a much larger role with Hendrick Motorsports, stepping out of FOX Sports’ broadcast booth to become the organization’s vice chairman and making him the team’s No. 2 man behind Rick Hendrick.
This season, Hendrick Motorsports is on a tear with a series-high of nine wins in the first 19 races, and it’s now the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history.
“He has a good feel and a good mindset for all the things that it takes to make racing and make a race team work,” said Elliott. … “He has fought the battles on the driver’s side, on and off the race track, and he has a good understanding of the business aspect of it, the NASCAR aspect of it and just how all these puzzle pieces that come together to make it work.”
Above all else, however, is one thing. Gordon is already a big part of what keeps the Hendrick machine humming. And happy.
“I would say one of his biggest strengths is understanding all the different areas of how it works and how to make everybody as happy as they can (be),” Elliott said. “I feel like he has a really good understanding of how to do that.”
Gordon is in position to lead the organization some day, and his No. 2 position is far from surprising when you remember now-71-year-old Hendrick told Autoweek in 2018: “Whenever I finally step away, it’ll be Jeff Gordon in my place.”
“Being part of the competition is where I’m happiest,” Jeff Gordon said.
Jeff Gordon and FOX Sports’ NASCAR broadcast team just concluded the first half of the Cup Series season — NBC Sports took over last weekend for the remainder of the season — but Gordon won’t be back in the booth in 2022.
After six seasons in the broadcast booth with FOX, the four-time NASCAR champion and Hall of Famers is leaving TV to be the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, putting him second in line to team chairman and majority owner Rick Hendrick. The news was first reported by The Athletic before the team announced it Wednesday.
Gordon’s move is far from surprising, especially after Hendrick told Autoweek in 2018: “Whenever I finally step away, it’ll be Jeff Gordon in my place.”
Plus, there have been rumors lately about Gordon’s role at Hendrick expanding.
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) June 23, 2021
I'm excited for this new opportunity at @TeamHendrick!
This team means so much to me.
Rick and I have a shared vision, which is based on the values he’s instilled, the culture he’s built and our desire to be the very best in all categories, on and off the track. https://t.co/sSdw7lYO6U
Gordon has been an equity owner of Hendrick Motorsports since 1999 and won all four of his championships and 93 races while racing for the team. And now he’s taking on a larger role specifically related to competition and marketing.
More via the HMS release:
“I cannot put into words what Hendrick Motorsports means to me,” Gordon said. “In many ways, it’s my home and the people here are my family. I’ve never lost my passion for the organization, for our sport, and for the sheer challenge of racing and winning at the highest level. Being part of the competition is where I’m happiest and feel I can make the biggest contribution to the continued, long-term success of the team.”
Understandably, fans had a lot of mixed reactions to the news Wednesday, including jokes. Those loyal to Hendrick Motorsports seem pretty pumped to see what kind of additional influence Gordon could have on the team — which has been the team to beat so far this season.
While some are excited, they’re also pretty bummed Gordon won’t be part of FOX Sports’ broadcasts. And according to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Gordon’s replacement in the booth has yet to be determined, but fans had suggestions for that too.
Is Jeff Gordon the assistant regional manager or the assistant TO the regional manager, please advise. #NASCAR
Jeff Gordon has always been key to Hendrick’s recent success (signing Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott). This is good news for the long-term prospects of Hendrick https://t.co/fNAG2CLiX2
— robin 💜 carroll 🏒 (@robinhartcarrol) June 23, 2021
I’m one of the most die-hard Jeff Gordon fans on the planet but his TV persona wasn’t enough. I’m super glad to hear of his transition to the business side of Hendrick! He’s a competitor. #NASCAR#jeffgordon#nascaronfox
It was Dale Jr. vs. Jeff Gordon in a blind fan vote for the best paint scheme design, and Earnhardt won.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon faced off with dueling paint schemes as their designs competed for Alex Bowman’s ride at Nashville Superspeedway on June 20, and Earnhardt came out on top.
The two retired Hendrick Motorsports drivers each designed a paint scheme for Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet, and since May, fans have been voting on social media for the best look.
