Heading into his 700th Cup Series start at the Coca-Cola 600, Jimmie Johnson cleared the air surrounding his future as a driver. “I’m not a numbers guy, but I literally have not been paying attention to this. It would have been amazing to plan at being done at 700 or some element of, but that’s really not the case.” In fact, the 7-time champion expressed his desire to run more races this year.
This renewed optimism could be because of his P3 finish at the Daytona 500. And, who knows, he might want to join Darrell Waltrip on the all-time win list in fifth place. Currently, he has 83 Cup wins under his belt, and is just one shy of Waltrip’s 84. Call it a coincidence or a constant reminder, Johnson competes in the No. 84 Toyota. This makes you wonder, how long is the former HMS star willing to run this race, and where will he stop?
Well, if we are to go by Kevin Harvick’s assessment, he feels that Johnson hasn’t been able to identify his next passion project or adventure. And he explained this in depth, speaking on the Happy Hour podcast, even drawing parallels to his exit from competitive racing.
“It’s tough. I think for myself personally, I had something else to do. I knew that I was going to be in the broadcast booth with FOX. So I knew that I was at the point where I wanted to go do something else. So there was a lot of things that went into that decision. My Stewart Haas contract was up, I had the FOX piece of it all put together.” Harvick explained on the podcast.
Harvick knew he wasn’t growing any younger at 47, and he wasn’t a regular contender for wins and championships. With two wins in the Next Gen era and Stewart-Haas Racing losing its edge, he knew his time was up. To make matters easy, he was already roped in by FOX to call races alongside his friend Clint Bowyer and veteran Mike Joy. In comparison, Jimmie Johnson couldn’t find that next switch or focus point, according to Harvick.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Jimmie Johnson Announcement Nov 4, 2022 Avondale, Arizona, USA Jimmie Johnson speaks with the media during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz at Phoenix Raceway. Jimmie Johnson finalized an ownership stake within the Petty GMS organization starting in 2023, and Johnson will also drive in select races for the team starting at the Daytona 500. Avondale Phoenix Raceway Arizona USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxA.xVasquezx 20221104_gav_sv5_007
“I think Jimmie he struggled a little bit at the end at Hendrick, and then went to IndyCar, and it didn’t go great. I think you’re searching for what you do next, when you’re on the road all the time and have this lifestyle that goes with what you do, things you like to do, getting in the car, it’s just tough to step away from it… It’s not just the same when you’re not there on a week-to-week basis, every single week.” Harvick added.
Well, to Harvick’s point, Johnson is now a co-owner of the team Legacy Motor Club. Bringing in the investment from the Knighthead Capital Management, he is now a majority owner of the organization. It is worth noting that LMC hasn’t formed a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing after they switched to Toyota in 2024. So, building the project and contributing to this program is something Johnson has taken upon himself, and is the reason why he is still racing in NASCAR. But his return to the Coca-Cola 600 wasn’t something he’d like to look back on.
Jimmie Johnson makes a rookie mistake at Charlotte
Johnson has four Coca-Cola 600 trophies to his name, along with that cool-looking vending machine. But last Sunday, he couldn’t catch a good break competing in the 600-mile marathon, which once was his playground. During lap 112 of the race, the #84 car spun sideways, triggering a multi-car wreck, collecting Connor Zilisch and Cole Custer. And just like that, Johnson’s day was over.
Not the end he would’ve hoped for on his 700th start. Reflecting on the incident, he said, “I just make a rookie mistake… the traffic situations are just different with this car. My instincts, I kind of reacted in a way that I shouldn’t have. And by the time I realized it, it was too late. I wish I was still out there.”
The good news for LMC is that both full-time drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones, are finally finding their rhythm. After a P5 finish at Daytona, Nemechek had a back-to-back top 10 finish coming into Charlotte, and Jones bagged his first top 5 finish at Kansas. So there’s reason to be optimistic for Johnson and his team.
The post Kevin Harvick Exposes the Harsh Truth Behind Jimmie Johnson’s Refusal to Retire: “It’s Tough” appeared first on EssentiallySports.