Considered one of the greatest drivers NASCAR has ever seen, Jimmie Johnson is often at the center of heavy criticism from the fans. The now part-time competitor was once at the top of the NASCAR mountain, setting the bar for what it takes to be the Cup Series champion.
In 2019, Kevin Harvick hosted the seven-time Cup Series champion on his SiriusXM radio show following an eventful exhibition race. Having enjoyed the conversation with the track legend, Harvick’s respect for Johnson had grown even more. At the same time, it also made him realize that fans often take the Hendrick Motorsports driver for granted.
Conversation With Jimmie Johnson Made Kevin Harvick Realize Harsh Reality
On Feb. 10, 2019, an exhibition race in Daytona — the Advance Auto Parts Clash — saw a final-lap crash that involved multiple cars wrecking out. Johnson was the primary party at fault for the crash, and he faced immense backlash.
But when Harvick spoke to Johnson, he realized how unwarranted most of the hate was. Per Harvick, the experience, “Was great because I feel like, in my opinion, Jimmie is one of the most disrespected great drivers that has ever come through this garage.” He added that Johnson was “Just a good, old-fashioned guy.”
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver also said that Johnson loves to help people and that he had done great things in the garage, in his car, and outside. Furthermore, he felt that people sometimes forget that the driver had won seven championships and all the other great things he had accomplished.
Gaining prominence as an off-road racer, Johnson would transition to the Xfinity Series, where he found little success. However, once he won a race with Stanley Herzog in 2001, the experts saw him as an enormous talent with an underfunded program. In came Ricky Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, who gave him a shot at the biggest league of them all.
Harvick admired Johnson’s path to the biggest stage, mainly because he started from the lowest of lows and reached the highest of highs.
He felt that fans took Johnson’s success and professionalism for granted. He claimed that fans were letting go of many details without realizing they were witnessing one of the most impressive careers in the sport’s history. Harvick hopes motorsport fans do a better job of appreciating greatness when they are fortunate enough to witness it.
