Gordon: “What he is accomplishing may be more significant than what Richard and Dale achieved.”
Jimmie Johnson won a record-tying seventh NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES championship Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, putting him in the elite company of former champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. Johnson accomplished the feat by winning the race and besting fellow NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup contenders Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano. Below, FOX NASCAR analysts four-time champion Jeff Gordon and Hall of Famer/three-time champ Darrell Waltrip offer their perspective on Johnson’s historic accomplishment.
On the significance of a seventh championship in this era:
Gordon: “A lot of people ask me — the points have changed and the Chase format isn’t the same as when you and Dale Earnhardt won championships, and I say, ‘Yeah, you’re right. I don’t think you can fairly compare the two scenarios or even pull Richard (Petty) into that.’ But what I can tell you is I think it’s harder to win seven now than back then. I look at the competition level, the Chase format, the variables and difficulty of getting from round to round. What he is accomplishing may be more significant than what Richard and Dale achieved.
“I don’t know if this will ever be done again. I know we said that with Richard, we said that with Earnhardt. It is so hard to win these championships, and to see a guy like Jimmie Johnson … I think he’s already solidified himself as one of the all-time greats, but he set a mark that I don’t know will ever be touched, and he goes into legend category and beyond. And it couldn’t happen to a better guy or a better race car driver.”
Waltrip: “Jeff Gordon is the closest to Jimmie in championships, and when Gordon won his fourth, I figured he would be the guy who would go on to win 100 races and seven or eight titles. But that didn’t happen. There are a bunch of hungry hounds about to hit the track, young men who are going to mature. There is Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and even Joey Logano – up-and-coming drivers who will make it harder for the establishment and older drivers to continue to have the success they’ve enjoyed. How will Erik Jones do at Furniture Row Racing? Chase Elliott will have another year under his belt next season, as will Kyle Larson. Those guys are gaining experience that will make it harder for Johnson to repeat as champion.”
On how many more championships Johnson might capture:
Gordon: “Now, I think the motivation turns into ‘I’ve tied the greats of Richard and Dale with seven, but I want to stand alone on my own with eight. I truly believe he will get eight. He will go for eight, and I don’t think he stops until he gets it.”
Waltrip: “I don’t know if he has an eighth championship in him. I had thought six was his maximum. Johnson had a couple of bad years where he had trouble in the Chase and didn’t make it to the Championship 4, so I wasn’t sure the Chase format suited him. With the way the competition and rules are today, it seems unfathomable he could be in the position to make history, but Johnson is the coolest driver out there. He’s the prototype driver who sits on a hot stove and pees ice water. But he’s not that young anymore and it would be another year under the pressure these guys are under now and the demands on their time and demands to win and advance through the Chase rounds. The pressure is more intense now than ever before. I won’t ever say he can’t do it because he has had a lot of consistency with the same car, crew chief and team his entire career, and that’s crucial to continued success. I don’t think he has an eighth in him, but I also wouldn’t be terribly surprised if he and Chad Knaus end up winning 10 championships. After all, he is Jimmie Johnson.”
FOX Sports PR
- General Tire 150: Zilisch triumphsfor first ARCA Menards Series victory - April 26, 2024
- Greg Van Alst Determined to Conquer Monster Mile Debut - April 26, 2024
- Chiaramonte’s Speed Impressive at Merced – Debuts New Car at Perris on Saturday - April 26, 2024