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| Birth Name(s) : Jimmie Johnson |
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Full Jimmie Johnson Biography
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975, El Cajon, California) is a current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race car driver who drives the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS and Chevrolet Impala SS owned by his teammate Jeff Gordon and operated by Rick Hendrick's Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson is the current NASCAR Nextel Cup champion.
In 1998, Johnson joined the American Speed Association (ASA) circuit, finishing fourth in the season while picking up Rookie of the Year honors. During this time, Johnson also began racing in the NASCAR Busch Series, driving in three events. In 1999, Johnson continued to run in both the ASA and the Busch Series, winning twice and finishing third in the ASA point race. By 2000, Johnson became a Busch Series driver with Herzog Motorsports, finished 10th in the points standings and third in the Rookie of the Year standings. He won his only Busch Series race in 2001 at the Hills Brothers Coffee 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in his 81st series event, earning his ill-fated and short-lived nickname "the swallow" which was a misguided attempt at anthropomorphizing his prowess flying around the racetrack.
Johnson's pre-Nextel Cup career is also noted for a crash at Watkins Glen where his car's brakes failed heading into turn 11, causing him to crash at nearly full speed headon into the styrofoam insulation and guardrail. Johnson walked away uninjured. In fact, he got out and put his fists in the air in excitement. At the time, Johnson was largely an unknown.
In 2004, Johnson started slowly in weeks two and three at Rockingham and Las Vegas. However, he quickly rebounded with a week five win at the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway. Subsequent victories at the Coca-Cola 600 and the Pocono 500 helped solidify his place in the Chase for the Cup, towards the end of the regular season. However, poor finishes at Talladega (37th) and Kansas (32nd) nearly sank his chances to win the NEXTEL Cup. He began to improve, with a victory at the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway
In 2005, Johnson stayed in the top five in the points standings all year, winning at Las Vegas, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, and then again at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In total, Johnson had four straight wins at his sponsor (Lowe's) sponsored track in Charlotte, North Carolina, and became only the second driver to win three consecutive races in one of NASCAR's majors (his car owner, Jeff Gordon, won four consecutive Southern 500 titles from 1995-1998, but that leg of the Grand Slam was eliminated in the Ferko lawsuit). Johnson had a chance to win the championship coming into the November 20 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but finished 5th in points after crashing at the midway point of the event with a tire problem. Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Mark Martin all finished ahead of the #48 Chevrolet. Johnson's 2005 Cup season statistics include 22 top-10 finishes with an average finishing position of 12.7.
On October 21, Johnson won the Subway 500 at Martinsville for his seventh win of the season, breaking a tie with then-points leader Jeff Gordon for most wins on the season. On October 28, Johnson won again at the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, moving him to within nine points of Gordon in the race for the 2007 Nextel Cup Championship. Johnson donated all of his winnings from this race to the victims of the wildfires in San Diego, California. He followed that victory with another at the Texas Motor Speedway on November 4. On November 11, he won his fourth straight race at Phoenix, making him the first driver since Gordon in 1998 to win four consecutive races. Johnson's streak brought his win total for the year to ten Johnson is also the first driver to win ten times in a season since Gordon, who did it three consecutive years (the last being a record-tying 13 win season in 1998). With the win Johnson joined Gordon (three times), Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip (twice), Bill Elliott, Cale Yarborough, and Richard Petty as the only modern-era drivers to win 10 or more times during a season.
He won his second straight championship on November 18, 2007 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a 7th place finish. He defeated Jeff Gordon by 77 points. The championship was the final one with NEXTEL as the series title sponsor. It was also the final championship to use cars based on the 1964 Holman Moody Ford Fairlane template.
Jimmie Johnson attended Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, California near San Diego. He went to the same high school as friend and current San Diego Padres second baseman Marcus Giles.
Chandra and Jimmie Johnson launched the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in February 2006. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation is dedicated to assisting children, families and communities in need throughout the United States. The Foundation strives to help everyone, particularly children, pursue their dreams.
The Jimmie Johnson Foundation supports charitable organizations that further the mission of the foundation. Current and past projects include granting wishes for children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, assisting the American Red Cross with disaster relief efforts, building a four-lane bowling alley for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses at the Victory Junction Gang Camp, and hosting a golf tournament in San Diego, CA to raise funds to build a Habitat for Humanity home in Jimmie’s home town of El Cajon. |
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