Jimmie Johnson appears to be a shell of his former self right now. A man who used to regularly compete for titles and race wins now finds it hard to break into the top 20 in any Cup Series race he chooses to compete in. Age might be a factor but perhaps the bigger issue is his car. Some believed that Legacy Motor Club might turn over a new leaf post its association with Toyota but that has not been the case.
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The No. 84 car qualified to start the recent Cup Series race in Kansas from the 35th spot and suffered damage on the very first lap. This set Johnson back way too much and he wasn’t able to recover through the entire race. At one point, he was seen struggling to keep up being five laps down. The checkered flag flew with sympathy in its eyes as he finished dead last in what was perhaps one of his hardest days on track.
“If it wasn’t for bad luck, we wouldn’t have any,” he wrote on Instagram and shared a few images from the dismal outing. Johnson’s resolve to not give up ought to be commended despite the disappointment. Others might have chosen to throw the towel were they running five laps behind the leader but the icon saw the race through. Only if he had a better car.
His best finish in the Next Gen era is 28th place and his average running position is around 19. Maybe better days are ahead for Legacy Motor Club and its co-owner, but it certainly doesn’t seem that way right now. Regardless, fans haven’t lost any love for the seven-time Cup Series champion.
Fans share their love and support for the NASCAR legend
Johnson has faced his fair share of criticisms over the years but the love that fans have for him far overshadows any negativity. The responses that fans provided to his Instagram post proved that. One user wrote, “We love you anyway, Jimmie. You are a man who has had many achievements in your life and you have been very humble and nice to everyone and you’re a great competitor. It’s OK you are still the greatest.”
Another added, “No matter what, Jimmie, we are fans of you forever and take great pride in that. No one can ever take away your achievements.” It is natural for fans to have high expectations from someone like Johnson and feel hurt when they’re let down. One such fan lamented, “I just want to see you be competitive again and go out there and run up front! Miss the old Jimmie! And luck has been horrible for you this year.”
Another followed, “I can safely say I have been mentally unwell watching my hero struggle these past 7 years.” It is beyond any question that Johnson will always have the love of the racing community to back him regardless of whether he leads races again. He deserves every bit of it.
