{"id":233597,"date":"2025-09-17T10:27:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T10:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/233597\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T10:27:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T10:27:14","slug":"jimmie-johnson-at-50-seven-time-champ-reflects-on-his-nascar-career-and-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/233597\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimmie Johnson at 50: Seven-time champ reflects on his NASCAR career and life"},"content":{"rendered":"

It doesn\u2019t seem like that long ago when Jimmie Johnson burst onto the NASCAR scene, given the opportunity to drive a Cup Series car at Hendrick Motorsports despite being a relative unknown and one-time winner in the Xfinity Series.<\/p>\n

But Jeff Gordon was correct in identifying his prot\u00e9g\u00e9, and Johnson went on to put himself on NASCAR\u2019s Mount Rushmore with a record-tying seven Cup Series championships and 83 Cup wins. The Californian was the best driver of his era, spanning the first decade and a half of this century.<\/p>\n

After taking a step back from NASCAR to try his hand at IndyCar and then moving his family to the United Kingdom, Johnson is back in NASCAR and all-in \u2014 this time as a team owner.<\/p>\n

Johnson became the majority owner of the two-car Legacy Motor Club team in January and has backing from Knighthead Capital Management, and he recently moved back to the United States on a full-time basis.<\/p>\n

As of Wednesday, Johnson is 50 years old \u2014 not fully retired from driving yet, but a busy man with a company to run. The Athletic spoke to Johnson to reflect on his milestone birthday, his outlook on life and his approach to competition and leadership.<\/p>\n

How is turning 50 hitting you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s wild. Slowing down in some respects has helped me grasp the number. Having kids has helped, too. When I was racing all the time \u2014 even in my early 40s \u2014 you don\u2019t ever look up. You\u2019re just grinding and going.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m taking care of myself, so I feel good, and the energy is there. It\u2019s just a number, but life is slowing down in some ways. Gosh, it\u2019s wild. In my head, 50 as a kid seemed old, you know? And damn \u2026 here it is.<\/p>\n

On your \u201cNever Settle\u201d podcast, you and co-host Marty Smith recently spoke about how 50-year-olds didn\u2019t used to look the way you guys do now. In other words, you still look young. But do you feel 50 mentally?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t feel 50 mentally, and part of that is I still have so much to learn. Being an athlete, you\u2019re exposed to a lot, but when I look around at friends who are 50 and in the workforce, their skill sets are so well-rounded in the \u201creal world\u201d compared to an athlete or race car driver.<\/p>\n

As athletes, we\u2019re highly focused in a few areas, but not as well-rounded as others. This journey on the ownership side \u2014 running a company, operations, all the different layers to it \u2014 has been a crash course. I don\u2019t know what half the acronyms mean when I sit in a meeting. There are things I\u2019ve never experienced: having an HR person to talk to or report to, all these basics for the business world that are brand new to me at 50.<\/p>\n

\"Jimmie<\/p>\n

\u201cThis journey on the ownership side \u2026 has been a crash course,\u201d Johnson says of his role with Legacy Motor Club. \u201cI don\u2019t know what half the acronyms mean when I sit in a meeting.\u201d (Mike Ehrmann \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about being a parent. For me, having kids really makes me feel my age. How has watching your daughters grow up affected you as you turn 50?<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Oldest daughter) Evie is 15 now. We just dropped her off at boarding school this month, and gosh, what an emotional roller coaster it\u2019s been. She advocated for this move, but that doesn\u2019t make it any easier for her or for us when saying goodbye and leaving.<\/p>\n

We thought we had until 18, so 15 feels ahead of schedule \u2014 really interesting and difficult. When your kids are younger, you\u2019re so busy. There\u2019s a lot of time, but to relate and have a deep relationship looks different.<\/p>\n

(Youngest daughter) Lydia just turned 12, and she\u2019s moving into this relational stage with us, while Evie is already deep into that. The time just flies by. It\u2019s the most precious commodity we all have.<\/p>\n

Now Evie is away and busy, I\u2019m busy, and the time element is tough. We\u2019re not the first parents to do this, though, and we have great friends to share stories with about how they\u2019ve navigated similar things. It\u2019s been a journey, and it has definitely made me realize my age \u2014 especially a couple of weeks ago when the driver\u2019s ed teacher showed up, and Evie drove out of the driveway behind the wheel. I thought, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Your legacy as a driver was secure a long time ago, but you\u2019ve said you\u2019re not retired. When you get behind the wheel for the occasional race now, what are you looking for \u2014 fun, feedback for the team, a challenge?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s really about having fun now. The more time I spend around the Cup Series with this generation of car, the more I realize my chances of having a real shot to win \u2014 unless it\u2019s at Daytona or Talladega \u2014 are slim. These Next Gen cars are so different, and the guys who do it every single day keep inching away from people like me who moonlight a few times a year.<\/p>\n

So my goals have shifted: If it helps the team, I\u2019m in. If I get to go out there and have fun, I\u2019m absolutely in.<\/p>\n

Strategically, we\u2019re looking at hopefully having a third charter in 2027 (Legacy is currently involved in litigation<\/a> with Rick Ware Racing over a charter purchase gone awry). If there\u2019s a way I can help the team in 2026, maybe. But there are so many unknowns. Really, it\u2019s about having fun for me right now.<\/p>\n

Can you describe how different the Next Gen car feels compared to what you drove for most of your career?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The pace of play is down a little \u2014 they\u2019re not as fast \u2014 but the work cycle is very different. With a short, 25-minute practice session and then qualifying, you can\u2019t go out there, get used to the car, make adjustments and feel what different changes do.<\/p>\n

