With all the recent talk about the confrontation Jimmie had with fan favorite Ryan Blaney, or even the last lap screw up while contending for a win last fall at the roval. The signs are obvious Jimmie is done and is proving it more and more every week right? I mean he is on the longest win less streak of his career. That instantly means he’s done, or is he? As a fan who has watched the sport since Jimmies career began it is plain to see his career is winding down but here’s why he isn’t completely done being Jimmie Johnson.
Timeline of Horror
I want to cover a few things going back to the end of the 2016 season. Things that really could mount against a driver even at the caliber of Jimmie.
- November 20th 2016: Jimmie Johnson wins record tying 7th championship ties Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty
- June 4th 2017: Jimmie wins at Dover, this being his last points paying trip to victory lane.
- March 14th 2018: Longtime Sponsor Lowes announces the 2018 season will be there last season on the #48 car. After seven championships, and 83 wins together.
- November 2018: The end of Johnson’s win less season. Only 40 total laps led all season, the decision was made to split with longtime crew chief Chad Knaus.
- February 2019: The start of a new partnership both sponsor and crew chief wise. Ally Financial and Kevin Meendering join Jimmie.
- August 4th 2019: HMS announces Jimmie will have a new crew chief for the rest of the 2019 season starting at Watkins Glen. Cliff Daniels joins the seven time championship.
Keep Counting Jimmie Out
Thus far I know Jimmie hasn’t been able to get back to his typical form we’ve all been used to seeing. With two races until the playoff’s start he is riding an 81 race win less streak the longest in Jimmies career. I mean his laps led and top fives compared to last season have improved, but if something drastic doesn’t change he may be at risk of not making the playoffs. After last weekends controversy with fan favorite Penske driver Ryan Blaney. The screams became more and more prevalent on social media. I seen people saying the likes of “He’s done” or my favorite “Mr. Hendrick needs to get him out of that car.”
While he’s not been in victory lane in over two years, a win less streak for sure does not mean Jimmie is done. Some of the legends of this sport have doubled and even almost tripled Jimmies current streak. Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott had a streak that spanned over seven years and over two hundred races between wins. A driver with deep roots in the HMS building have even experienced a streak that some thought were outlandish. Terry Labonte had a streak that was one hundred and fifty six races. The 2019 Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Gordon in the not to distant past even was able to snap an eighty eight race win less streak in 2011.
With one more year on his contract with HMS and sponsor Ally Financial the future Hall of Famer is not done winning just yet. Cliff Daniels the new chief of that team had made some solid calls last week at Watkins Glen before the run in with Blaney. Who knows we all may start counting Jimmie out and he could go onto have a final season whenever he does announce his retirement like his long time teammate Jeff Gordon and compete for a championship.
Conclusion
It’s been very obvious the talent in the Xfinity series with the names like Bell, Custer, and Reddick. You can see for anyone watching that there is an excess of talent waiting for a chance to jump up into the cup series. It would be very difficult for Mr. H to keep a seven time champion in a car if he is still win less this time next season.
While sponsorship is the name of the financial game for drivers in the cup series now. Jimmies career is coming to an end, every driver has his time to call it quits. Jimmie is no different and deserves to walk out on his own terms. I mean come on guys lets not forget what this man has done in the sport accomplishment wise. The seven time champion is in no way done winning. Jimmie is just waiting for that chance and when he gets it he is going to prove a bunch of doubters and fair weather fans wrong.
