Johnson nowhere near the finish line
NASCAR star insists he plans to keep racing, in some form, for years to come
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Jimmie Johnson has a reputation as a bland and boring NASCAR champion, a guy who loves his ice cream the same way he presents himself — plain and vanilla.
The reputation was earned through his workmanlike approach while winning five straight NASCAR titles. Boring he is not.
Johnson’s commitment to excellence makes him not just one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, but also one of the most well-rounded and interesting athletes in the world. Now he gets to show that because Lowe’s is leaving the sport after 18 years as the only Cup Series sponsor Johnson has ever had.
Eighty-three victories in that Lowe’s-branded No. 48 Chevrolet.
All those titles. A unique sportsman for Hendrick Motorsports to sell.
And Johnson believes he is more than just a driver looking for a new paint scheme that can be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
At 42, Johnson is still a top driver and adamant that retirement is nowhere on his radar.
Yet the statistics and history of NASCAR are clear: The twilight of his career has arrived and he’s got to sell something besides winning.
“I think for this seller’s market, clearly someone has a golden opportunity to close out with me,” Johnson said.
Johnson doesn’t know when that opportunity is, but he does have a grand plan that could include everything from driving Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona to competitive mountain biking — anything that allows the California son of two working parents to chase his desire to win and avoid retirement.
“I know I can’t turn off the competition,” he said.
Johnson has matured from the rookie who did the things young men just becoming famous sometimes do.
Like the time he broke his wrist but lied about how it happened so he didn’t have to tell Lowe’s or team owner Rick Hendrick he was surfing on top of a golf cart during a rowdy outing with his friends.
He still has fun, but now he runs triathlons, takes team members mountain biking in the woods and will do anything to get a workout in.
Alas, he is mired in the longest losing streak of his Cup career: 31 races stretching back almost a year.
He turns 43 in September and has two years left on his Hendrick contract; there might be another short NASCAR contract after that.
“I’ve got a handful of years in Cup,” he said, leaving himself wiggle room regarding just how many. “If we can find the right sponsor to transition from full-time NASCAR ... I mean, I can’t stop racing. I’m always going to be racing something. I’m going to step down from the NASCAR merry-go-round at some point, but I’ve got a bucket list.”