Jimmie Johnson is a professional American auto racing driver who has done 93 races over 11 years in NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“When there is a will, there is a way.” This famous saying fits the perfectly of renowned race car driver Jimmy Johnson.
Johnson was passionate about racing motor cars but had no idea how to fulfill that goal without sponsors and links.
Without any second thought, the dedicated Johnson left his home to seek opportunities to fulfill his dream as a race car driver.
A rookie racer who was ignored most of the time tried to build the links himself, waiting for hours for the race crew to have lunch and to have time to interact with them.
After his persistent efforts, the aspiring race car driver got what he needed, a chance, making him one of the world’s most famous race car drivers with 687 races run over 20 years in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Apart from being a skilled auto racing driver, Jimmie also owns a percentage of a Chevy dealership in San Diego that carries his name outside of racing money.
This article is dedicated to this hardworking and dedicated race car driver, his struggles, achievements, and his life.
But, before that, let’s look at his Quick Facts first.
Quick Facts
| Name | Jimmie Johnson |
| Full Name | Jimmie Kenneth Johnson |
| Nick Name | Jimmie |
| Birth Date | September 17, 1975 |
| Age | 48 Years Old |
| Birth Place | El Cajon, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Starsign | Virgo |
| Height | 5’11″/1.80 m/180 cm |
| Weight | 79 kg/175 lb. |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Father’s Name | Gary Ernest Johnson |
| Mother’s Name | Catherine Ellen “Cathy” |
| Siblings | 2: Jarit & Jessie |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Chandra Janway (Johnson) |
| Married | 2004 |
| Children | 2: Genevieve & Lydia |
| Education | Granite Hills High School |
| Profession | Auto Car Racing Driver |
| Affiliation | Hendrick Motorsports |
| Active Years | 2001-Present |
| Major Achievement | 7-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 & 2016) |
| Net Worth | $160 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | Framed Photo, Book |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early Life
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson, aka Jimmie, was born on September 17, 1975, in El Cajon, California, USA as the eldest child to Cathy (mother) and Gary (father).
Johnson has two younger brothers, Jarit Johnson and Jessie Johnson. Both his brothers have made their debut as off-road racers in TORC: The Off-Road Championship.
Born and raised in a middle-class family, Johson’s mother was a school bus driver, and his father was a mechanic.
Johnson graduated from Granite Hills High School in 1993. Even during high school, Jimmie was active in sports such as long-distance running, water polo, etc.
In addition, Johnson would practice his motor racing during the weekends.
After graduating from high school, Johnson didn’t pursue a degree in university but instead focused on his career as a professional car racer.
Career
Jimmie Johnson’s Initial Years
Jimmie Johnson started racing motorcycles when he was just four years old. He won his first motorcycle racing championship at eight.
Rick Johnson saw Jimmie in a competition and was amazed by his skills at such a young age, leading Rick to mentor him.
Johnson shifted to racing cars in his teens as his dad inspired him, who used to do car racing too.
He wanted to do the same but had no idea where to start. So he started building rapport with the buggy owners to let him drive.
In 1996, Johnson started in motorsport with Herzog Motorsports for the first time in the off-road truck series.
After a year, he progressed to SODA’s Class 8, a short-course off-road racing class of two-wheel-drive Trophy Trucks.
During his time in SODA, SCORE, and MTEG series, he accumulated over 25 wins, 100 Top 3 finishes, six championships, and received Rookie of the Year honors in each league.
Johnson was doing everything he could to stand a chance in car racing.
Professional Career
Johnson’s professional career started when he got the chance to compete in the American Speed Association in 1998.
Also, he started racing in NASCAR’S Busch Series (now NASCAR Xfinity Series) the same year and continued as a full-time in 2000.
At Watkins Glen International, Johnson had an accident on lap 46 but wasn’t severely hurt.
After winning his first NASCAR win at the 2001 Hills Bros. Coffee 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, Jimmie joined Hendrick Motorsports for a four-race schedule in the Winston Cup Series.
Following that, he also debuted in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
With the Herzog facing shutdown due to sponsorship issues, Johnson approached Hendrick’s Gordon and moved to Hendrick in 2002, driving the No. 48 Lowe’s-sponsored Chevrolet.
Johnson had a strong rookie season in the Cup Series by getting his first win in the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at Auto Club Speedway.
NASCAR Cup Series
In 2002, Johson started to compete professionally and even won three races in the Cup Series, ranking fifth.
Johnson had his most awaited win in Cup Series in 2006. He had 13 top 5 and 24 top 10 finishes, making him the Cup series champion.
In addition, the champion protected his title for four years in a row from 2006-2010.
He became the first champion to win four consecutive championships and the first NASCAR driver to be honored as the Male Athlete of the Year (2009).
But, the champion slipped to sixth place in 2011 because of Tony Stewart’s championship win and third place in 2012. But he got his title back in 2013, making it his sixth winning championship.
However, the win followed the worst season in 2014, where he was out of the top 10 in the series. He was ranked 10th position in 2015.
But to everyone’s surprise, Johnson bounced back to first place, winning his seventh NASCAR title in 2016.
