Name another former NASCAR driver in the modern era who had been as revered as Jimmie Johnson. Well, of course, there is Jeff Gordon, but Johnson has to be on an entirely different level. With 83 Cup Series wins, five back-to-back championships from 2006 to 2010, and seven Championship titles in total, Johnson’s resume is certainly as good as they get.
Advertisement
However, after the votes came in for the Hall of Fame induction for Jimmie Johnson, it did not seem that everyone agreed with Johnson’s achievements. Whilst the majority of the voters had the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s name on their ballots, there were a few who thought otherwise.
Furthermore, after learning that Johnson was not unanimously voted into the HoF induction, his former crew chief and also a HoF nominee mentioned that if it wasn’t Johnson then no one else would get a 100% ballot.
Johnson and Knaus react to the 7x Cup champion not being a unanimous pick
As per FOX Sports, Knaus mentioned, “If this man right here isn’t a unanimous vote, I don’t know if anybody ever will be. He’s the nicest guy. The best race-car driver to ever sit in a NASCAR race car.”
“He’s a huge contributor to our sport … He is the ideal picture of what a Hall of Fame inductee.”
Having said that, the fact that he didn’t get a unanimous vote didn’t really bother Johnson all that much. “It doesn’t matter,” Johnson said about the subject.
Knaus may be right in his assumption. Considering anyone else, NASCAR thinks of adding to the Hall of Fame list would not be as popular as Jimmie Johnson. At least not at the moment. But yes, Johnson was the closest NASCAR superstar who could have gotten into the HoF with a 100% vote.
But fate had it otherwise.
Jimmie Johnson did not get a unanimous vote for the Hall of Fame Induction
Despite the strong feeling that Johnson would be the first to get all the votes for the induction, that didn’t just happen. In fact, he had his name on 93% of the 57 ballots. Interestingly, there had been four individuals who decided to vote against the seven-time Cup Series champion.
As surprising as it may sound, that is what really happened. In fact, nobody since the introduction of the HoF in 2010 has been voted in unanimously. Not even the likes of Richard Petty or Dale Earnhardt Sr. Imagine that.
There had been people who thought the King, and the Intimidator were not good enough. So naturally, Johnson’s news infuriated several within the NASCAR community, fans and drivers alike.
But again, the truth of the matter is, regardless of the outcome, Johnson and Knaus will still make it to the induction considering how everyone else voted for them.
