DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson through the years

By Staff Report | Published: 3 Sep, 2020 46

Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson has made the No. 48 one of the most iconic in NASCAR history -- and he himself is one of the most legendary drivers in the history of the sport. Take a look back through his transformative career in racing, from the dirt in California to his trials and tribulations in NASCAR.

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Jimmie Johnson's Twitter

1981: Johnson's storied career began when he started racing motorcycles at age 5. By the time he was 8 years old, the budding racer had already won the 60cc class championship. Eager to try anything with wheels, Johnson also competed in the off-road series.

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Twitter

1998: Johnson's career path took a sharp turn in 1998 when he climbed behind the wheel of a stock car for the first time in the American Speed Association. He competed for two years full time in the ASA National Tour for Herzog Motorsports, earning two wins. During that time, Johnson also drove in a handful of races in the now-NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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2000: After running a part-time schedule for two years, a 23-year-old Johnson landed a full-time ride in 2000 with Herzog Motorsports in the now-NASCAR Xfinity Series. He finished 10th in the point standings at the end of his rookie year.

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Twitter

2001: Johnson earned his first victory in the now-NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2001 at Chicagoland Speedway. After rolling off the grid sixth, he led 43 laps en route to Victory Lane, beating out Mike Skinner, Jeff Burton and Joe Nemechek to the finish line. This marked Johnson's lone win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – but bigger things were coming for the future legend.

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ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

2001: Johnson's career took a big leap when he made his first NASCAR Cup Series start in the fall of 2001 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Driving the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson ran three races -- Charlotte, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway -- and posted his best result at Miami (25th).

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Robert Laberge/Getty Images.

2002: Johnson signed with Hendrick Motorsports full time in 2002, running the No. 48 car. Chad Knaus -- a member of Jeff Gordon's famous 'Rainbow Warriors' crew -- also signed on to be Johnson's crew chief that season.

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Craig Jones/Getty Images

2002: The newly formed duo of Johnson and Knaus made a splash in the NASCAR Cup Series world when Johnson wheeled the No. 48 machine at 185.831 mph to earn the Busch Pole Award in the pair's first start together at the season-opening Daytona 500.

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Jeff Gross/Getty Images

2002: It didn't take long for Johnson to begin tallying wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. On April 28, 2002, Johnson earned his first series victory at his home track, Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, beating out Kurt Busch, Ricky Rudd, Bill Elliott and Mark Martin.

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Jeff Gross/Getty Images

2003: Johnson checked a box off his racing checklist during his sophomore year in the series when he won the 2003 Coca-Cola 600. The Hendrick Motorsports driver led 34 laps, beating out Matt Kenseth in a race that ended under caution.

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Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

2004: NASCAR debuted the original playoff format in 2004, in which the top 10 drivers competed for a championship in the final 10 races of the season. Four wins during that 10-race stretch gave Johnson a second-place spot in the point standings at the end of the season, with Busch ultimately taking home the championship that year. Johnson for a long while was the only driver to make the playoffs every year since the inception of a postseason system -- a streak that ended in 2019.

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Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

2005: The Johnson-Knaus pairing won 18 races from 2002 to 2005, but something still wasn't working. The duo was bickering both on and off the radio, raising the idea 2005 would be their last run together. After the No. 48 team finished fifth in the 2005 championship standings, team owner Rick Hendrick called the pair into his office for the now-famous "milk and cookies" conversation. Hendrick had bought a gallon of milk, cookies and Mickey Mouse plates, and he told Johnson and Knaus if they were going to act like children, he would treat them like children. Based on their performance in 2006 and beyond, Hendrick's unconventional tactic seemed to work wonders.

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Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

2006: Johnson made quite the impression in the season-opening Daytona 500. After rolling off the grid ninth, Johnson led 24 laps en route to his first career Daytona 500 victory. He won the coveted Daytona 500 trophy again in 2013.

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Joe Robbins/Getty Images

2006: After kicking the season off with a win at Daytona International Speedway, Johnson continued to excel, earning four additional wins. This includes the prestigious Brickyard 400, Johnson's first of four Brickyard trophies to date.

