JIMMIE JOHNSON
PERSONAL
Birthdate: Sept. 17, 1975
Hometown: El Cajon, Calif.
Resides: Charlotte, N.C.
Marital Status: Married (Chandra)
Children: None
Hobbies: Snowboarding, biking, golf
'09 RECAP
• Heads into the Chase third in the standings with 5,030 points
• Three wins on the year – Martinsville (3/29), Dover (5/31) and Indianapolis (7/26)
• In 26 starts, he has 9 top fives and 15 top 10s
• One pole on the year —. Watkins Glen (8/10)
• One DNF on the year — Talladega (4/26)
• Has been in the top five of the standings for 14 consecutive weeks of the 26 week regular season, since Darlington (5/09)
PAST CHASES
• In 2008, he won the championship for the third consecutive time. He posted three wins at Kansas (9/23), Martinsville (10/19) and Phoenix (11/9).
• In 2007, he won the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship for the second consecutive season. He posted eight top-10 finishes including four wins at Martinsville (10/21); Atlanta (10/28); Texas (11/4) and Phoenix (11/11). He also posted three poles during the Chase at Dover (9/23); Kansas (9/30); and Homestead (11/18).
• In 2006, he came back from ninth in the Chase standings to win the championship with six top 10s which included a win at Martinsville (10/22) and four second-place finishes.
• In 2005, he finished fifth in the standings with seven top-10 finishes including two wins at Dover (9/25) and Charlotte (10/15).
• In 2004, he finished second in the standings, eight points behind Kurt Busch. He posted seven top-10 finishes including wins at Charlotte (10/16); Martinsville (10/24); Atlanta (10/31); and Darlington (11/14).
CAREER STATS
Career Starts: 281
Career Wins: 43
Career Poles: 20
Best Points Finish: 1st (2006, '07, '08)
First Full Season: 2002
First Start: Oct. 7, 2001 (Charlotte)
First Win: April 28, 2002 (California)
First Pole: Feb. 9, 2002 (Daytona)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• First driver in 30 years and only second in NASCAR history to win three consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles (2006-'08)
• Won the Daytona 500 and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 2006
• Top-five finisher in all seven NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons
• Series runner-up in 2003 and ’04
WINS/POLES
WINS: 43 – California, Dover-1, Dover-2 (2002); Charlotte-1, New Hampshire-1, New Hampshire-2 (2003);
Darlington-1, Charlotte-1, Pocono-1, Pocono-2, Charlotte-2, Martinsville-2, Atlanta-2, Darlington-2 (2004);
Las Vegas, Charlotte-1, Dover-2, Charlotte-2 (2005); Daytona-1, Las Vegas, Talladega-1, Indianapolis,
Martinsville-2 (2006); Las Vegas, Atlanta-1, Martinsville-1, Richmond-1, California-2, Richmond-2, Martinsville-2, Atlanta-2, Texas-2, Phoenix-2 (2007); Phoenix-1, Indianapolis, California-2, Richmond-2, Kansas, Martinsville-2, Phoenix-2 (2008); Martinsville-1, Dover-1, Indianapolis (2009)
POLES: 20 – Daytona-1, Charlotte-1, Talladega-1, Charlotte-1 (2002); Pocono-1, Kansas (2003); Charlotte-1 (2004); Chicago (2005); Martinsville-1 (2006); Richmond-2, Dover-2, Kansas, Homestead (2007); Daytona-1, Indianapolis, Pocono-2, California-2, Kansas, Phoenix-2 (2008); Watkins Glen (2009)
LOOP DATA
Driver Rating - 110.3
Average Running Position - 8.217
Quality Passes - 1,276
Fastest Laps Run - 738
Laps In Top 15 - 6,179
Green Flag Passes - 1,702
YEAR-BY-YEAR
2008 Won third consecutive series title, joining NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to accomplish that feat. Yarborough’s titles came in 1975-78. … Finished with a series-high six poles. … Began the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the third seed. Took the standings lead after the third Chase race, at Kansas, and never relinquished it, winning the title by 69 points over runner-up Carl Edwards. … Remains one of only two drivers (Matt Kenseth is the other) to qualify for all five Chases. … Moved into 15th place on NASCAR’s all-time win list with 40 series wins. ... Led four year-end Loop Data statistical categories – Average Start (8.5), Average Position (10.1), Laps Led (1,959) and Percentage of Laps Led (18.3).