However, it was a blind vote rather than a popularity contest, so fans had no idea if they were voting for Earnhardt’s or Gordon’s paint scheme.
With the Neon Lights scheme versus Music Row scheme, Dale Jr.’s Neon Lights design came out on top. And that’s what Bowman’s car for the Ally 400 at Nashville will look like.
Neon Lights (top) and Music Row (Courtesy of Ally Racing)
Both designs are clearly fabulous, but without knowing who designed it, fans liked Earnhardt’s more.
About the Neon Lights scheme, Dale Jr. previously said the “tough part” of coming up with a design was building on the designs Jimmie Johnson raced with in the No. 48 car before retiring from NASCAR at the end of the 2020 season and jumping to the IndyCar Series.
Fans can vote for Dale Jr.’s or Jeff Gordon’s paint scheme to be on the No. 48 car at Nashville Superspeedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon retired from full-time NASCAR racing in 2017 and 2015, respectively. But the two former Hendrick Motorsports drivers are back to competing against each other, this time in an internet contest.
And current HMS driver Alex Bowman will be the real winner no matter what.
Earnhardt and Gordon each designed their own paint scheme specifically for the No. 48 Chevrolet, which Bowman now pilots, taking over this season after another Hendrick legend, Jimmie Johnson, retired from NASCAR at the end of the 2020 season.
Fans can vote on Twitter for their favorite of the dueling paint schemes — Neon Lights versus Music Row — and Bowman will race with the winning look in the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 20. (Ally Racing is also the primary sponsor for the No. 48 car.)
(Courtesy of Ally Racing)
However, this is a blind vote, so fans won’t know if they’re voting for Earnhardt’s or Gordon’s design until the winner is ultimately revealed.
But the options are fabulous regardless.
“The tough part right out of the gate is trying to improve on something that’s already really good, and the Ally paint scheme that Jimmie ran in the past has always been really good,” Dale Jr. said in a video about the contest.
“I had to get out of my comfort zone a little bit and be a little more brave and aggressive. … There’s always pressure, especially going up against Jeff. It will sting a little bit to lose to Jeff because we’re competitive and we were teammates and we raced each other hard.”
The former teammates are also part of rival NASCAR broadcasts with Gordon in the booth for FOX Sports for the first half of the season, while Dale Jr. is in the booth with NBC Sports for the second half. And as Earnhardt noted, the Nashville race is NBC’s first of 2021,
So while Dale Jr. said he’d love to talk all afternoon about Bowman running his winning paint scheme, Gordon, obviously, is hoping for the opposite.
“I had these thoughts in my mind of what I thought would be cool,” Gordon said about his design in the video. “So I just want that thing to look like it’s doing 200 miles per hour sitting there. …
“And Dale Jr., I know he likes to bring it. Nothing would be sweeter for me than to be sitting on my couch watching that broadcast and seeing Dale Jr. have to talk about the car that I designed!”
Here’s a look at Earnhardt’s and Gordon’s competing paint schemes, and fans can cast an unlimited number of votes using the two hashtags. The winning design is expected to be revealed about a week prior to the race at Nashville Superspeedway, which is a new addition to the Cup Series schedule this year.
We asked NASCAR drivers to tell us their favorite Jimmie Johnson stories from over the years, and they didn’t disappoint.
After more than 20 years in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson has made a lot of friends. And those friends were only too happy to share some of their best memories of the seven-time champion, who will retire from full-time racing after Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. After that, he’s off to compete in the IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Throughout the 2020 season, For The Win has been talking to drivers, active and retired, and asking them to tell their favorite Jimmie Johnson stories ahead of the seven-time champ’s NASCAR retirement. They opened up about memorable days and quintessential moments that quickly come to mind when they think of him and their friendships.
From Tony Stewart to Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Alex Bowman — Johnson’s teammate who will replace him in the No. 48 Chevrolet in 2021 — 15 drivers shared funny, ridiculous and touching stories from Johnson’s two decades in NASCAR.