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Kent Horner/Getty Images

2006: With his wife, Chandra, Johnson launched the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in 2006, with the goal of aiding families, communities and children in need, focusing on supporting K-12 public education. Since its inception, the foundation has raised more than $8.8 million for a variety of organizations.

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Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

2006: Johnson's 2006 season was one for the record books. In addition to his five wins, he was ranked No. 1 in the driver standings for an impressive 25 of 36 races. A trio of runner-up finishes at the end of the season gave Johnson a substantial lead heading to the Miami finale. He finished ninth en route to his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

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Robert Laberge/Getty Images for NASCAR

2007: The 2007 season didn't start out smoothly for Johnson, as he crashed in the season-opening Daytona 500, earning a 39th-place result. But he quickly rebounded, earning a personal-best 10 wins that season. The No. 48 wheelman won four consecutive races in the playoffs with his points lead allowing him to cruise to his second straight championship over teammate Gordon with a seventh-place finish at Homestead.

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Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

2008: Fresh off his second championship, Johnson opened 2008 with a Daytona 500 pole. Despite not winning that race, Johnson won four races in '08 from the pole-winning position. A string of 12 straight top-15 runs – including three wins in the playoffs – to close the season allowed Johnson to hold onto the No. 1 driver ranking at year's end, giving him his third consecutive championship, matching Cale Yarborough's all-time best streak.

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Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

2009: Johnson's 2009 season started off shaky with a 31st-place result in the season-opening Daytona 500. But the No. 48 wheelman quickly got up to speed, leading a career-high 2,238 laps throughout the year and remaining in the top 10 of the point standings for 32 straight weeks. A fifth-place finish at Miami allowed Johnson to earn his fourth straight NASCAR Cup Series title.

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Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

2009: After winning four consecutive titles, Johnson was selected as The Associated Press' Male Athlete of the Year in 2009. He remains the sole race car driver since the award's inception in 1931 to take home the prestigious honor.

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Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

2010: Johnson was second to Denny Hamlin in the driver standings heading into the 2010 season finale at Miami. But a runner-up finish to Hamlin's 14th-place result allowed Johnson to surpass Hamlin by 39 points, giving the No. 48 team its fifth consecutive title.

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Robert Laberge/Getty Images

2013: A rear-gear issue in the 2012 season finale led to a 36th-place finish in that race and left Johnson third in the driver standings (with the championship going to Brad Keselowski). But Johnson would come to earn his nickname "Six-Time" the next year: The No. 48 driver won six events in 2013 leading up to his sixth championship, putting him on the cusp of equaling all-time leaders Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

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2014: After starting the 2014 Coca-Cola 600 from the pole position, Johnson led 164 laps en route to his seventh win at Charlotte. The trip to Victory Lane allowed Johnson to pass Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for all-time wins at the North Carolina track.

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Sean Gardner/Getty Images

2015: Johnson rewrote NASCAR history books in 2015 with his victory at Dover International Speedway on May 31. The win marked Johnson’s 10th career victory at the "Monster Mile," putting him in company with Petty, Earnhardt, Waltrip and David Pearson as the only five drivers in the sport’s history to win 10 or more times at a single track. Johnson also remains the all-time winner at Dover (11 victories there as of 2019), with Allison and Petty second with seven trips apiece to Victory Lane.

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Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images

2016: Johnson made history again on Feb. 28 at Atlanta when he held off a fast-charging field to earn his 76th career win, tying Earnhardt. To honor "The Intimidator" -- who famously piloted the No. 3 car -- Johnson formed a "3" with his fingers during his celebratory burnout. Earnhardt's son and Johnson's teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished second. He would pass Earnhardt a month later with his 77th win, which came at Auto Club.

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Getty Images

2016: In his first time battling for the championship in the elimination-style playoffs format, Johnson led the final three laps at Miami to score the race win and, more importantly, his seventh championship. The seven titles match a series-best shared by Earnhardt and Petty. And the seventh title came with a new nickname: "Seven-Time."

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Sean Gardner | Getty Images

2017: Johnson captured his first of three race victories in 2017 at Texas Motor Speedway, where he has a series-leading seven wins. Winning at Texas comes with the honor of drilling a plaque into the Wall of Champions.

