Jimmie Johnson began 2017 with dreams of breaking the record he shared with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, claiming his eighth NASCAR championship. After securing his record-tying seventh Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2016, momentum was on Johnson’s side.
The future Hall of Fame driver’s quest would be different than in past campaigns. With the introduction of stage racing in 2017 and a new points structure, he was optimistic. Instead, his team failed to adjust as planned and he failed to race for all the marbles in Miami.
“Our team has always been good at adapting and winning championships in various formats,” Jimmie Johnson said before the season began. “We take pride in that and look forward to the new challenge. As the season gets started, we’ll understand changes in the way teams approach each weekend.”
The outstanding driver’s season got off to a shaky start. Jimmie Johnson crashed and finished 34th in the opening race at Daytona. That debacle was followed up by a 19th-place result in Atlanta and 11th in Sin City. It wasn’t until the fourth event of the year at Phoenix that Johnson finished in the top 10. Finally, Johnson breached the top five seventh race of the year at Texas. That top-five performance was huge.
After starting his Chevrolet at the back of the field, Johnson charged to the front. From there he took control of the race and brought home his seventh triumph in “The Lone Star State.” With a playoff berth almost locked up with the win, the experienced driver headed to Bristol. There, Johnson surprised the field and came away with his second-straight trip to Victory Lane. Jimmie Johnson wasn’t finished winning yet. Five races later, he tallied his third win of the season at Dover in June. His 83rd career victory tied him with Hall of Fame driver Cale Yarborough.
“I never thought I’d end up here in NASCAR as a kid racing in the dirt in Southern California,” Jimmie Johnson said after Dover. “I remember going to a race in Oklahoma with my parents and my brother. We were driving across the country and we pulled up to a Hardee’s. I had no idea it was a burger stand and I really thought when I walked in the door, I was going to see Cale Yarborough’s race shop. It was very disappointing. To be here and tie him at 83 wins is amazing.”
With three winning performances in the first 13 races of the season, Jimmie Johnson sat sixth in points. Obviously, it looked as if he was putting together another championship run. His status with Hendrick Motorsports was further cemented later in June as he announced a contract extension through 2020. Apparently, we will see Johnson behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet for more time to come.
“Winning seven championships and 83 races were inconceivable. Now, we have the opportunity to do even more together,” Jimmie Johnson said after the extension. “It says a lot to have one sponsor, one crew chief and one team for so long. I couldn’t be more proud to represent everyone at Lowe’s and Hendrick Motorsports. I continue to be as grateful for the opportunity as I was when we started.”
With his racing future set, everything seemed to be going Jimmie Johnson’s way. But then, as the summer began, the wheels began to fall off. At the next 12 venues after Dover, the Hendrick Racing star only collected two top-10 results. Unfortunately, it was highlighted by just 16 laps led over the stretch. He also registered four DNF’s.
Jimmie Johnson bounced back with an eighth-place finish at Richmond Raceway to finish off the regular season. At that point, Johnson felt he was in a position to gain more wins. The ultimate goal for the team was to make The Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“Once we get back to tracks I know the sensation I’m looking for. I also know how to create speed at these tracks, I can help better steer our group on what we need to work on,’ ” Jimmie Johnson said. “Some of these tracks in the summer months, they aren’t my best tracks. It’s easy to get lost in the process trying to understand where the speed is. A place like Dover is going to be great medicine for us.”
Jimmie Johnson finished eighth to open the playoffs at Chicagoland Speedway. He capped off the Round of 16 with a third-place finish at Dover. A seventh-place finish the following week at Charlotte signaled that Johnson may be returning to his dominant ways. Overall, the experience speedster averaged a 14th-place finish in the Round of 12. That was good to see him through to the next Round of 8. There he would encounter a three-race stretch at Martinsville Speedway, Texas, and Phoenix. Furthermore, he has combined for 20 wins at those three venues.
With the tracks set up for his success, the late-season magic he found in 2016 never showed up in 2017. His seventh-place at Charlotte was Johnson’s last top 10 race of the season. After coming in 12th at Martinsville, Johnson struggled at Texas were he dominated earlier on in the year. He finished an uncharacteristic 27th after handling issues. He also had a brush with the wall and mistakes on pit road. Jimmie Johnson knew after the Texas race that he was in trouble.
The seven-time titlist would have one last chance to make The Championship 4 at Phoenix. Phoenix was the last track in the series for drivers to advance to the finale’ in Miami. Johnson’s attempt for his eighth championship officially ended after a cut tire sent Johnson into the wall and out of the race on Lap 148.
Jimmie Johnson’s 2017 season can be characterized as inconsistent. His four top fives, 11 top 10’s were the worst of his storied career. To add insult to injury, his 7 DNF’s also tied for the most in a single season. Johnson admitted this was one of the most challenging years of his 16 full-time seasons in the Cup Series.
“Next year, we’ll be in a much better position with the Camaro body on the racecar,” Jimmie Johnson said. “Hopefully, we make the right decisions over the off-season. There’s a lot of change coming for the Chevrolets. The Camaro is going to be a huge help. We’ll take a deep breath and then look forward to getting started.”
Jimmie Johnson Bio:
Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion. All of the wins came racing for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson became the first driver to win five consecutive championships when he repeated as champion from 2006 to 2010. He also has 83 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories. Unlike other competitors, Johnson doesn’t race in the Xfinity Series. In fact, in 16 years, he only has registered one career victory.
Go to BetDSI Sportsbook to see Jimmie Johnson’s odds to win his eighth title.
