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Kevin Harvick questions 'weird' legacy of Jimmie Johnson as NASCAR driver

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones11/19/25brianjones_93
Kevin Harvick Jimmie Johnson
Jun 30, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) talks during qualifying for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Harvick believes Jimmie Johnson‘s NASCAR legacy isn’t discussed as much as it should be. On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour earlier this year, Harvick responded to a fan who asked if Johnson’s five championships in a row are the most impressive feat in NASCAR history.

“Winning five championships in a row is insane,” Kevin Harvick said. “It’s a feat that nobody is ever going to do again. I think when you look back at that 48 team, Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson, and Hendrick Motorsports, and the things that they were able to accomplish during that timeframe, overlooked.

“That’s the problem with Jimmie Johnson leaving NASCAR and going to IndyCar. It’s like everybody forgot about things like this. It very well could be the most dominant piece of NASCAR history, winning five championships in a row. …The Jimmie Johnson era doesn’t get talked about like he’s a seven-time champion.”

Harvick then said that Jimmie Johnson was looked at the third driver at Hendrick Motorsports despite being “dominant.” He said it because the team also had Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, two of the most popular drivers in NASCAR history.

Kevin Harvick shares more on Jimmie Johnson

Harvick later added, “No matter what your personality is or your situation, if you’re in there with the all-time greats in other sports, you’re just a part of that conversation. He’s part of that conversation, but it’s the weirdest thing ever from a NASCAR standpoint. I think a lot of it has to do with almost being the most dominant guy, but being the third guy in line at the team.”

Johnson won the NASCAR Cup Series championship from 2006 to 2010 and then won it in 2013 and 2016. He competed in 700 Cup Series races and earned 83 wins and 375 top-10 finishes.

Following the 2020 season, Johnson ended his full-time NASCAR career and joined IndyCar in 2021. In his two seasons as a full-time driver in IndyCar, Johnson earned zero victories and two top-five finishes. He returned to NASCAR on a part-time basis in 2023 and purchased an ownership stake in Legacy Motor Club.