Seven Cup Series races have been postponed through May 3 — at least for now — so NASCAR team up with virtual iRacing platform to form the exhibition eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. Last Sunday, Denny Hamlin won the series’ first race after duking it out with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the end at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, where NASCAR would have been racing in real life that day.
The iRacing event was even broadcast on FS1 with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon and broadcaster Mike Joy calling it like a normal race. What wasn’t totally normal was Clint Bowyer offering commentary from behind the virtual wheel mid-race.
“This thing came together so fast, and things are being thrown at us and changing,” Gordon said Friday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “And it’s not our normal way of doing things, and we had fun with it. Mike Joy did a great job leading that, and, of course we had Clint Bowyer — you can never go wrong with Clint Bowyer — and Regan Smith and Michael Waltrip.”
This is a captured screenshot of Denny Hamlin’s and Dale Jr.’s virtual cars from NASCAR’s iRacing event at the simulated Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
He also spoke about what fans can expect for the second event in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, which is Sunday at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway, where NASCAR would have been real-life racing this weekend. It’s at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX and FS1.
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) March 27, 2020
To prepare for the virtual race’s broadcast, Gordon said he ran some laps at Texas, just like he did for Homestead, and said the details of the iRacing simulation are “incredibly close” to what it actually feels like driving at these tracks.
He continued on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:
“The production actually comes from iRacing. They have their own studios up in Boston, and then that’s fed down through the FOX studios in Charlotte. And so we’re using their producers, our producers, we were trying to tap into the webcams and be able to have some audio talking to the drivers.
“We had audio issues with how that was being distributed to us. I think we have that sorted out this week. So you should see more of these guys in action, meaning in action from home, showing their face, how focused they are. We might even try to interrupt them and have some fun with that.
“But I think that it’s, in many ways, similar, except for you’re not looking out there for the track. You might be covering a race and you might be looking at a monitor … but a lot of times, you have the luxury of looking out there at the entire race track and picking up some other things, where this is completely looking at that monitor. And you’re having to just talk about the pictures that you see, and sometimes we know what’s going to come next, but we don’t always know what’s gonna come next.
“And I think we’ve got some things that we learned from in-car shots of how we can recognize who’s in-car it is when we go to it. But I think overall, it was very smooth. It went really well, we had a lot of fun, we had a great race and learned some things.”
For The Win took a wild ride with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds ahead of NASCAR’s Daytona 500.
This is the Daytona 500 from the Sky: A multi-part series from For The Win looking at NASCAR’s biggest race of the year from an aerial perspective.
NASCAR drivers and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds actually have a lot in common. They both pilot specialized machines running at high speeds at events around the country with seasons that last for the majority of the year. The biggest difference is, obviously, is the altitude — or lack thereof.
For the 10th straight year and 11th overall, the Thunderbirds will perform a flyover before the Daytona 500 (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX). The event kicks off both the NASCAR season and that of the Thunderbirds, who have 36 flyovers and airshows between now and November, showing off the capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon jet. (NASCAR also has 36 races in that same time period.)
Before the Daytona 500, we took a ride with the Thunderbirds, specifically with Maj. Jason Markzon, who’s No. 8 of 12 officers on the team. Nos. 1 through 6 perform during airshows and flyovers, but Nos. 7 and 8 are also pilots.
So from this wild and unique experience, here are eight things we learned about the Thunderbirds.
Taking off (and going straight up) for our flight. The airport is right next to Daytona International Speedway.
1. The F-16’s max speed is about 1,500 miles per hour
But they said that’s mostly a training and combat speed. During our flight, we stayed in the 500-600 miles per hour range, which is also what they’re typically at for flyovers and airshow demonstrations.
2. The F-16s can pull 9 gs
That’s an unfathomable amount of gravitational forces. To compare, when you take off on a commercial airline, you’re looking at two or three gs, the Thunderbirds explained.
Retired NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon took a ride with the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, back in the late 1990s. The experience is only slightly different from riding with the Thunderbirds, and he called the flight “unbelievable” and something he’ll never forget.
