Jimmie Johnson hung his helmet in 2020 after capturing seven championships and 83 race wins with Hendrick Motorsports. Widely regarded as one of NASCAR’s key figures, his legacy is often mentioned in the same breath as icons Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. However, it seems Johnson’s greatness went beyond victories and speed. Carl Edwards, who looks up to Jimmie, once praised him as an exemplary role model for children.
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In a 2014 interview, when Edwards was asked to name a fellow driver whom young fans can draw inspiration from, he picked Johnson without hesitation.
“I tell people this all the time: If I go back and look at pictures of my first win, the guy that I beat coming off Turn 4, Jimmie Johnson, is standing in victory lane, dumping Gatorade on my head, laughing and high-fiving me,” Edwards had told journalist Jeff Gluck in his 12 Questions segment.
“In my mind, that is what I’ve always strived to be — a competitor who can be as focused as Jimmie is and as good as he is but also have the perspective he has. I believe he genuinely has fun competing,” added Edwards.
Underscoring Johnson’s sportsmanship, he concluded: “At the end of the day, life is such that you’re going to lose at something. Everybody is. And in racing, it’s more than you win. So I really look up to Jimmie for those reasons.”
The incident Carl mentioned was from 2005 when he won his first NASCAR Cup race. In fact, within a 24-hour span, he had secured two wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway — one in the Cup series and the other in the Xfinity series. His Cup finish against Johnson is remembered as one of the most impressive photo finishes of the early 2000s.
In the concluding 44 laps of that race, Edwards, found himself locked in a duel with Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports.
Johnson held the lead for 39 of those laps, but it was Edwards, driving the #99 Roush Fenway Racing car, who led in the crucial final five. And Edwards left the best for the last lap.
Taking the high line, he closed in on Johnson and made his decisive move in the 4th turn of the track as they approached the checkered flag. The two drivers clashed doors racing through the tri-oval, with Edwards edging out Johnson by a mere 0.028 seconds.
In his post-race interview, Edwards didn’t hesitate to praise Johnson.
“Let me tell you Jimmie Johnson is an amazing competitor. I’m telling you I’ve never driven that hard in my life,” Edwards had said.
Edwards indeed respected Johnson, the racer as well as the man. Another NASCAR legend also had a similar sentiment for Jimmie.
Jeff Gordon also viewed Johnson as an exemplary role model for kids
When Gordon was asked to identify a fellow driver who could serve as an inspiration for children, he had immediately named his teammate, Johnson.
“There are a lot of good guys in the garage area. But you know, Jimmie (Johnson) lives near us, he’s a good dad, he’s a great race car driver and I think he’s very well-balanced. So I’d say probably Jimmie,” Gordon had said in 2014.
Jeff had a deeper bond with Johnson. He attributed it to fatherhood as that helped them relate to each other’s priorities and lifestyles. Both Johnson and Gordon had two children.
Gordon added that given his frequent interactions with Johnson away from the racetrack, he was convinced of Jimmie’s positive influence on his own children.
