Back in the Race

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson was almost halfway through the last race of 2005—which would decide the season-ending Nextel Cup championship—in Homestead, Fla., when a blown right rear tire sent his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet smashing into the track’s outside wall. The November collision demolished his car, as well as his dreams for a trophy.

In a sport where tempers can run as hot as the engines, some drivers might still be licking their wounds. But Johnson, 30, after only four seasons as a NASCAR Nextel Cup series driver, isn’t looking back. Instead, he’s speeding into the new season, which officially begins Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Fla. He’s roaring ahead on a fresh quest to clinch the highly coveted year-end Nextel Cup championship, which is awarded each December.

"There is so much built up on each individual season to be a champion," says Johnson, who lives in Mooresville, N.C. (pop. 18,823), and drives for Hendrick Motorsports. "You re-rack and head to Daytona with a clean mind and focused on a new season," he says. "It’s what makes me tick. Four times last year I had that feeling, and there were 32 that I didn’t. I had a great season and I still lost 32 times."

Johnson has earned a reputation as one of NASCAR’s hottest drivers, but one who repeatedly comes up short at season’s end despite strong showings throughout the year. "He has a reputation for hard luck," says author Larry Woody, who has written several auto racing books, including Along for the Ride: A Collection of Stories from the Fast and Furious World of NASCAR. "He races hard and comes close, but can’t seal the deal at the end of the year."

Last year, Johnson won four races and took home nearly $6.8 million in prize money. But he came in fifth at season’s end, with driver Tony Stewart taking the championship trophy. In 2004, Johnson won eight races and was the runner-up in the overall championship for the second consecutive year, coming in eight points behind Kurt Busch in one of the closest standings in NASCAR history.

"With the championship in 2004, I really felt like it was our year," Johnson says. "But we weren’t able to do it." He’s developed a successful strategy that perhaps at first glance might seem out of step with his sport: patience. "It sounds odd hearing a race car driver talk about patience, but patience really plays out in my personal and professional life," says Johnson, who recently celebrated his one-year anniversary with wife, professional model Chandra Janway. "I’ve learned that things happen for a reason. Patience is one of the toughest things to learn, but it really pays off when you do."

The thinking man’s driver

Johnson has matured noticeably since he joined the NASCAR circuit fulltime in 2002 and is respected as a shrewd, smart driver. "He’s a thinking man’s kind of driver," Woody says. "A couple of years ago, he was aggressive and got caught up in some crashes and lost the title contention. Last year, he was a little more deliberate and thoughtful. He’s more mature and took more of a thinking, thoughtful approach to racing, instead of just stomping the gas pedal down, hanging on and running in circles."

Woody admires Johnson’s out-of-car behavior as well. Although some NASCAR drivers such as Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch make headlines with their bad-boy behavior, Johnson has maintained an honorable image with his quiet, laid-back persona. "He’s an all-around good guy; he’s the all-American boy," Woody says. "He’s a clean-cut guy who basically goes out, runs his race and goes home. The fans like him, the corporate sponsors like him and NASCAR likes him. He’s a good racer, he races hard, he races clean and doesn’t create problems for them."

Life in the fast lane

Johnson can’t remember a time when he didn’t look forward to the next race. "There is something about the competition and trying to out-think and out-maneuver the guys you are racing that I’ve always enjoyed," he says. "Speed is fun, scaring myself is fun, all the different things related to courage that you would expect to hear from race car drivers." He smiles. "But what I love is racing someone, trying to pass them and get by them."

A native of El Cajon, Calif., Johnson started racing 50cc motorcycles at age 5 and was strongly encouraged by his father, Gary, who worked for a tire company, and his mother, Cathy, a school bus driver.

"I grew up out in the hills a little bit, east of San Diego," says Johnson, one of three brothers. "It was nice for me, being a kid and riding motorcycles. The Arizona desert was close by. We would drive down, camp out in the desert and ride motorcycles, four-wheelers and sand buggies. I was riding motorcycles at 4 and driving a car at 10 years old.

"My grandparents owned a local motorcycle shop and my dad worked on kids’ bikes," he says. "My brothers and I grew up at the track and around it, and my dad worked on race cars. Through his relationship and the time at the racetrack, I was able to meet the right people to help me move off two wheels and into four wheels when I was 15."

Although his parents encouraged life in the fast lane, they also stressed the importance of enjoying moments off the track. "They were relaxed people who enjoyed life," Johnson says. "In stressful situations, my parents have always advised me to be relaxed, do what you have to do and enjoy the moment. That helps me in pressure situations."

Not only does Johnson grapple today with pressure to race well, he feels the stress of being a public figure and spokesman for major corporate sponsors such as Lowe’s, Levi’s Signature, Gatorade, Tylenol and Gillette. In addition, he’s preparing to launch a show he’ll host this year on XM Satellite Radio. "There are just so many pressures representing these companies and performing in our cars," he says. "If you are winning, everything is great, but there is pressure to perform and succeed.

"It’s one of those things you have to deal with, and I’ve found my own approach. My wife helps me out in a huge way. She helps me escape and regroup and refocus on what is important. It’s easy when you are deeply involved with something to get a skewed view and not see something different."

For now, Johnson is looking forward to a new racing season and the hopes that this year will bring him the NASCAR championship that has eluded him. But if it doesn’t, he knows he’s still a fortunate man, one of an elite group of professional Nextel Cup series drivers that number only around 50.

"I’ve learned that I’m very lucky and blessed to be where I am," Johnson says. "I’m going to work extremely hard to be the champion. I’m going to do what I can and be happy with what I’ve accomplished, and happy with how the year turns out."

Beverly Keel is a Contributing Editor with American Profile.

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