“As a race car driver, I’m used to going high speeds, pulling heavy gs,” Gordon recently told For The Win. “But nothing compares to what it’s like to be in that cockpit and going along for this ride. …
“Pulling the kinds of gs they pull, which is mind boggling what that airplane is capable of, I definitely did not get through the experience without getting really queasy and getting sick.”
Same, JG. Same.
(Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
3. It’s OK to get sick
It’s obviously not ideal, but the Thunderbirds are ready for that. Flying with the Thunderbirds for the first time, there’s no way your stomach is prepared for the g-forces or, you know, flying upside down. But they’ve got you covered with airsickness bags that they open ahead of time and put in an easy-to-reach place.
“It was the coolest experience of my life,” Joey Logano told FTW about his Thunderbirds ride in 2009. “The g forces are so strong it almost hurts. …
“I got sick and blacked out a little, but it was so cool and not like anything, any roller coaster, not like anything you’ve ever been on.”
He walked me through everything we were going to do during the flight, which included flying around Cape Canaveral and checking out NASA and SpaceX.
Markzon’s call sign is “Flack,” he’s logged more than 2,000 flight hours and more than 1,000 in an F-16 and he geeked out hard as we flew around NASA — but to be fair, it’s pretty cool.
That’s NASA over my left shoulder.
5. Becoming a Thunderbird is a highly selective process
Officers 1-12 are hand-selected, and they must have at least 750 flight hours and be at least a captain.
6. The Daytona 500 is the only sporting event on the 2020 schedule
(Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Although the Thunderbirds did a flyover during the national anthem at the 2019 Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their only sporting event this year is NASCAR’s biggest race.
7. Maj. Michelle Curran (Thunderbird No. 5) is the fifth female Thunderbird pilot
She performs during flyovers and is the lead solo pilot during airshow demonstrations. She will participate in the Daytona flyover Sunday.
8. During flyovers, the jets are inches away from each other
It’s hard to tell because the Thunderbirds are so fast, and the flyovers last only a few seconds. But when they’re in that delta formation (a V), they said they’re only about 18 inches apart.
What some of Jimmie Johnson’s recently retired peers would tell him ahead of his last season in NASCAR.
Everything Jimmie Johnson does in the next nine months he’ll do for the last time as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. Going into this season with such a clear resolution and plan for his future hands him another advantage over so many other recent NASCAR drivers.
When you’re a seven-time champion with 83 wins (tied for No. 6 all time) and undeniably in the NASCAR GOAT debate, you get to choose your exit. Johnson announced in November, shortly after the end of the 2019 season, that he plans to retire from full-time racing at the end of the 2020 season when his contract is up with Hendrick Motorsports, the only Cup team he’s ever raced for.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to leave the sport on their own terms. Some drivers are forced out because of injuries, sponsorship issues or being unable to find a ride they want, and those drivers don’t always have the benefit of knowing when it’s their last Daytona 500 or their last race at this track or that one.
And it can be devastating to realize it’s time to call it quits or to attempt to “understand why somebody doesn’t want you” after a life dedicated to the sport, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. He was almost forced to leave the sport early for health reasons after a concussion sidelined him for the second half of the 2016 season but was able to return and run one last full-time season before retiring in 2017.
“If you got forced out for any reason, not knowing you just ran your last race, hell, I can’t imagine how difficult that must be,” said Earnhardt, a close friend and former teammate of Johnson’s who is still “bothered now” by how much he misses racing.
Johnson and his then- crew chief, Chad Knaus, after winning their seventh championship in 2016. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
Johnson, though, knows for sure this is it and can plan accordingly. At 44 years old, Johnson is the oldest full-time driver in the Cup Series and going into his 19th full-time season. His 20-something teammates jokingly call him grandpa.
For most of last season, the No. 48 Chevrolet driver was adamant that he wasn’t done racing, as questions about his age and future swirled. But something hit him in October, and he said “it felt good to think” about retiring. He described it as a “profound moment,” comparing it to when he realized he wanted to propose to his wife, Chandra.
