JockBio: Jimmie Johnson Facts

JockBio Vital Stats
• NASCAR	• Driver	• #48
• Height: 5' 11"	• Weight: 175	• Born:9/17/75

As a child, Jimmie did not lose his first 60cc motocross race until he broke his knee.
Jimmie was Rookie of the Year in three different off-road leagues during the 1990s.
Jimmie’s first Busch Series win came at the 2000 Hills Brothers Coffee 300.
Jimmie’s 2001 Winston Cup debut was a bittersweet experience. Fellow driver and friend Blaise Alexander had just died in an ARCA event.
In 2002, Jimmie drove the cars that Jeff Gordon had driven to the Winston Cup championship in 2001.
In 2003, Jimmie won the Nextel All-Star Challenge.
Had the scoring system for the 2004 Nextel Cup been applied to the 2003 Winston Cup results, Jimmie would have edged Matt Kenseth for the championship.
In 2006, Jimmie became just the eighth NASCAR driver to win a career Grand Slam.
Jimmie's 2006 victory at Talladega marked his sixth victory in his last 11 “majors.”
Jimmie’s 2006 Daytona 500 win marked the fourth time a different Hendrick Motorsports had won the race—a NASCAR record.
Jimmie was named NASCAR Driver of the Year in 2006. His $15,770,125 in winnings set a record.
Before Jimmie won four events in a row in 2007, the last driver to do this was Jeff Gordon, in 1998.
In 2007, Jimmie donated his winnings from the Pep Boys Auto 500 to victims of the California wildfires.
Jimmie is the only NASCAR driver to win three straight Coca-Cola 600s.
Jimmie and Brian Vickers are part owners of the Hollywood Fame of the American Basketball Association.
Jimmie was named San Diego Pro Athlete of the Year for 2007.
In June of 2007, in the road-race debut of the Car of Tomorrow, Jimmie was punished by NASCAR for an illegal body configuration. Although his car fit the NASCAR template, the shape of the fenders between the template points was considered illegal. Jimmie was made to start the race at the back, and his crew chief Chad Knaus was fined and suspended for six races.
Jimmie’s 2009 win at Martinsville came on the 25th anniversary of Rick Hendrick’s first NASCAR victory. Jeff Goron calls Jimmie "Mr. Martinsville" because of his dominance at that track.
Jimmie is just the eighth driver in the modern era to win in double-digits during a season. The others are Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty.
Jimmie has a phobia about sharks. He developed his deep-seated fear during his surfing days in Southern California.
Jimmie’s dad drives the team’s motor coach from race to race during the season.
In 2005, Jimmie began broadcasting his own radio show, “Not What You Expected,” on XM Satellite. Among his guests have been Marcus Giles and Nick Lachey.
Jimmie was named Driver of the Year by The Sporting News in its 2004 poll of drivers and mechanics.
Jimmie married his girlfriend, former model Chandra Janway, after the 2004 season. She runs the Jimmie Johnson foundation. They live in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jimmie and HBO agreed to do a miniseries heading into the 2010 Daytona 500.
Jimmie hopes to design his own racing video game someday.
Jimmie once broke his wrist while “surfing” on top of a golf cart.
Jimmie once ran out of gas on the way to the Charlotte Airport. No one recognized him and stopped to help.

Jeff Gordon,
2005 The Sporting News

Brian Vickers, 2003 Press Pass

Cale Yarborough,
autographed card