Jimmie Johnson’s name in the NASCAR book of records always sits at the top, thanks to the seven Cup Series championships he racked up during his tenure as a full-time driver. But these trophies aren’t only what make him the legend he is. The domination he held over his colleagues is more clearly seen through another important statistic.
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Johnson started 144 races since his last victory in the Cup Series in 2017. And still, he has the best career winning percentage of any driver in the past 45 years.
Across 700 starts, Johnson has a winning percentage of 0.1186. Four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon sits next to him with a winning percentage of 0.1155.
Johnson can go another 18 races without winning before his percentage drops below that of his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate. Interestingly, he outperformed Gordon 76–35 during the 14 years their careers overlapped. He won only seven more when Gordon wasn’t sharing the track with him.
Fun fact: Jimmie Johnson is winless in his last 144 Cup Series starts. He still has the best career winning percentage of any driver of the past 45 years. pic.twitter.com/yS3QaBvh7e
— Ryan McCafferty (@rjmanalytics) January 3, 2026
Johnson failed to win a race in the final three full-time seasons of his career and retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2020 season. Since then, he has made multiple starts for Legacy Motor Club, a team he now co-owns. It is with that organization, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE, that he plans to attempt qualification for the 2026 Daytona 500.
Other drivers with high win percentages
Third on the list of best win percentages, alongside Johnson and Gordon, is Dale Earnhardt Sr. The Intimidator started 609 races between 1981 and 2025, earning a win percentage of 0.1149. Three active drivers also feature in the top 10. Kyle Busch holds a win percentage of 0.0840, Denny Hamlin sits at 0.0832, and Kyle Larson rounds out the list with 0.0796.
Busch and Hamlin are nearing the end of their careers. The fact that they sit well below Johnson’s numbers is a testament to how much more difficult the sport has become in the modern era. Winning races is no longer as straightforward, with parity now enforced throughout the field.
In that light, it remains a big question whether any driver will ever come close to Johnson’s mark, or even break into the top five.