“It was just that strong in my stomach,” Johnson said at his retirement press conference in November. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is what I want to do.’ … I feel so fortunate that it showed up to me in that way.”
So he gets one last go-around for a 36-race schedule (plus two exhibition events). Johnson has said several times that he’s not done racing, but he’s saying goodbye to NASCAR’s brutally demanding schedule and going out his own way.
But even when you get to make the call yourself, it’s still bittersweet.
“Retiring and ending your career is not a celebratory experience,” said Earnhardt, who’s now an NBC Sports analyst. “The decision to retire is a sad one because racing’s all you ever did and all you ever wanted to do, and it’s a strange thing to make the decision to walk away from it. Being able to do it on your own terms is more about walking away with as much dignity as you can have but also controlling that narrative of the sadness and the disappointment.”
***
Whether drivers were forced out of NASCAR, chose their retirement date or even made unexpected returns, the sentiment among several recently retired drivers is largely the same.
If Johnson consulted them looking for advice about retirement and his final season — and he did with friends like Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, another former teammate who’s a part owner of the No. 48 car — they’d tell him to make a conscious effort to enjoy the little details of his farewell tour.
Earnhardt, Kasey Kahne, Gordon and Johnson in 2014. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)
Michael Waltrip, whose last Cup race was the 2017 Daytona 500, said he would tell Johnson just what he’d go back and tell himself with the advantage of hindsight: Try to slow down and enjoy the final, sure-to-be-whirlwind year.
“For me — and I’ve learned this over the last few years — I’d just like to stop and take a moment to look around, to shake someone’s hand or make someone smile,” said Waltrip, who’s now part of FOX Sports’ broadcast team. “Just appreciate what you have and how special it’s been and never take it for granted. Take a minute to smile or soak it all in. You’ll remember that forever.”
For his part, Johnson appears to be trying to do that. He’s letting go of the “Chasing 8” mantra he’s had since he won No. 7 in 2016 in favor of something more reflective and appreciative: “One Final Time.” In a Twitter video describing his change in mentality, he described racing for a statistic as “a bit out of character.”
“It’s my last full-time year with Mr. Hendrick, with my sponsors, with my team, out there with my family,” he said. “This is just one final time, and it feels so good to be able to let go of that chasing part.”
Gordon, Patrick and Jeff Burton explained that appreciating the little moments comes naturally when you’re younger and still new to NASCAR’s premier level. Early in their careers, they said they were still giddy and excited and even a little starstruck.
But the grind of constant competition on the track, for the spotlight and with sponsors — plus the grueling schedule and dragging a family around the country for nine months every year — slowly chips away at that.
“People ask me all the time, ‘Was racing fun?’” Burton said. “Hell no, it wasn’t fun. It’s work. I loved it, and you can love something and have it not be fun.
“From the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep, you’re competing for something if you’re going to do this and do it well. And it takes the fun out of it. It doesn’t take the passion out of it, but it’s not really a game anymore.”
Knowing it’s your last full season — and likely last race at the majority (if not all) of NASCAR’s 24 tracks — can be invigorating and reignites that youthful giddiness, Earnhardt said, especially when “a lot of the enjoyment gets zapped out of the job over the years.”
Then the challenge becomes striking a balance between taking in the moment and holding onto that lifelong competitive fire to try to go out on top in some capacity. Easier said than done, and Johnson told For The Win he’s “fearful” about succeeding at that.
Johnson, his daughters, daughters, Lydia and Genvieve, and Patrick at the 2018 Daytona 500. (Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
Gordon said he told Johnson the best way to find that balance is planning and being more informed than ever about everything, from maintaining a strong relationship with his crew chief, Cliff Daniels, and engineers to knowing ahead of time how each track will celebrate you. Limiting what could catch Johnson off guard could open him up to taking a relaxing moment here and there for himself, he said.
“There were definitely moments when I thought, ‘OK, this is going to be the last time I do this,’ ” said Gordon, who retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2015 season but filled in for an injured Earnhardt for eight races in 2016.
