A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Jimmie Johnson.
Jimmie Johnson is a highly accomplished American professional auto racing driver, currently competing part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Renowned for his remarkable achievements, Johnson has secured seven Cup championships, including an unprecedented five consecutive titles, placing him alongside Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the drivers with the most championships in NASCAR history. His exceptional skill and consistent performance have solidified his reputation as one of the greatest drivers to ever compete in NASCAR.
1998: ASA Rookie Title
In 1998, Jimmie Johnson won the ASA Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie title, driving for Herzog Motorsports' stock car program.
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2000: People's "Men in the Fast Lane"
In 2000, People magazine recognized Jimmie Johnson as one of their "Men in the Fast Lane".
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2001: First Busch Series Win
In 2001, Jimmie Johnson recorded his first Busch Series win at Chicagoland Speedway, his only win at the track, and joined Hendrick Motorsports for a four-race Winston Cup schedule.
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2002: Full-Time Winston Cup Debut & First Win
In 2002, Jimmie Johnson began racing full-time in the Winston Cup Series, earned his first career pole at the Daytona 500, and scored his first win at Auto Club Speedway. He finished 5th in points.
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2003: All-Star Race Win
In 2003, Jimmie Johnson won the All-Star race for the first time and finished second in the final point standings.
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October 24, 2004: Martinsville Victory Amidst Tragedy
On October 24, 2004, Jimmie Johnson won the Subway 500 at Martinsville, a victory overshadowed by the tragic plane crash that killed several members of the Hendrick Motorsports family, including Ricky Hendrick and Randy Dorton.
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2005: Four Consecutive Wins at Lowe's
In 2005, Jimmie Johnson achieved four consecutive wins at Lowe's sponsored track in Charlotte and won the Coca-Cola 600, finishing fifth in points after crashing at the season finale.
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2005: Last Coca-Cola 600 Win Until 2014
In 2005, Jimmie Johnson had his last Coca-Cola 600 Win until 2014.
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2006: First Cup Series Championship
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson won his first Cup Series championship, marking a major milestone in his career.
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2006: First Daytona 500 Win
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson won his first Daytona 500 with Darian Grubb as Knaus was serving a five-race suspension.
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2006: Daytona 500 Win & First Championship
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500 and his first Cup Series championship after rallying from mishaps in the early Chase races. He was also named the 2006 Driver of the Year.
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2006: Driver of the Year Award
Jimmie Johnson won the Driver of the Year Award in 2006.
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2007: Second Consecutive Championship
During the 2007 season, Johnson recorded 10 wins, four poles, 20 Top 5's, and 24 Top 10 finishes and won his second consecutive championship. He was also named the 2007 Driver of the Year.
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2007: Second Consecutive Championship
In 2007, Jimmie Johnson secured his second consecutive Cup Series championship, solidifying his position as a top driver in NASCAR.
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2007: Driver of the Year Award
Jimmie Johnson won the Driver of the Year Award in 2007.
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2008: Third Consecutive Championship
In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won his third consecutive Cup Series championship, joining Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to achieve this feat.
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2008: Third Consecutive Championship & Truck Series Debut
In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship and also raced in his first-ever truck series race at Bristol. He was named the 2008 Driver of the Year and won an ESPY as the Best Driver.
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2009: Fourth Consecutive Championship
In 2009, Jimmie Johnson secured his fourth consecutive Cup Series championship, establishing a NASCAR record.
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2009: Fourth Consecutive Championship
In 2009, Jimmie Johnson secured his fourth consecutive NASCAR championship. Throughout the 2009 season, he achieved seven race wins, including a third consecutive Checker Auto Parts 500 and both Dover races, along with four pole positions, 16 Top 5 finishes, and 24 Top 10 finishes. He became the only driver to win at least three races in each of his initial eight seasons and the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the Championship every year since 2004. Jimmie Johnson also received an ESPY for the second consecutive year and the Driver of the Year award for the third time in 2009.
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2009: Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year
In 2009, Jimmie Johnson was named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the first racing driver to receive this honor.
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2009: Driver of the Year Award and Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award
In 2009, Jimmie Johnson won the Driver of the Year Award and became the first racing driver to win the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award in the United States.