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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

2017: Johnson's win at Dover, his impressive 11th win at the track, tied him with Yarborough at 83 career wins. Johnson's helmet for the race was a tribute to Yarborough.

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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images

2017: On the strength of three wins, Johnson qualified for the 2017 NASCAR Playoffs, continuing his streak of 13 consecutive postseason appearances.

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Meg McMahon for PeopleForBikes

2017: Fitness is high on Johnson's list of passions, and he has led efforts to build a bike-riding group among drivers. In March, Johnson and Kenseth took part in a 400-mile relay ride to support PeopleForBikes. Johnson also notably recruited Earnhardt Jr. into the world of cycling.

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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

2017: During the 2017 Champion's Week in Las Vegas, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. shared some laughs at an Appreci88tion event while talking about their bike riding.

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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

2017: For a seven-time champion, missing the Championship 4 was disappointing, but Johnson was still feted as a playoffs driver during the NASCAR Awards.

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Sean Gardner | Getty Images

2018: Knaus has been the crew chief for Johnson for 81 of his 83 victories and all seven championship seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 2018 season was the final season for the successful pairing as Knaus was named William Byron's crew chief for the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team in 2019.

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Twitter: @Aim_Walsh

2018: Fernando Alonso and Johnson swapped rides in November at Bahrain International Circuit. The swap saw Johnson get some seat time in a Formula 1 car.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

2019: Kevin Meendering took over for Knaus as the crew chief for Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team in 2019. Meendering spent the previous three seasons as Elliott Sadler's crew chief for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

2019: The start of the season ushered in a new era for Johnson and the No. 48 outfit. In addition to new crew chief Meendering, Johnson's Chevrolet sported a new primary sponsor for the first time since his first NASCAR Cup Series race in 2001. Ally Financial and Hendrick Motorsports announced the financial organization will serve as primary sponsor for every race in 2019 and 2020 -- and the company would later extend that deal for an additional three years.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

2019: It wasn't a points race, but Johnson found his way to Victory Lane in The Clash at Daytona to kick off the season.

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Gary Land | Jimmie Johnson Racing

2019: Johnson pushed his fitness achievements to a new high, competing in the Boston Marathon. He finished in 3 hours, 9 minutes and 7 seconds.

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Special to NASCAR.com

2019: Before the August race at Watkins Glen International, Hendrick Motorsports announced a crew chief change for the No. 48. Cliff Daniels, 31, replaced Meendering atop the pit box.

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Jonathan Merryman | NASCAR Digital Media

2019: An homage to his dirt roots, Johnson and team brought back a surprise at Darlington Raceway -- "Butch," the truck he used to race off-road in California. With an Ally paint scheme to match the look, it truly was a throwback weekend.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

2019: For the first time in his career, Johnson did not qualify for the playoffs. Although his No. 48 Chevrolet showed plenty of speed, a late-race wreck at Indianapolis Motor Speedway bounced him from the postseason picture. Still, a burgeoning relationship with his new crew chief is reason for optimism in 2020.

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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

2019: Soon after the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series finale in November, Johnson announced 2020 will be his final season.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

2020: In July, Johnson self-reported a positive COVID-19 test and missed the crown jewel race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was the first driver to miss action due to the coronavirus pandemic. Less than a week later, NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports announced that Johnson was cleared to return to competition following two negative tests taken more than 24 hours apart, followed by clearance from his physician.

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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

2020: Looking to make a playoff push, Ally introduced the rAlly paint scheme for the Daytona Road Course race. With the new look, Johnson posted three straight top-10 finishes leading up to the regular-season finale at the Daytona oval.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

2020: Unfortunately, the streak of top-10 finishes ended in the regular-season finale when Tyler Reddick made a questionable block move and Johnson was caught up in the ensuing wreck. Johnson, who was running near the front with two laps to go, finished 17th and fell just short of making the playoffs.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

2020: To the seven-time champion and 83-race victor go the spoils. The final races of Johnson's last full-time season in Cup are sure to be filled with plenty of tributes, nostalgia and some cool gifts, too. And who knows, final "full-time season" means fans could still see Johnson wheel a ride in select races in the future, whether those are in NASCAR or other racing series such as IndyCar.

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Jimmie Johnson through the years