“I felt like I had this weight lifted off of me where I could enjoy those moments because for so many years, I was so focused on competition, competition, win, win, win,” the now-FOX Sports broadcaster explained. “And that can be exhausting and draining. So I felt like for my final year, I found a great balance between enjoying those moments and also pushing myself to stay competitive. And I think that’s what Jimmie is going to deal with a lot.”
And while there will surely be plenty of things Johnson knows he’ll miss when he’s not behind the wheel full time, Patrick said it’s also “perfectly fine with being OK with not missing things,” like time-consuming sponsor or media obligations or certain tracks you never ran well at.
“I don’t know if that’s how Jimmie will feel or not,” Patrick said. “There’s something that allows you to have that latitude to say, ‘I think this is going to be the end,’ and I would imagine there will be a few things where he’ll be like, ‘Won’t miss that!’ And good, because otherwise, you should stay.”
***
At Johnson’s retirement press conference in November, he said his team’s recent slump had “very little implication” on his decision to walk away at the end of the 2020 season. But amid the worst stretch of his storied career, it’s also impossible to ignore.
Sure, he has 83 wins, by far the most among active drivers, and until Kyle Busch won the 2019 Cup Series championship, Johnson was the only active driver with more than one, including an unprecedented five in a row. But his last trip to Victory Lane was back in June of 2017, which tied Cale Yarborough on the all-time wins list. And last season, Johnson missed the playoffs, which were established in 2004, for the first time in his career.
Johnson at Phoenix Raceway in 2019. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
With so many checkered flags, and having already tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with a record seven championships, Gordon said there’s “no doubt” Johnson’s put some extra pressure on himself to win one more race and at least try to contend for another championship.
“I can tell Jimmie doesn’t want to put that added pressure on himself or let others know that’s on his mind,” Gordon said. “But I know, deep down inside, that’s important to him.”
But if the last two seasons are any indication, Johnson and his 48 team have a long way to go. In 2018 and 2019 combined, he had five top-5 finishes with an average finish of about 17th and eight total DNFs. He did, however, win the 2019 Clash at Daytona International Speedway, a 75-lap exhibition event, but it came after he ignited a massive wreck that took out almost the entire field.
He also parted ways with longtime crew chief Chad Knaus after their winless 2018 campaign, and again changed crew chiefs in 2019 from Kevin Meendering to Daniels — only this time it was almost two-thirds of the way into the season.
“We’ve all had the peaks and the valleys, and when you’re a seven-time champion, that valley’s a hell of a lot lower,” Burton said. “In my opinion, he’s not coming back for a farewell tour. He’s coming back to redeem the last two years. That’s what I believe. He’s too competitive not to, and I just think that’s where he is.
“I don’t think it’s about winning a race or making the playoffs. I think it’s about doing better than the last two years have been, and if he does that, he will make the playoffs.”
If his final season doesn’t go particularly well, Waltrip joked Johnson can always do what he does and walk by his two Daytona 500 trophies (Johnson won in 2006 and 2013) — or, you know, any of the many others — and feel a little better knowing he did something incredible.
Johnson after winning the 2013 Daytona 500. (Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports)
Not that anyone would expect a fierce competitor and all-around athlete like Johnson to give anything less than his all. But throwing 100 percent at his final season — along with appreciating the little things that would have otherwise been mundane — could help minimize any regrets, Burton added.
Johnson is headed into his 19th full-time season, and no one does anything that long without accumulating a few disappointments along the way. But Burton and Mark Martin would assure him that if he doesn’t hold back, he probably won’t lose any sleep over his last full-time season, regardless of what happens.
“I think he would do fine with [not getting one more win],” said Martin, who retired from full-time racing twice and called it a career in 2013 with 40 wins (but no championship).
“You always give everything you’ve got, 100 percent. And then really, you just have to accept the results for what they are, whether they’re amazing and incredible or a disappointment or anything in between.”
Earnhardt Jr. said that if Johnson can find the right balance this year, a feeling of innocence could return, allowing him to approach the year like a rookie driver just eager to be on the track.
