Jimmie Johnson reacts to not being unanimous Hall of Fame selection
Despite being a seven-time champion and 83-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson wasn’t unanimously voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Wednesday.
Johnson received 93% of Modern Era Ballot votes, with four voters declining to put his name on their ballot. While Johnson admitted he wasn’t bothered by it, he still would like to know who the four voters were.
“It doesn’t matter,” Johnson said. “Nope. It doesn’t.”
Chad Knaus, Johnson’s longtime crew chief inducted alongside him, was a bit more candid with his thoughts.
“If this man right here isn’t an unanimous vote, I don’t know if anybody ever will be,” Knaus said, via Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. “He’s the nicest guy. The best race-car driver to ever sit in a NASCAR race car. He’s a huge contributor to our sport… He is the ideal picture of what a Hall of Fame inductee.”
Johnson, 47, enjoyed one of the most successful careers in the history of the Cup Series. He is joined only by Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the most championships all-time. Johnson won all of his championships with Knaus as his crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports, and notably compiled five in a row from 2006-2010.
In addition, he tallied multiple wins in each of the Cup Series’ crown-jewel events — the Daytona 500 (2006, 2013), the Coca-Cola 600 (2003-05, 2014), the Southern 500 (2004, 2012) and the Brickyard 400 (2006, 2008-09, 2012), per NASCAR.com. Johnson’s 83 wins rank sixth-most in NASCAR history behind Petty (200), David Pearson (105), Jeff Gordon (93), Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison (both 84).
Denny Hamlin blasts NASCAR Hall of Fame voters who didn’t vote for Jimmie Johnson
Denny Hamlin, who raced alongside Johnson for majority of his career, called for the removal of voters who did not vote for Johnson.
“Not unanimous,” Hamlin tweeted. “What a joke a disgrace to one of the sports greatest ever. Make it public who said no and remove them from the voting panel..”
Johnson called his induction an “incredible honor.”
“I wouldn’t say there was doubt, but it was great to hear my name called,” Johnson said. “… They had so many key moments to this 19-year career I had which have led to this opportunity in the Hall… Those emotions just started running through my brain, through my mind. And then right in front of me was Brooke and Chad… To see so many images with Chad and I together, I’m like, ‘Oh, gosh, I hope he gets in, right?’
“That’s the other component to this that I was really hopeful for. A lot of very deserving names on the ballot. I am a bit biased and very thankful that Chad and I are going in together.”