Everything is developed in the simulator now. When you unload at the track, it is what it is \u2014 you\u2019re stuck with that setup for the weekend. To find what you need as a driver, you really need to do it every week so the car shows up at the track in the form you want. Coming in just a couple of times a year, there\u2019s no way for me to build those fine touches into the car or the setup.<\/p>\n

If there were two hours of practice like we used to have, it would be a different conversation. But the way the car drives \u2014 and the way the weekend is structured \u2014 really tilts things toward the regular drivers.<\/p>\n

\"Jimmie<\/p>\n

Jimmie Johnson, with daughters Evie (left) and Lydia and wife Chandra, at his final race as a full-time Cup Series driver at Phoenix Raceway in 2020. (Jared C. Tilton \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

You could have stayed retired, but you came back as a team owner. Why was NASCAR ownership something you had to do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m finding there are other ways to fulfill the adrenaline rush of being in the car. A month ago, I did some historic racing and even drove a boat<\/a> \u2014 those things scratched that itch in a way I didn\u2019t expect.<\/p>\n

But honestly, watching our cars (driven by Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek) fight for wins recently filled a bucket in a way I wasn\u2019t prepared for. I always thought I had to be the one holding the wheel, but now seeing the team compete is incredibly fulfilling.<\/p>\n

Ownership is so competitive \u2014 not just what you see on track Sunday afternoons. There\u2019s competition for your workforce, for sponsors. We\u2019re racing and competing in every area of the business. I\u2019ve got all the steering wheel I need now to fulfill that competitive drive. The more I get into this, the more I realize Mr. Hendrick was right all along.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been praised for being a great listener as a leader. Why is that so important to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m trying to develop and figure it out. I\u2019ve always been the one talking \u2014 complaining about what was wrong with my car and letting others fix it. That\u2019s not my role anymore.<\/p>\n

When I was in the 48 car, I focused on creating the right locker-room environment. That\u2019s something I\u2019m really passionate about for Legacy Motor Club. I want our team to embody that internally, and for people to see it externally.<\/p>\n

The picture in my mind comes from college football: those locker room shots before the team runs out of the tunnel. In motorsports, you never really see that. I want to create it \u2014 not as a show, but internally, within our walls and transporters. That passion and commitment makes us better. When the 48 car had that culture, we ran better. There\u2019s secret sauce there, and that\u2019s what I want for Legacy.<\/p>\n

You have said one of the biggest surprises as an owner is how long it takes to find speed and make gains. How do you balance patience with knowing when it\u2019s time to make changes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been asking myself that same question. That\u2019s where listening comes in. Every race has a story. Every success or failure has a story. I try to find patterns and be realistic about where we are and where we need to go.<\/p>\n

The best way I\u2019ve found is by surrounding myself with people I trust \u2014 people who have been here before and know how long we need to be patient, and when we need to start working in parallel on other plans. If we need to change course, they help me map out what that might look like.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always been patient. With the 48 car, (crew chief) Chad Knaus was impatient for all of us. (Laughs.) So my role was to provide perspective and help pick up the pieces. That\u2019s my natural headspace. But I also don\u2019t want to be asleep at the wheel.<\/p>\n

There are two things I circle back to constantly. One is accountability. There are always more layers of accountability \u2014 for departments, individuals, the equipment we\u2019re taking to the track. The second is communication. You can never communicate enough.<\/p>\n

\"Jimmie<\/p>\n

Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus celebrate their 2016 NASCAR Cup Series title, the last of the duo\u2019s seven championships. Knaus is now VP of competition for Hendrick Motorsports. (Sarah Crabill \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It seems like your role has flipped \u2014 now you embrace the handshaking, the suites, the ambassador role. Those are things you shied away from when you were focused on driving. Why do you enjoy that now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we got started in 2023, my vision was to do something different in NASCAR and in North American racing \u2014 to be more than just a team, but a brand. NASCAR is our core product, yes, but I want to appeal to a broader group and audience.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s so much love for motorsports right now. Formula One has helped bring all forms of racing more attention in the U.S., and I think there are untapped opportunities for us or anyone. It\u2019s taken us a little while to get some air under our wings, but that\u2019s starting to happen on track, so it\u2019s allowing us to spend more time with the Club and other elements that we want to roll out and you\u2019ll start seeing soon.<\/p>\n

As a driver, I needed constant accountability and pressure to perform. My off-road owner, Jon Nelson, and then Chad Knaus, rode me hard \u2014 and I didn\u2019t love it, but it made me better. I realized I had to be a bit uncomfortable. I didn\u2019t want to socialize or be in a great mood walking through the garage because I needed that pressure to succeed.<\/p>\n

Now, as an owner, it\u2019s different. The role requires me to embrace those interactions and represent the team. It\u2019s a whole different headspace.<\/p>\n

How do you hold yourself accountable now that there\u2019s no one above you pushing you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right now, it\u2019s fear. Fear of survival. This isn\u2019t cheap. Today\u2019s racing has more of a business plan than ever, but we\u2019re eager to buy a third charter \u2014 and that\u2019s going to put debt on the business.<\/p>\n

That fear is a motivator to bring my best work every day.<\/p>\n

Is there anything we didn\u2019t touch on that you\u2019d like people to know about what you\u2019re thinking as you turn 50?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not specifically \u2014 just that it\u2019s a journey I\u2019m still figuring out. I\u2019m learning every day. Our team is growing, and I\u2019m incredibly proud of the people who\u2019ve joined me on this path. It\u2019s hard work, but it\u2019s fulfilling in ways I never expected.<\/p>\n

(Top photo: Meg Oliphant \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It doesn\u2019t seem like that long ago when Jimmie Johnson burst onto the NASCAR scene, given the opportunity…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":233598,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[1833,1406,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-233597","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nascar","8":"tag-motorsports","9":"tag-nascar","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115219165778063525","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}