Johnson, Jimmie (1975-…), is an American automobile racing driver. In 2010, Johnson became the first driver to win the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) championship five years in a row. Stock cars are large, late-model sedans that resemble ordinary passenger cars but have been built especially for racing. Johnson won the championship from 2006 through 2010 and again in 2013 and 2016. The championship was known as the Nextel Cup Championship from 2004 to 2007. It was called the Sprint Cup Championship from 2008 through 2016 and is now called the NASCAR Cup Championship. Johnson is one of only three drivers to win the NASCAR title at least seven times. The other two are Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty.
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson was born on Sept. 17, 1975, in El Cajon, California. He began racing on small motorcycles at the age of 5. He won his first motorcycle championship when he was 8. Later, Johnson competed in motocross and in off-road and stadium truck races. Motocross races are motorcycle competitions run on rugged courses that have jumps, hills, and other obstacles. In 1998, Johnson began racing automobiles occasionally in the NASCAR Busch (now Xfinity) Series of races. He became a full-time driver in the Busch Series in 2000. He won his first race in 2001.
Johnson started competing in what is now called the NASCAR Cup Series in 2001. He joined the Hendrick Motorsports racing organization as a full-time driver in 2002. Johnson started the Jimmie Johnson Foundation to help needy families, especially children, in 2006.
In 2021, Johnson began racing in the NTT IndyCar Series, a spring-to-autumn schedule of races primarily held in North America. Indy cars have a single seat, an open cockpit, and open wheels—that is, wheels positioned outside the body of the car. Johnson retired from full-time racing in 2022. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2024.
