How old is jimmie johnson the nascar driver

His win total — including two Daytona victories, four Brickyard wins and four Coca-Cola wins — ties him with Yarborough for sixth place on the all-time wins list. He is the first seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion born and raised outside North Carolina state lines, which were once considered the more traditional breeding ground for a stock-car star.

Johnson comes from a modest upbringing in the working-class neighborhood of El Cajon, California — about a minute drive east from San Diego.

And while he raced dirt bikes in the desert on the weekends, Johnson played water polo and was a member of the diving team while at Granite Hills High School. He was a popular student there and member of the Homecoming Court. His parents, Gary and Cathy, worked hard all week — he with a tire company and she as a school bus driver. Even with his success on two wheels and in the desert, Johnson can recall exactly when his professional fortune changed for the even-better.

As you would imagine, the two bonded over their shared names. Jimmie gave Jimmy a business card and a year later, Jimmy called with an offer for Jimmie to drive a handful of Late Model stock-car races in North Carolina. He ran two full years, winning the only race of his career in that series at Chicago in And he passed out a lot of business cards. Fortunately, another California superstar in Jeff Gordon had seen Johnson at a test and talked him up at Hendrick Motorsports. Meetings and lunches followed, and Johnson and up-and-coming crew chief Chad Knaus met up to gauge their potential for working chemistry.

A match made in competitive heaven followed, and the two made their way together — forming the championship No.

I could see that desire in his eyes and obviously, he could probably give you a similar opinion of me. Corporate CEOs and blue-collar workers appreciated his laid-back, kind style and massive talent. College students and year-olds rooted him on in front of the television and ultimately followed his career on social media.

He was cool and fun. And he was a winner. Johnson earned his historic bevy of titles during a markedly robust time in the sport — far-reaching, expanded schedules, deeply competitive race lineups, a major national media presence — and … the all-important emergence of social media that allowed real-time interaction between fans and NASCAR stars in unprecedented and unforeseen ways.

Johnson has embraced a relationship with fans that has been particularly personal. More Soccer News ». More Playing for 90 News ». View all Soccer Sites. More College Football News ». More Saturday Blitz News ». View all CFB Sites. More College Basket Ball News ». More College Basket Ball Draft ». View all CBB Sites.

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