Jimmie Johnson has earned more accolades over his career than he could care to count. But words of praise from a President of the United States sure do stand special. Back in 2014, when the former Hendrick Motorsports icon was the defending champion of NASCAR, he was honored for his career achievements at the White House. The then-president of the country, Barack Obama, had some pretty elevating words for Johnson comparing him to the basketball legend Michael Jordan.
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Obama said, “He is the best there ever was. Now, everybody knows I’m a Chicago guy and usually, when we do these sports events I make some crack about how the football (team) is not as good as the ’85 Bears or the basketball team is not as good as the Bulls, but today I can’t really say anything, because Jimmie Johnson is pretty much the Michael Jordan of NASCAR.”
The president’s comparison was rather fitting considering that Johnson too had won 6 championships in 8 years like Jordan did. The driver had visited the White House, along with his wife Chandra and his daughter Genevieve. He expressed his joy at the honor to reporters in the west wing and said, “It is definitely a huge honor, and I am highly motivated right now to be the 2014 champion and come back and experience this again.”
When Johnson made his trip to Washington for the event, he had 69 Cup Series victories and was en route to winning his 7th championship. But he would end up waiting a few more years until 2016 to finally equal the record set by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr.
President Obama was in admiration of more than just Jimmie Johnson’s racing stat
Johnson’s legacy was never limited to just the racing track. The president also noted during his speech how he admired Johnson’s philanthropic nature. He mentioned how the Jimmie Johnson Foundation had donated nearly $7 million towards grants for schools and charities.
In 2023, according to the foundation’s website, the monetary value of contributions exceeds $13 million.
President Obama said, “For Jimmie, it also means giving back to his community, being a good husband to his gorgeous wife, Chani, and his daughters, Evie and Lydia, and, of course, dominating the track.” Continuing to express his admiration for the Hendrick Motorsports #48 crew and their work, he congratulated the team.
He concluded his address by joking that Johnson was coming by the White House so often that they ought to give the #48 car a permanent White House pass.
