WATCH: Chase Elliott once confirmed Jimmie Johnson isn’t getting the respect he deserves
Chase Elliott sees Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR career as the best.
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Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson (Via IMAGO)
Jimmie Johnson is arguably the greatest NASCAR driver of all time. He has won seven championships and 83 Cup races in his career in the pinnacle of stock car racing before moving into the world of IndyCar. Johnson is now back in the NASCAR Cup Series as a co-owner and part-time driver at Legacy Motor Club.
But unlike Johnson’s fellow 7-times champions Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, the HMS legend doesn’t get equal appreciation or support from the racing community, according to 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott. In an interview years ago, Elliott, when asked about it, highlighted Johnson’s accomplishments, and he doesn’t have a clear answer to why it is like that.
I don’t think he ever really had (gotten the respect). The guy has done an awful lot for the sport, has had a tonne of success really if you think about it really short period of time. He’s only been doing this for about 20 years, and to have seven championships in those 2o years is pretty remarkable if you ask me.Elliott told Lindsay Czarniak.
There might be many reasons why the fans don’t appreciate Jimmie Johnson. One of the reasons would be the fact that he dominated when the sport was at its peak in terms of fame. He defeated fan favorites such as Jeff Gordon and, Dale Earnhardt Jr. with ease during his peak years. It’s hard for many old fans to replace Dale Sr. or Petty with Johnson after putting them on a pedestal for a long time.
Jimmie Johnson gave some fans another factor to dislike him in 2023
Johnson returned to NASCAR before the 2023 season, joining the Petty GMS Racing team. The team was rebranded as Legacy Motor Club, and removing the Petty name hasn’t sat well with many fans. This, followed by rumors about Johnson having absolute control over the team and Petty being sidelined, also raised some eyebrows.
Then, another shocking news came out. Johnson announced that Legacy Motor Club would end its longtime partnership with Chevy and move to Japanese manufacturer Toyota. This enraged some fans, as Toyota, a non-US brand, doesn’t enjoy much support in the NASCAR scene.
Johnson will debut with Toyota next season as part of a part-time cup outing with the No:84 team of Legacy MC. The 2023 season was a huge disappointment for the team. Hence, they will be hoping for redemption in 2024, and a potential win with Toyota would be great for his legacy as a proven race winner.
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Justin P Joy
(5010 Articles Published)