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2010: Fifth Consecutive Championship
In 2010, Jimmie Johnson achieved his fifth consecutive NASCAR championship. During the 2010 season, he earned two pole positions, secured 17 Top 5 finishes and 23 Top 10 finishes, and celebrated six race victories. He also became the 12th driver to reach 50+ NASCAR race wins when he won at Bristol in March and went up to 10th on the all-time wins list. In 2010, his wins included Auto Club, Las Vegas, Bristol, Sonoma, New Hampshire, and Dover.
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2010: Last Great Coliseum Win Until 2017
In 2010, Jimmie Johnson had his last Great Coliseum win until 2017.
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2010: Fifth Consecutive Championship
In 2010, Jimmie Johnson won his fifth consecutive Cup Series championship, becoming the only driver in NASCAR history to achieve this milestone.
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2010: Driver of the Year Award
Jimmie Johnson won the Driver of the Year Award in 2010.
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2011: Most Influential Athlete Ranking
In 2011, Jimmie Johnson was ranked No. 1 on Forbes.com's list of "Most Influential Athletes".
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2011: Won Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway
In 2011, Jimmie Johnson won the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, starting on the outside pole and tandem-drafting with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the entire race. Johnson nipped Bowyer at the finish line by 0.002 seconds. Statistically, the 2011 season was one of Johnson's worst performances to date, even though he finished sixth in the points with only two race wins.
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2011: Last Top 5 at Auto Club Speedway Until 2016
In 2011, Johnson made his last Top 5 at the Auto Club Speedway until 2016.
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2012: Most Influential Athlete Ranking
In 2012, Jimmie Johnson was ranked No. 1 on Forbes.com's list of "Most Influential Athletes" for the second consecutive year.
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2012: Victory in the Bojangles' Southern 500
In 2012, Johnson achieved his first race win of the season at the Bojangles' Southern 500 in Darlington. This victory also represented Rick Hendrick's 200th NASCAR Cup Series win.
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2013: Second Daytona 500 Win
In 2013, Jimmie Johnson won his second Daytona 500. He assumed the lead from Jeff Gordon on lap 32 and held off a last-lap charge from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin to secure the victory.
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2013: Sixth Cup Series Championship
In 2013, Jimmie Johnson won his sixth Cup Series championship, further cementing his legacy in NASCAR.
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2013: Record Fourth All-Star Race Win
In the 2013 season, Jimmie Johnson achieved a record fourth All-Star race victory.
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2013: Driver of the Year Award
Jimmie Johnson won the Driver of the Year Award in 2013.
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2014: Coca-Cola 600 Win
In 2014, Jimmie Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600, his first win in the race since 2005. Statistically, 2014 was one of Johnson's worst seasons to date.
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2016: Seventh Cup Series Championship
In 2016, Jimmie Johnson won his seventh Cup Series championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most all-time.
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2016: Atlanta Win Ties Dale Earnhardt
In 2016, Johnson won his first race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, tying Dale Earnhardt for seventh on the all-time wins list.
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2017: 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
In 2017, Jimmie Johnson entered the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as the defending champion, despite inconsistent results. He advanced to the Round of 12 after a third-place finish at Dover. Johnson qualified for the Round of 8 but faced challenges, including being involved in "The Big One" at Talladega and having spins at Kansas Speedway.
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2017: Back-to-Back Wins at Texas and Bristol
In 2017, Jimmie Johnson rebounded from a slow start to the season with back-to-back wins at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 in Texas and the Food City 500 at Bristol. This would be the 14th and final time he won back-to-back races in his career.
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2018: Byrnsie Award Recipient
In 2018, Jimmie Johnson received the fourth-annual Byrnsie Award, named after Steve Byrnes, during FS1's RaceDay at Sonoma Raceway.
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2019: 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash Win
In 2019, Jimmie Johnson won the Advance Auto Parts Clash. He also had a ninth place finish in the Daytona 500, and later in the season, he achieved multiple top-ten finishes.
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July 24, 2022: First IndyCar Top 5
On July 24, 2022, Jimmie Johnson collected his first career IndyCar top 5 at Iowa Speedway.
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February 14, 2023: Daytona 500 Entry
On February 14, 2023, Jimmie Johnson made the Daytona 500 entry field by scoring the fastest lap among the non-chartered teams.
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