He made history with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most NASCAR championship.
The Last Season Of Racing
Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver in 2020; he said that the 2020 Cup season would be his last full-time racing.
The champion competed in the Daytona 500 qualifying, ranked 4th, and entered the 2020 Busch Clash, where he started as 16th and climbed up to 11th as defending champion.
He then appeared in the 2020 Bluegreen Vacations Duels, finishing 2nd. In his last race of the season, Jimmie’s wife and children accompanied him and waved the green flag before the race.
The fans and audience gave Johnson four wide salutes to honor him. He ended his 20-year career as a NASCAR car driver.
Indy Car Series
After retiring from the NASCAR series, Johnson participated in the Indycar series in 2020. When asked why he participated in Indy Car, Johson said it was his childhood dream.
On September 9, 2020, He announced that he had joined Chip Ganassi Racing and would be a part-time racer in the Indy Car series.
But, the NASCAR champion struggled in Indy Car as he had struggled with the spins and accidents.
Johnson decided to race again full-time in 2022 for CGR in his No. 48 Honda. However, he retired after a successful year.
Jimmie later purchased an ownership stake in the Petty GMS Motorsports NASCAR cup series team, renamed Legacy Moto. During which, Johnson returned as a part-time racer for at least two races.
First was the 2023 Daytona 500, in which he started 39th and finished 31st after encountering a major wreck during the race. But he hasn’t decided on the second race.
Awards & Achievements
- The Driver of the Year (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 & 2013)
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 2009.
- Ranked 1 on Forbes.com’s Most Influential Athletes list in 2011 and 2012.
- Byrne Award 2018
- Men in the fast lane in 2000.
- NASCAR cup series champion (2006-2010, 2013, 2016)
- Record holder of Most NASCAR cup wins.
- Daytona 500 (2006, 2013)
- Southern 500 (2004 & 2012)
Wife
Jimmie Johnson is married to former model Chandra Janway. The two met in 2002 as they were mutual friends of Jeff Gordon. Chandra was a friend of Jeff Gordon’s wife, Ingrid Vandebosch.
The duo fell in love shortly after their first meeting and started dating. A year later, they were already engaged.
They got engaged in 2003 on a snowboarding trip. Jimmie proposed to her, and she happily said yes.
A year after their engagement, in 2004, the couple married in St. Barts.
The couple spent their honeymoon in a 150-foot Yacht sailing around St. Barts. The yacht was given to them by the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick, as a wedding gift.
In 2010, the couple stepped into parenthood with the birth of their first daughter Genevieve Johnson. Three years later, they welcomed another daughter Lynda Johnson.
The Jimmie Johnson Foundation
Jimmie Johson and his wife, Chandra, established an NGO, namely The Jimmie Jonson Foundation, in 2006. The foundation aims to help children, families, and communities in need.
It supports several charities, including Habitat for Humanity, Makes-a-wish foundation, and Victory Junction, to help the community.
The foundation hosts a golf tournament in San Diego yearly to raise money for K-12 public education. Since its inception, it has raised around $8 million.
On its 5th anniversary, the foundation donated $1.5 million to public schools in California to help fund the schools’ and students’ basic needs and requirements in 2006.
Apart from this, the foundation has also helped American Red Cross with disaster relief.
TV Personality
Jimmie has appeared in film and television; his cameo was in the sports comedy “Herbie: Fully Loaded.”
He also made a guest appearance in a “Las Vegas” NBC series episode in the same year.
In addition, he became the first athlete to co-host ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in 2013.
Apart from appearances in TV shows, he did some voiceovers for children’s animated shows “Bubble Guppies” and “Blaze and the Monster Machines.”
Net Worth
The net worth of Jimmie Johnson is estimated to be $160 million as of 2024. The racer has earned this net worth from his career as a race car driver, endorsements, and sponsorship.
Johnson has earned around $150 million from his wins in his career and earned around $10 million from his endorsements.
He is the brand ambassador of the brands such as Gatorade, Seiko Watch Corporation, Blue Bunny, and Chevrolet.
Between 2018 and 2019, he earned about $18 million, enough to make him the highest-paid NASCAR driver.
Johnson lives a luxurious life in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also owns a $14.25 million house in New York.
He has a massive collection of luxury cars, including the 1971 Chevy Corvette, Chevy SS, 1967 Camaro, and Ford Fusion.
Likewise, he owns a splendid range of classic muscle cars, a 1967 Chevy Camaro SS, and a gifted Ford woodie wagon.
Trivia
- Apart from auto racing, Jimmie likes art and photography.
- Jimmie’s wife Chandra owns SOCO Art Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Johnson’s famous #48 car number amalgamates his lucky numbers 4 and 8.
- The NASCAR series champion created and released his own video game in 2011.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Is Jimmie Johnson still part of Hendrick Motorsports?
No, Jimmie Johnson officially retired from Hendrick Motorsports in November 2019.
Who is the best NASCAR driver of all time?
Some sources claim that Jimmie Jonson is one of the best Nascar drivers of all time due to his record of 7 NASCAR cup series wins.
