The Jimmie Johnson ballot announcement has led to a storming debate among the NASCAR faithful, with even drivers being quite vocal about the drama. There was Denny Hamlin who had publicly asked journalists to find out who were the four individuals who decided to not vote in favor of Johnson. There have been arguments raging all across social media on the matter.
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Meanwhile, in all this commotion, many forgot about the main story – Johnson and Chad Knaus’ induction into the Hall of Fame. Speaking about this recent debate, former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty mentioned how he did not have any problem with JJ not getting voted in unanimously. He further mentioned how the media narrative around the four individuals made him feel very sad.
Kyle Petty speaks on Jimmie Johnson’s HoF ballot controversy
Petty stated, “It has been sad to me to read some of the comments. That we should name the four that voted against Jimmie and then kick them off the board. When did we grow up to live in a world where if my opinions are one way and your opinion something else, and I don’t like you, I vote you off and you’re off the island? That’s it. It’s either my way or the highway.”
“And that’s what we’re saying by making those comments by ridiculing four people who have an opinion. Just like Parker Kligerman has an opinion of watching Jimmie Johnson and believes him to be the GOAT. I respect that opinion from Parker because that’s who he saw race. I have to respect those four people for whatever reason that they saw fit that they didn’t think that Jimmie should go in… Who knows what their reasoning is?…”
The sad part of this whole thing is not that Jimmie didn’t get in unanimous. Jimmie is good with it. And listen, we’ll never see anybody unanimous. If Jimmie Johnson didn’t get unanimous, I’m not going to see somebody in my lifetime.”
He further added, “I just don’t like the way we have taken the focus from celebrating Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus and Donnie Allison and these people being in the Hall of Fame, to having a massive argument on Sirius radio in every form of media, or why wasn’t unanimous. That is the craziest thing that I’ve ever run across in my life… Don’t throw rocks at you live in that glass house.”
Petty argues against the concept of the GOAT of NASCAR
Before talking about the media outrage over Jimmie Johnson not receiving 100% of the votes, Petty had also spoken about the GOATs in NASCAR racing. Although he believed that a GOAT was not a real thing in any sport, going by the eras of NASCAR racing he mentioned some of the drivers whom he considered to be in the discussion.
Petty mentioned, “I don’t believe that in any sport there is a GOAT (greatest of all time). GOATs are like unicorns, they are just non-existent. Think for that era, he (Jimmie Johnson) is the GOAT. I think Earnhardt was the GOAT. I think Richard Petty was the GOAT… So I think it just changed.”
Johnson is arguably one of the last superstars of NASCAR who was left to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. And as Petty said, if he could not get in unanimously, no one can.