2007 Won second consecutive series title. … Became first driver since Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon in 1997 and 1998 to win consecutive series titles; also the first since Gordon in 1998 to win 10 races in a season. … Became 15th driver to win multiple titles in NASCAR’s premier series. … Became 14th driver in series history to win consecutive titles. … Four consecutive wins late in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup solidified title run. … Came from 68 points behind Gordon following season’s 31st race to win title by 77 points over Gordon.
2006 Won the series title. … His 24 top 10s led the series. … Spent all 36 weeks of the season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup top 10. … Won Daytona 500. … Also won his first events at Talladega (in May) and at Indianapolis (in August). Other two victories came at Las Vegas and Martinsville. … Pole came at Martinsville (in April).
2005 Finished fifth in series points. … Won four races in his fourth season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including the season sweep at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which included a third consecutive Coca-Cola 600 win. Johnson is the first driver to win three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s. … Other victories came at the September event at Dover and at Las Vegas.
2004 Finished second in series points, only eight behind champion Kurt Busch, in the closest championship finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. … Led standings for nine race weeks during season. … Led series in wins with eight and top fives with 20. … Started Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup fifth in the standings, and dropped to ninth after first three races of Chase. Rallied by winning four of the year’s last six races, including three consecutive (Lowe’s-Martinsville-Atlanta). … Had three season sweeps, winning both events held at Darlington, Lowe’s and Pocono. … Repeated as Coca-Cola 600 champion and also won the Southern 500. … String of 70 consecutive weeks in series’ top 10 ended in Week 2, after 41st-place finish at Rockingham.
2003 Finished second in series points. … Spent all 36 weeks in the standings’ top 10, the only driver to do so. Started 2004 with a string of 69 consecutive weeks in the points standings’ top 10, best among active drivers. … Season highlight was winning rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 in May at Lowe’s, one week after winning the all-star event, a nonpoints event also held at Lowe’s. … Swept season events at New Hampshire. … Ended season by finishing in the top three in the last six events to secure runner-up finish in series championship.
2002 Finished fifth in series points as a rookie. … Won Daytona 500 pole in fourth career start. … First career victory (at Auto Club) came in 13th start. … Won three races (Auto Club and both Dover races). … Became first rookie in series history to sweep both races at a track. … Led standings for one week following Kansas in September.
2001 Finished 52nd in series points. … Made series debut with three starts, best finish 25th at Homestead.
HISTORY
Finished eighth in NASCAR Nationwide Series points in 2001, driving for Herzog Motorsports. … Earned first career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory in the series’ first race at Chicagoland Speedway.… During first full season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, had six top-10 finishes and finished 10th in the point standings. …In 1999, started five NASCAR Nationwide Series races, led 22 laps and collected one top-10 finish.…Won Rookie of the Year honors in the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series in 1998. … Johnson won six off-road racing championships, including two MTEG Superlite championships (1992, ’95), the 1992 Miller Challenge Superlite title, the 1993 SCORE Class 10 Desert championship, and two SODA Winter Series Overall titles (1996, ’97). … Also was named 1991 MTEG Rookie of the Year in the Superlite Class and 1995 SCORE Rookie of the Year.… Began racing in motocross events at age five.
NOTEWORTHY
Johnson and his wife, Chandra, founded the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in 2006 to assist children, families and communities in need throughout the United States. … During the 2000 season, Johnson was selected as one of People Magazine’s “Sexiest Men in the Fast Lane,” along with other NASCAR drivers. … Johnson was the youngest driver ever in the Mickey Thompson Stadium Truck Series. … Johnson and Jeff Gordon joined World Superbike champion Colin Edwards in Europe, and won the 2002 Race of Champions Nations Cup, an annual event pitting the world’s best rally, motorcycle and circuit racers against one another in head-to-head competition.
Team Hendrick Motorsports
Team Web Site http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com
Sponsor and Manufacturer Lowe's Chevrolet
Owner Rick Hendrick
Crew Chief Chad Knaus
Engine Builder Hendrick Engines
Team Address 4400 Papa Joe Hendrick Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28262
Team Phone (704) 455-0324
Team Fax (704) 455-0322
PR Contact Kristine Curley, GMR Marketing
PR Address 1435 West Morehead St., Suite 190, Charlotte, NC 28208
PR Phone (704) 342-4450
PR Fax (704) 342-4452PR E-mail kcurley@gmrlivepr.com Read more...
