JIMMY JOHNSON RACER DRIVERS

I don’t want to believe anything is gone from me other than my patience for doing B.S. But there’s absolutely something that goes-I don’t know what that is. So in that respect, we’re very lucky that we don’t have the wear and tear that the stick-and-ball guys have. Photos will show that I’m in better shape than I was when I entered the Cup Series. JJ: I feel as good physically as I ever have.

JIMMY JOHNSON RACER DRIVERS

What happens with drivers when they get older? How do you feel physically? SI: When basketball players get older, they can’t jump as high. So personally and professionally, it’s been a big part of my life. He’s very much part of the reason why I met my wife. We worked through some tough competition issues and we’re still in a great spot today. But he’s been very open and honest and transparent with me, and our relationship, our friendship is built on that. And then I would be a step behind at least in recognizing the burn that some of this competition was causing. JJ: I think it was probably harder for him in some respects. SI: It must have been strange having ups and downs with someone you had admired so much. And before I knew it, I found myself in a heated rivalry with him racing for wins and championships. I mean, I thought the guy could walk on water, and then I come to find out that he knows of me and is willing to put money down to start a race team for me to drive. He opened up doors for Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson. He was an inspiration for me-a California dirt racer who was making it work on the asphalt. I watched him on Thursday Night Thunder and watched him through midget sprint cars, the Busch series, all of that.

JJ: I’ve bought one piece of licensed merchandise in my life, and it was a Jeff Gordon 24 car that sat on the headboard at my house growing up. SI: What was it like to go from being a Gordon fan to being his friend, colleague and competitor? My heroes were all two-wheel guys when I was eight. All of my heroes were racing on dirt, from either the motocross scene or the off-road industry. SI: So when you were eight or 10, who did you want to be when you grew up? I was a Jeff Gordon fan and so we had our rivalry inside the house. I feel like the growth inside the sport has been there for a long, long time, but toward the public we crossed a few bridges that should have been crossed a long time ago.Īnd then with Dale, that media was a bit better, but my brother was a Dale Earnhardt fan and there was no chance that we could ever get along about anything. Some would say this is the most progressive year our sport has had on that front, and I’m proud to be a part of that. I have to commend the drivers and everybody collectively wanting to have a voice and to be involved.

JJ: It’s been a big year for our sport to grow, and I have to commend NASCAR leadership. What does that say to you about how the sport has evolved since you got into it 20-some years ago?

SI: We saw Bubba Wallace running a Black Lives Matter car this year and a lot of other drivers stepping up and voicing their support-not for just Bubba and BLM, but for issues such as getting rid of the Confederate flag at tracks. I have a man cave-it’s hanging up in there. JJ: And the Southern-most tunnel, which is. SI: You did get a custom-designed colonial musket out of the deal though, right? So, 2020-I hope we can hurry up and get through it and we can reboot for ’21. My wife and children have not been to a race since Fontana at the beginning of March.įor me out there in the car, that experience is separate, and I’m disappointed that we haven’t been more competitive and we haven’t been to victory lane yet this year. I feel for my die-hard fans who had big plans to see me in some final races. Jimmie Johnson: It’s not what I expected by any means. SI: What was it like having a farewell tour with hardly anybody to say goodbye to?

Jimmy johnson racer