“Just face the facts,” Hall Of Famer calls out people who discredit Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR dominance

“Just face the facts,” Hall Of Famer calls out people who discredit Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR dominance

Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin

Jimmie Johnson’s greatness in NASCAR is one of the most disputed topics. Though many put him in the elite three brackets, his position as the all-time great is a considerable debate. The man who dominated NASCAR at the sport’s peak has many admirers and haters.

Jimmie Johson’s former teammate and one of his greatest rivals Mark Martin is one of the admirers. The Hall Of Fame racer isn’t a fan of individuals from the NASCAR community who still finds excuses to discredit the dominance in the Cup series.  He pointed out that the number of wins and top finishes he got over the rest of the cup garage is enough to prove his worth.

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“I can’t understand why people can’t accept the fact that (Jimmie) was better than the rest of us. He just was. He got better results. So, instead of making excuses, I just face the facts. He beat us. He beat us a lot more than we beat him. That’s the fact,” Mark Martin said.

Jimmie Johnson is one of the three cup legends who won the premier stock car racing championship seven times. The other two are Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. The “King’s” dominance came in the earlier stages of NASCAR, which was more about the car than the driver. Dale Sr. redefined an era and fought hard for his seven titles.  JJ had the challenging task of dominating more talented and competitive rivals.

Also read: Alex Bowman and HMS will not surrender the No:48 to Jimmie Johnson for his return to NASCAR in the 2023 Daytona 500

Jimmie Johnson’s return to cup racing might stain his legacy

Daytona 500
Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson (Images via IMAGO/ USA Today Network)

Jimmie Johnson, who retired from the cup series in 2020, has surprised everyone at the Cup garage. He joined fellow record cup championship holder Richard Petty as the co-owner of Pretty GMS Racing.  He will drive part-time in a third Petty GMs cup entry that will also host many other drivers. He guided the team’s full-time line-up of Erik Jones and rookie Noah Gregson.

He is set to drive six races with his new team and will make his first start in the Daytona 500 speed weeks. Johnson’s return is significant, considering he has been away from stock racing for two years. He arced full-time in IndyCar for Chip Ganassi this season after a part-time run in 2021. Making his return in the Daytona 500 is a considerable risk as well.

It’s not assured that Petty GMS will have a competitive car in 2023 though they have made significant strides toward this season’s end. They scored a win during the posts season. Johnson might have a mid-pack car throughout the season. That could affect his final output, as many still have hopes to see him back in the victory lane.  

Also read: NASCAR releases 2023 Daytona 500 Speedweek schedule with a major change

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