Evidence of Johnson’s fame hits 6-year-old daughter

Pursuit of record eighth title has even schoolkids talking.

Jimmie Johnson might have had an easier time had his 6-year- old daughter asked for help with a school art project. Genevieve Johnson instead left her dad briefly bewil- dered with a messier ques- tion: What does famous mean? “At school, the kids are asking her, saying, ‘Your dad’s famous,’” Johnson said. “How do you answer that question?” Let’s try. Does your dad dress in a Lowe’s fire suit, slide into the No. 48 Chevrolet and race on national television every weekend?

Does your dad have more than 2.3 million Twitter followers, is he besieged by autograph seekers and asked to voice cartoons on the Disney Channel?

Yes, Genevieve, your father is famous.

But the more contempla- tive question is this: Is John- son the greatest to ever drive a stock car? That answer is up for debate, though argu- ments for other contenders thin as Johnson continues to add to his championship collection.

Seven of them, counting last year’s.

An eighth would push Johnson past Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for most ever in NASCAR.

Outside his motor home at Daytona International Speed- way, site of Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500, Johnson, 41, scratched his beard as he considered what an eighth title would mean. Asked whether he would let the record define him, he said, “No. But I’m going to try” to win it.

Johnson owns 80 career wins, including a pair of Day- tona 500 victories.

After winning last season’s championship race, Johnson retreated to Aspen, Colo., where the snow and ski-filled days made him want to grow his beard to roughly ZZ Top length.

Petty has his feathered cowboy hat.

Maybe a wavy beard could become Johnson’s distinguishable feature?

No, he decided what seemed cool in Aspen made him hot under the helmet this past week at Daytona.

“I was really uncomfortable,” he said. “It just hits you the whole time.”

Beard aficionado Dale Earnhardt Jr., who shaved his own for his wedding, openly admired his Hendrick teammate’s facial hair.

“That’s a bad-ass beard,” Junior said.

“If I’d known he was going to come so strong, I would have worked on mine a little more. I certainly do envy what Jimmie’s got going on.”