“I didn’t run very good in my final year, but I don’t remember that,” Earnhardt said. “I remember it being fun and how much I enjoyed being around my guys, and I had a great time.”
***
Regardless of what happens, drivers agreed it will have only a little, if any, impact on Johnson’s legacy in the sport — unless, of course, he wins a record-breaking eighth championship.
Johnson and team owner Rick Hendrick at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2019. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)
He’s unquestionably in the GOAT of NASCAR debate — even leading it, depending on who you ask — and he’s not done racing. Whether it’s in NASCAR, another top-level series or even on two wheels, Johnson has made it clear his retirement is simply from NASCAR’s exhausting full-time schedule, as he looks for “a better balance in life.”
Not winning a race or missing the playoffs again might be a “sour” ending for a seven-time champ, Burton said. But when Johnson and his career in NASCAR are memorialized years from now, that’s not what people will remember.
“I would [tell Johnson to] act however you want to act, say whatever you want to say, do whatever you want to do,” Patrick said.
“You didn’t arrive at this place where people are doing interviews about your last season because of anything other than you’re a legend and you’re a fantastic driver with pages of accomplishments. So this last season should purely be whatever you want it to be.”
Gordon thinks the seven-time champ could actually be a little “dangerous” in his last NASCAR season.
When his 19th full-time NASCAR Cup Series season ends in 2020, Jimmie Johnson will call it a career — one that includes a record-tying seven championships and 83 wins, putting him in a tie for No. 6 on the all-time wins list.
Throughout nearly two decades, fellow NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon has been there with Johnson. Gordon encouraged Rick Hendrick to sign Johnson in 2001 and build a team around him. The two were then teammates until 2015, when Gordon stepped away from full-time racing, and Gordon also has an ownership stake with Hendrick Motorsports, which includes the No. 48 Chevrolet team.
Following Johnson’s retirement announcement on social media Wednesday, Gordon spoke with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and shared his thoughts on the seven-time champ’s news and what advice he offered ahead of the 44-year-old driver’s final season.
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) November 20, 2019
Gordon said:
“I just told him, ‘Get ready because it’s going to be an emotional roller coaster, and enjoy the ride.’ If I know Jimmie, it was a tough decision. It probably was weighing on him of when the right time to make the decision was. But now that he’s made it, I think this huge weight has been lifted off, and you’re going to see a guy enjoying life, enjoying every moment, enjoying the fans and out there possibly racing with a freedom that he hasn’t in a long time. And that could be dangerous for the competitors out there.”
Despite being the winningest driver of his generation and unquestionably in the NASCAR GOAT debate, Johnson and co. are in a bit of a slump.
His last win was in June of 2017, and he didn’t make the playoffs this year — a first in his 18 full-time seasons. As Johnson said in his video announcement, he’s chasing that record-breaking eighth championship one last time, but at this point, he’d probably also be happy winning a race in his final season.
A class act & true champion on & off the track. It's been a pleasure to compete with you over the years and call you a friend throughout it all. Congrats on a phenomenal career. Best of luck #Chasing8 one last time! https://t.co/jj6Co0Sku5
While his winless streak didn’t extend across multiple seasons, Gordon went through most of his retirement tour in 2015 without a trip to Victory Lane. It wasn’t until Martinsville Speedway in early November that Gordon won the final checkered flag of his Cup career, and he’d love to see Johnson go out on a similar high note.
Gordon continued on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:
“I believe that [Johnson] still has every bit of ability to do that. I think that the 48 team does as well. Ally’s been a great partner to step up and support that effort, and Hendrick Motorsports and everybody — I think they have what it takes, but we’ve just got to get everything aligned for him. And I know he’s going to be working really hard to make sure that everything is set, and so is Rick Hendrick.
“I know he’s highly motivated. He’s been wanting to get Jimmie that eighth championship for a long time, and I just can’t imagine more effort being put in to making it a successful year for them, whether it’s winning a race or multiple races or a championship or make the final four. But certainly, if you look at who’s deserving to accomplish those things and go out that way, no doubt about it, Jimmie would rise to the top of the list.”
