There are seasoned drivers who have been driving for decades and yet do not have a NASCAR Cup title. And then there is Jimmie Johnson, with seven of those to his credit. Considering everything that this extraordinarily talented athlete has achieved throughout his career, the title of Hall of Famer surely suits him.
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The good news is that the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame has revealed the names of this year’s finalists and the 7x Cup Series champion is one of the 11 names. Other entries include veteran NASCAR crew chief Ernie Cope and Indianapolis 500 ace, Davey Hamilton.
Further voting will be done by the organization’s board of directors and will continue through January 29th. The five inductees will be announced at the beginning of March.
Indeed, the ceremony is going to be a gala event. It’s expected that the curtains to the induction ceremony, presented by the World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, will draw apart on June 6, during the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West weekend at Sonoma Raceway.
Jimmie Johnson is not the unanimous choice for NASCAR’s most prestigious room
Surely, the induction ceremony for the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame might pan out as an honor befitting for the NASCAR stalwart. However, it would be shocking for many to know that the 83-time Cup Series race winner did not receive the unanimous vote for being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Despite 18 years of pure dominance in the arena of NASCAR, Johnson received 93% of the total number of votes. That means, out of the 57 votes, only four weren’t cast in favor of the former Hendrick star. This baffled Johnson’s former crew chief Chad Knaus. Pointing to Johnson, Knaus said as per Charlotte Observer, “If this man right here isn’t a unanimous vote, I don’t know if anybody ever will be.”
However, it didn’t matter to the man himself. Yes, it would be great to be a Hall of Famer, but Johnson’s lifetime achievements and contributions to the sport alone are enough for his name to be etched in the hearts of millions of NASCAR fans.
And that is true with or without the prestigious title.
